Türkiye

"I found there the greatest capacity for friendship I have ever known." ~ Mary Lee Settle, Turkish Reflections, 1991

An American in Türkiye

I became serious about photography during my first tour of duty with NATO in Izmir, Turkey. I bought my first SLR there and took hundreds of photos.

Learning to be a good photographer was not my initial focus—I needed to learn so I could supervise and rate the three Army Photographers who ran the NATO Photo Lab. I required them to teach me, and they took the task seriously. The more they taught, the more interested I became.

I've thought about building an exhaustive page about my photos from there, but the thought of choosing my best shots gave me pause. This time, I'm taking it slowly, adding a little at a time.

Here, then, are some of my favorite photos from my second home, the beautiful country of Türkiye.

Birinci Kordon, 1985

Turkey is my second home. Both ancient and modern, I fell in love with the beautiful, friendly people, the history, and the food. It is a photographer's paradise.

The Turks have extended the sea wall out into the bay to create a beautiful park with palms, bicycle and walking paths, patriotic statues, and music venues. It is The Place to be at sunset.

I sometimes think that I would love to go back with the camera kit I have now, but I know it would never be the same; my friends were always the most important part.

"No man ever steps in the same river twice . . . " ~ Heraclitus

Our Penthouse View

Kady and I found the perfect apartment for our two-year assignment in 1990. Two combined penthouse apartments made a perfect space fit for our little family, thirteen floors up, situated on a cliff. The wrap-around balcony was large enough for the kids to ride their bikes, and the sliding glass doors opened up most of the bay-side wall.

It was the perfect place to entertain friends or sit out back and watch the sun set.

This tour was the best family time my family and I ever had.

Sokak

If I've taken only one photo that tells a story, this is the one. The night arrived in Izmir, I wondered at the beauty of all of the twinkling lights on the hill in the center of the city.

Disobeying the command's rules, I walked up the hill at my first opportunity to find that the lights were from the small homes of the poorer Turks living on the mountain. The people there were very nice, and I never felt unsafe.

My Turkish friends hate this photo; the reality of it hurts their pride.

The Agora, 1985

While touring the castle above Izmir with my Turkish language class, I noticed a green space down in the city. On my way back down the mountain on my solo walk, I went that way. It was the ruins of the ancient Agora of Smyrna. Turkey has recently extended the area around the site for excavation, removing newer structures and excavating the ancient city. They have also begun work on the theater, farther up the mountain.

Where Few Visit

There are so many ancient sites to see in Asia Minor. Everywhere you turn, there are marbled cities in rubble waiting for someone to visit and explore. I enjoyed walking the ones that are visited only by sheep.

I went to Hierapolis on my first trip out of the city with my Sponsor, Rick, and his wife, Liz. They taught me to travel the Turkish way: catch a Minibus to the Autobus garage, find a bus to the nearest town, and use local transportation to the Site.

They taught me well.

The Temple of Artemis

Selcuk Castle, Isabey Cami, and The Basilica of Saint John

My first solo trip was to Ephesus. I was very careful about it and had a system. I tried dressing like a Turk, speaking Turkish, carrying a set of prayer beads, following a map everywhere I went, and keeping to myself.

Arriving in Selcuk, I checked into the Kale Han hotel and then walked to the ruins, stopping by the excavation where the temple of Artemis once stood.

I spent three days walking, studying, nd photgraphing the place.

At night, I watched Eurovision with the hotel owner and his family.

Library of Celsus, 1985

Besides the theater, this is the main feature at Ephesus. Built in the 110s CE and destroyed by fire in 262CE, consider what knowledge was lost when the estimated 12,000 scrolls were destroyed.

In Situ

I ran across this column on a side street to the left of the theater in Ephesus. The excavators wisely left it the way they found it, tilted on its base and resting on the rubble of some long-ago earthquake.

Harbor Road, 1985

Kady, the kids, Ellen, and I returned to Ephesus in 1991

Canon AE-1 Program, 35-70mm, Kodochrome 64

Amerikan Çocuklar

I took my family to see Ephesus a second time during our second tour in Turkey. They were young, but already world travelers, having lived in England for two years prior to this.

At the Temple of Artemis site was a man selling camel rides. My little heroes were all about it.

Varan Kapi

Searching the city of Bergama with an 80-year-old man as my self-elected guide, I ran across this, a city gate to the old city of Pergamon. You can see the city citadel through the haze on the mountain in the background. I walked up there that day.

This was my second trip out of the city and a day-trip.

Zeus and Athena

The Altar of Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, now resides in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. All that is left of this structure is the foundation, beautiful in its own way. I sat, ate my lunch, and had a good chat with Zeus and Athena.

Murat and Nil

Murat was the unofficial translator for our office during my first tour. Educated in England, his English was probably better than mine. While on exercise in Terkidag, he and I finagled our way into Istanbul for three days.

He was from a well-to-do family, so we stayed at his mom's places in Belarbey and Bebek and drove around the city in his BMW. Everywhere we went, he invited a pretty girl or two to come along.

Nil was, by far, the most fun and prettiest. She and Murat took me all over the city seeing all of the sites.

