HJ ZULHEIMY - SEPANJANG JALAN KENANGAN: April 2024

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

TURKIYE : PAMUKKALE - KONYA - CAPPADOCIA

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

30 April 2024

After breakfast, the group departs from Pamukkale to Konya, which is approximately 396 km away and takes 5 hours and 3 minutes.

KONYA, TURKIYE

Konya is located approximately 8 hours drive from Istanbul, Turkey. Konya was originally under the rule of the Seljuk Kingdom and the Karamanids. The city has been inhabited since 3000 B.C. It then changed hands from one ruler to another until it was conquered by the Seljuk Kingdom in 1084, when it changed hands under the rule of the Ottoman Turkish Kingdom.

On the way to Konya, the group stopped at a famous textile store in Turkey. Then the group stopped for lunch at a restaurant before continuing to Konya.

MEVLANA MUSEUM

Mevlana Museum in Konya, Turkiye started life as the dervish lodge of the Mevlevi order, better known as Whirling Dervishes.

In the Mevlana Museum is the tomb of Maulana Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi, a famous Islamic poet of the 13th century. He has written hundreds of famous poems in various languages. He is also associated with the famous Sufi dance and meditation (Whirling Derwish) in Turkey.

The area around this museum is filled with tombs, most of which are the followers of Maulana Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi.

SULTANHANI CARAVANSERAI

The group was then taken on a tour of the Sultanhani Caravanserai. Sultanhani Caravanserai, located in Konya, is the largest Caravanserai, built by Alaattin Keykubat 1 in 1229.

Caravanserai means hotel, or in the olden days, it was appropriately called a place to stop and rest for traders and camels.

ACCOMODATION HOTEL

Avrasya Hotel located at Yeni Mahallesi, Jan Zakari Cadessi, Avanos / Nevsehir, Turkiye.

DOWN MEMORY LANE : 23 FEBRUARY 2018 > CAPPADOCIA

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, KL

30 April 2024 > 22 Syawal 1445H: 11.10 p.m

TURKIYE : KUSADASI - PAMUKKALE

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

28 April 2024

This morning, the group left from Bursa to Kusadasi, which is located approximately 413 km away.

KUSADASI

Kusadasi is a resort town located on the Aegean Coast of Turkey. Tourism is the city's primary industry. The name Kusadasi comes from the words 'Kus' (bird) and 'ada' (island).

During the Byzantine Roman Empire, it was known as Ephesus Neopolis, and later it was known as Scala Nova.

Kusadasi is a center of art and culture, as evidenced by its earliest historical records.

LECO LEATHER AND FUR

The group was taken on a visit to Leco Leather and Fur, located in Selcuk/Izmir, Turkey, a famous leather goods store in Turkey.

THE CITY OF EPHESUS

Ephesus Archaeological Museum is located in Selcuk / Izmir, Turkey. Ephesus was once a large city in Asia Minor, located on the west coast of Anatolia.

The city is famous for being the location of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Temple of Artemis is an ancient Greek civilization temple built for the god Artemis. This temple was built in 550 B.C. The city was demolished in 401 BC but was rebuilt before it was largely destroyed by an earthquake. The city is estimated to have been inhabited since 6,000 BC.

The Temple of Hadrian, one of the structures still preserved in Ephesus, was built in 138 AD to commemorate the visit of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117 - 138 AD).

Emperor Hadrian is among "The Five Good Emperors," which refers to the five Roman Emperors namely Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.

Ephesus in mentioned in the Bible, according to Christian faith, it is a city where the apostle Paul preached and it is the subject of the Book of Ephesians. It is also said to have been the place where Mary, mother of Jesus lived in her final years.

I'm lucky I don't live during this era...what if I have a stomach ache?

After the Ephesus City tour, the group was taken to visit Gozbasi Lokum, a shop that sells Turkish Delight.

PAMUKKALE, TURKIYE

After the visit to Gozbasi Lokum, the group left for Pamukkale, a city in Western Turkey known for its thermal waters that are rich in minerals and flow directly down the nearby hillside. The travel distance from Kusadasi to Pamukkale is 201 km and takes approximately 2 hours and 54 minutes. Pamukkale is renowned for its historical relics and natural beauty. The name Pamukkale originates from a Turkish word that means "Cotton Castle". The ancient city of Hierapolis is located nearby and is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pamukkale.

ANTIQUE CITY OF HIERAPOLIS

Upon arrival in Pamukkale, the group was taken to visit the Antique City of Hierapolis.

The Antique City of Hierapolis was historically founded by Eumenes II, King of Pergamon who ruled from 197 - 159 BC. The name of the city comes from the name of Hiera, the wife of Telephus (daughter of Hercules and grandson of Zeus).

Hierapolis was handed over to the Roman Empire in 133 BC, but it was destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD during the reign of Emperor Nero.

COTTON CASTLE

From Hierapolis, the group was then taken to visit the Cotton Castle, which is a terrace of white hot water pools on the hillside.

Pamukkale meaning "Cotton Castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denzil Province in Southwestern Turkey. This area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing of thermal spring water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley.