Photography and Writing by A. Cemal Ekin
In this closing article about Safranbolu, we will wander around town and see a few locals, take a ride up north and visit Bartin and Amasra. And the final experience will be a visit to another mansion run by the Touring Club of Turkey. That seems to be the last day of our trip. Some …
As I said, we stayed at Paşa Konağı while in Safranbolu. It was a very nice hotel run by a very friendly couple, Ismail Urgancıoğlu and his family. In addition to showing us great hospitality at Paşa Konağı, they took us around to show us their other mansion, Gökçüoğlu Summer House, and beyond. Judging by …
In the previous post, I presented general views of Safranbolu. This one will focus on one well-restored mansion and its owners. And after that is a short presentation of Cinci Han, an old caravanserai. Let us go in … Zamanlık for Safranbolu While walking on one of the narrow streets, Ergun noticed an interesting sign …
Seventeen years ago, when Jan and I were visiting Turkey we drove to the historic town of Safranbolu. Binnaz and Ergun had arranged everything, and the four of us spent a few days in the time capsule. Back in those days, I did not write articles on my site. It recently occurred to me that …
Old Photographs from Film Days When we were living in Adana, many ancient historic places were a day trip away. We could go west or east and stop at different places to see the remnants of times long gone. In this article, I would like to take you to a place on the Taurus (Toros) …
I have scanned many slides, negatives, prints over the years. Since late December 2019, I have been doing it as a project to convert old photographs to digital and, in some ways, relive the memories. The result, I hope will be an archive of family members, gatherings, events as well as many photographs I took …
Although this time we stayed in Ayvalik for only four days, we managed to do and see quite a bit. Ayvalik is colorful and charming that invites exploration. We also met new people and saw new places. In this final post of the ongoing travelog, I will try to give you a feel for the …
Ma’Adra Unites a Mythological Couple When we visited the olive grove for the second time in the morning, we went to Ma’Adra Vineyards on the hills of Madra mountains for lunch. The road was winding and rough, the weather a bit foggy, but traveling as a two-car convoy we made it to the vineyards high …
A couple of years ago, Binnaz and Ergun purchased an olive grove as a future revenue source for the ASKEV foundation. The grove has about 1,000 olive trees, mostly old with a few newer ones. Since the purchase, they have done additional work to make the grove conform to high-quality agriculture standards with automated irrigation …
After the first two weeks in Turkey and seeing the family and friends, Elif and Mina arrived at the beginning of our third week. We spent the first night in Istanbul and the next day Mustafa drove us to Ayvalik as the girls wanted. The new roads and the bridge crossing the Izmit Bay cut …
I am probably beating a dead horse by writing about the very strange change in Istanbul’s architecture. I wrote before about the discomfort of Istanbul and I experienced the same when we visited there in October 2019. In my previous visits and related posts, I referred to the city with the nickname I coined for …
Continuing from part 1, this is the end of our second week visiting Istanbul. Elif and Mina arrived on October 14 and we all went to Ayvalik on October 15 to return to Istanbul on the 19th. October 11, 2019 As planned, I dropped Jan off at Mehmet and Isin’s house where the girls would …
The fall color in Utah, at least in the parts I have seen, is yellow unlike in New England where colors are a mix of reds, oranges, yellows all mixed in. Fall in Utah around Mt. Nebo is an intense, vibrant, almost light-emitting yellow. Yellow is unique in the color spectrum. It is naturally luminous, …
This post is dedicated to the memory of our good friend Alan French who passed away yesterday. He loved trains, I wish he could have seen some of the photographs. Rest in peace Alan. A day trip to the Golden Spike National Historic Site started at the Salt Lake Marina and ended with dinner at …
It was good to see Elif at the Salt Lake City airport waiting for us. The weather was very nice and it would remain so for the rest of our stay. We arrived at Elif’s house and settled in our bedroom Elif fixed for our arrival. Mina had gone on a trip with her father …
A week ago on Monday, Jan and I flew to Salt Lake City to see Elif and Mina. The first leg of the flight, Providence to Baltimore was about an hour. By sheer coincidence, the exit gate for us was next to the connecting flight gate to Salt Lake City. Take a Window Seat in …
As much as I wrote about the discomfort and stress I get in Istanbul, I should also mention the comfort zones, the pleasures even if they may be in the midst of the dreaded construction everywhere. There are still pleasant sides of Istanbul and you can find them. Let’s Talk About the Pleasant Sides Around …
This photograph has been in the making for about 20 years, maybe even more. When I first thought of taking a photograph from this point, on the exit connector from the freeway, the trees were not nearly as tall nor have the looming towers were built. The apartment buildings are situated on the slopes of …
Dinner With Friends Our friends invited us to Fenerbahçe Dalyan Club last week. As we arrived, we saw an old stone building which I later learned was an old seminary attached to a church. Little did I know that it was St. Augustine Church, like the one we saw in Sheffield. During the dinner, I excused …
Our first couple of days in Istanbul started on the right foot! After a wonderfully comfortable flight, we arrived in Istanbul about 75 minutes earlier than expected, always a pleasant surprise! Mustafa met us at the airport, and we left the parking lot to a surprise! The ever crowded and jammed traffic was surprisingly flowing, …
Restoration Yields Abstract Photographs Restoration next door? No, not here on Spring Green Rd., but in Ayvalik, Turkey. Ergun sent me a few photographs he took inside the house next to theirs last September, while it was undergoing renovation. A few he sent were promising abstract photographs, and I encouraged him to take more. The …
Various types of markets, called pazar in Turkish, are a way of life in Turkey. There are permanent markets, like the Kadikoy Pazari (market). Others, like the Kuzguncuk Pazari, have a large weekly and a smaller permanent market. The goods range from vegetables, edibles, meat, fish, cheese, spices; to housewares, kitchenware, and many things in …
Disappointing! One word. Although I strongly favor keeping the old architecture alive, restoration, repurposing, and keeping the texture of cities and towns to the extent possible, the old church disappoints. I see preservation in Rhode Island where I live, and in nearby states. In fact, I saw 100-year-old photographs of New York compared to photographs …
Mina is now 1o years old, time flew by, and she has become a graceful girl. This year, many things came together and we were able to celebrate first Ergun’s, then Jan’s, and finally Mina’s birthdays in Turkey with family and friends. A couple of days after Elif and Mina arrived in Istanbul, we were …