When Murat passed away, from the lingering effects of a skiing accident, Nil is the one to let me know.

Ellen at the Gate

I mostly traveled alone in '85 & '86.

As my traveling matured, I began reading an English language book on the bus, a signal to young Turks looking to practice their English.

I tried traveling with my only friend, Ellen, whom I met in Turkish language class, but only after Kady had met her.

We went back to Heirapolis.

Traveling with another person is simply not the same. I stopped and went back to traveling solo.

The Kids

Turkish parents indulge their children but are very protective. I never took a photo of one unless I had the permission of an adult. Often, when I tried to take a photo, every child around jumped into the frame.

I learned to take a bag of Tootsie Rolls with me, to occupy them while I photographed my subject. Tootsie Rolls were perfect—they didn't melt in hot weather and lasted long enough for me to shoot and escape.

Broom Shop

The dashing fellow in the cap signaled his approval with a polite nod. His buddy basically ignored me. As I took the shot, the man and his boy walked into my frame. I bought a broom and a mop to say thank you. As I recall, I gave them to my kapici.

Smoking

These cats motioned me over and indicated I needed to take their photo. In the background is my friend Ellen, who was out with me this day, taking photos in Kultur Park.

Smoking is part of the social structure in Turkiye. Everyone smokes.

The Bard

The bardic traditions are alive and well in Turkey. Everywhere you go, you'll see men, young and old, sitting around playing the Saz and singing epic tales.

Neighborhood Watch

This young man stood in his doorway, keeping an eye on the Americans taking photos in his neighborhood. Even though he was giving us disapproving and suspicious looks, I took a chance and pointed at my camera.

He nodded an OK and struck this pose.

I printed a copy for him and took it back, sticking the envelope in the door. I hope he liked it.

Sardunya

My favorite little bar was on 1469 Sokak, in Old Alsancak. Twenty-four years on, the building is now a wine bar; Sardunya still exists a couple of streets over, but the photos don't capture the same vibe. My Turkish friends have all moved away. Matisse has closed. My buddies Jerry and Murat have died.

It's true—you can't go home again.

Carpet Hunting

Kady, the kiddos, and I went on a carpet-hunting trip in the Yunt mountains with a local rug merchant, Elker.

The entire town was involved in rug production. The men and boys tended the flock, sheared the sheep, and washed and dyed the wool. The little girls did the spinning, and the women and older girls made the carpets.

Holy Ilium

Taken on my first visit to Troy, you can clearly see the slope of Troy's walls, mentioned by Homer. I've led two more tours to the site for my soldiers.

I love the story.

Kaynapinar Boats

Kady and I went to stay at a "summer home" of a friend of a friend. It was not a good time. The little town was nice and the harbor beautiful.

The Girls of the Castle

As I became more comfortable with the camera and with the Turks, I would ask permission by pointing at my camera. I only took photos of people who gave me their permission, like these young ladies.

My 70 - 210 mm lens was great for this.

The Girl in the Park

This is one of my favorite photos, not only for the girl but also for the story, memories, and lessons that came from its taking.

During my first tour of Turkey, 1984-1986, my two friends, Ellen, the hippy sergeant, and Vern, the homosexual officer in the days of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," were walking around the city with our cameras. We cut through Kulture Park on our way home.

Sitting on the fountain in the center of the park was a family of fun-looking people. Ellen asked if we could take their photo, and the mom agreed.

I switched to my 70-200 zoom and began taking photos of this beauty, Ayshe, in the center of the group. She had amazing green eyes and beautiful light-brown hair, but, sadly, I was loaded with Kodak Tri-X 400. I could have switched films, sacrificing a couple of exposures on the B&W roll, but I didn't want to take the time.

Though I normally prefer to shoot in monochrome, those emerald-green eyes, shining in the late-afternoon sun, deserved color.

Once developed and printed, I sent her copies through the post (that's my pencil in her hand, giving me their address). That began my process of taking photos of people and sending them a photo of how I see them. Now, of course, that's all done digitally.

Not long after this, I bought a second camera body, the Canon A-1, which I still use, so that I could load one camera with color and the second with B&W. That worked well for years, until digital caught up. Now, with a push of a button, I can switch between the two.

Tarihi Asansor

I took this during my second assignment to Izmir. The lift was built in 1907 by a wealthy businessman to ease movement up the cliff.

The street is now a beautiful walking mall, called Dario Moreno Street, lined with shops and outdoor cafes. This was quickly pointed out by my Turkish friends when I posted this on Instagram.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

This is a two-for-one shot, taken during my last few days in Ixmir. The statue of Mustafa Kemal at Ataturk Circle, down by the bay in Pasaport. The hotel behind was the place where the Air Force had rooms for American military personnel arriving and departing from duty in the city.

My Alarm Clock

Alsancal Cami was directly across Shair Eshref Boulevard from my first apartment and within hearing distance during my third tour apartment.

Every morning, the Imam woke me to rise and pay homage to the airborne gods of running. Most mornings I ran in Kultur Park.

Pamukkale

The Greeks and Romans built the city of Heripolis around the hot springs on this mountain. The pools of water formed over the centuries from the calcium in the springs.

Pamukkale means "cotton castle."

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