Turkey Travel Part IX: Hot Air Balloon, Lake Tuz & Anitkabir

(Continued from previous page)

Day 7

Saturday, 19 Oct 2019

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Early in the morning, 22 of our tourmates went to a place, Goreme, near our hotel, Dilek Kaya Hotel, to ride a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Writer and wife did not go with them as they had the same ride in Luxor, Egypt, in 2017.

The following photos below show the hot air balloon activities in Cappadocia in the morning of 19 Oct 2019.

(i) One balloon had lifted off and the other would soon follow.

(ii) Many balloons were already in the sky when the sun appeared in the east.

(iii) Lots of balloons in the sky in the bright morning of 19 Oct 2019 in Cappadocia.

(iv) Riders of the balloons were enjoying the breathtaking view of the land below them in Cappadocia in the bright morning of 19 Oct 2019.

(v) Writer who stayed at the hotel, Dilek Kaya Hotel, Cappadocia, spotted two hot air balloons floating in the air at 7.40 a.m. on 19 Oct 2019.

Departure for Ankara from Cappadocia

At 10 a.m. we left Dilek Kaya Hotel in Cappadocia and continued our Turkey tour to Ankara, the capital of Turkey, that had a population of 5.5 millions in 2018.

Lake Tuz

After travelling for more than an hour, we stopped by a large lake, Lake Tuz, which is the second largest in Turkey. It is located 150 km south-east of Ankara.

Breeding Ground for Flamingos

The picture below shows Lake Tuz(Tuz Golu). It is a breeding ground for tens of thousands of flamingos in the middle of every year.

Writer and tourmates visited Lake Tuz(Tuz Golu) on 19 Oct 2019.

Salty Shore

The shore of Lake Tuz is salty. We were not lucky to see any flamingo around when we were there on 19 Oct 2019. Flamingos are migratory birds and they fly to the lake to breed in summer.

Flamingos

This picture shows a flamingo with white feather on its body and red feathers on its wings. It has two long pink legs and black curved beak. Birds of this kind migrate to Lake Tuz, annually.

Journey to Ankara

At 12.30 p.m. we left the salt-lake, Lake Tuz, and went straight to Ankara.

Two hours later, we arrived at Ankara, the capital of Turkey.

Anitkabir, Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

In Ankara, the first place we visited was Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of the founder and first President of Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Below is a picture of the Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Entrance to Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara

Writer and wife were in the courtyard of Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, on 19 Oct 2019. It was opened in 1953 in memory of the Turkish hero.

Founder and First President of Republic Turkey

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk(1881-1938) was the founder and first President of Republic Turkey in 1923. He made many reforms to make his country a strong, secular and modern state.

Symbolic Sarcophagus of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

The symbolic sarcophagus of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s tomb in the Hall of Honour in Anitkabir in Ankara. His tomb is right under the sarcophagus on the ground floor.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had fought in the 1st. World War(1914-1918).

Western Front

Mustafa Kemal Pasha(Commander-in-Chief) and his men were sent off to the Western Front to fight against the Allied Powers in the Battle of Gallipoli(1915-16). The allied Powers wanted to control the sea route(Strait of Dardanelles) between Europe and Russia. The Turkish won the battle.

Military Manoeuvre in Ilgin

Commander-in-Chief Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha and Commander of Western Front, Imet Pasha, at the big military manoeuvre in Ilgin on 1 April 1922.

The Great Battle in 1922

Commander-in-Chief Marshal Ghazi, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, were discussing the Great Attack(1922) with the Commander of the Turkish Army and Western Front Commander.

In 1919 the Greek forces captured Smyrna(now Izmir). In 1922 the Great Battle between the Greek and Turkish forces were launched in Smyrna. Turrkish forces counter-attacked and recaptured the town from the Greek.

Battle of Gallipoli(1915-16)

Below are some pictures painted on the walls in Anitkabir. They depict the Battle of Gallipoli(1915-16).

(i) Turkish armies firing cannons at British and French in the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915.

(ii) The Turkish armies fighting against the Allied Powers(Britain, France and Russia) in the Battle of Gallipoli(1915-16)

(iii) Nurses were taking care of wounded Turkish soldiers in the Battle of Gallipoli(1915-16)

(iv) The Greek armies were invading villages, towns and cities beginning in Anatolia(Turkey) in 1919,

(v) In 1915, the British and French navies attacked the Turkish forces in the Strait of Dardanelles in the Battle of Gallipoli(1915-16) hoping to take control of the waterway between Europe and Russia.

(vi) Turkish soldiers were relaxing during a truce in the Battle of Gallipoli(1915-16) between the Ottoman Empire(Turkey) and the Allies(Britain, France and Russia).

(vii) A Turkish army led by Commander-in-Chief, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha, and the people of Smyrna(now Izmir) were celebrating victory over the Greek forces in 1922.

Copper-Tuning Art Pieces

Besides the large paintings about wars against the Allied Powers in the Battle of Gallipoli and the battle against Greece in 1922 in Anitkabir, Ankara, there were copper-tuning art pieces about events leading to the establishment of Republic of Turkey in 1928 and thereafter.

(i) Turkish National Forces founded in 1920

(ii) Inauguration of the Grand National Assembly(1920) and internal revolts

(iii) National struggle in Antep, Maras, Urfa and Thrace

(iv) Vistories, Mudaya Armistice, Treaty of Lausanne and political revolutions

(v) Reforms in law, women’s rights and adoption of surnames

(vi) Turkey’s progress in agriculture, forestry, industry and commerce

(vii) President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Taturk, and his ministers were active in domestic and foreign political events during his term from 1923 until 1938.

(viii) People of Republic Turkey founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923

Anitkabir Guards

There are several guards at Anitkabir, Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in Ankara. Although there ars standing motionless, they are always watching the visitors.

Bera Ankara Hotel, Ankara

At 4 p.m we left Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and went to Ankara City to have dinner and then checked into a hotel, Bera Ankara Hotel.

Ziya Gokalp Cd.

At 7 p.m. our tour-manager, Brian Wong, brought us to see the shops along a busy street, Ziya Gokalp Cd., in the City of Ankara.

Ice-Cream Delight

After walking a few hundred metres, we stopped at an ice-cream shop, Mado Cafe, and everyone bought an ice-cream each.

“Wefie”

For remembrance, we took a photo together showing our ice-creams.

Previous Page / Home / Next Page

Places visited during Turkey Tour(13-22 Oct 2019):

Trojan Horse/Ancient Troy Cities Asklepion Ephesus Hierapolis/Pamukkale Travertine Sultanhani Caravanserai Pasabag Valley Uchisar Valley/Kaymakli Underground City Gerome Valley/Turkish Night Show Hot Air Balloon/Lake Golu/Anitkabir Hagia Sophia/Topkapi Palace/Blue Mosque Bosphorus Boat Cruise Spice Bazaar/Grand Bazaar