Mount Ararat is the national symbol of Armenia and has been revered by Armenians for ages. In Armenian mythology Mt. Ararat is the home of the Gods, much like Mt. Olympus in Greek Mythology. And then, of course, some people believe as well that a man named Noah built an ark that came to rest … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Turkey
A (Brief) Return To Istanbul
While on our way to Ethiopia and Somalia, we had a layover of several hours in Istanbul. So, my Italian and I journeyed into Istanbul and had lunch with our Turkish friends, Zeynep and Yusuf. We met in Taksim Square which I felt was appropriate given its bloody history (the Taksim Square Massacre) and the … Continue reading
Arsemia, Turkey
Arsemia was the summer capital of the Commagene Kingdom built by King Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philoromaios Philhellen of Commagene in honor of his father King Mithridates I Callinicus. Its mountain location soon became a military stronghold and the site of a mausoleum and religious center. In the valley below is a tributary of … Continue reading
The Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
The mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is located in Ankara and was designed by architects Professor Emin Onat and Assistant Professor Orhan Arda, whose proposal beat 48 other entries from several countries in a competition held by the Turkish Government in 1941 for a “monumental mausoleum” for Atatürk. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the leader of … Continue reading
Karakus, Turkey (Monumental Tombs of Commagene – the Forgotten Kingdom)
The Monumental Tomb pictured below was built by Commagene’s King Mithradates II and was dedicated to his mother Isas. Because of the symbol of the eagle on the top of the columns, it was named Karakuş (black bird) Tumulus. There were four columns in each east, west and south direction, however today only two at … Continue reading
Cappadocia, Turkey
I had wanted to visit Cappadocia since reading an article about the region in high school. I saved the article and would be reminded of my desire to go every time I was going through my things. So, while it might have taken me some time to make it there, I did finally make it … Continue reading
Art / Places We Go / Turkey
The Velvet Rocket 