ELAZIG
The 22 year old Saray Camii in Elazig is really the most beautiful mosque I have ever seen. Inside and outside completely a marvellous architecture with marble arches. Encrusted in many different colours en finished with blue tiles. Finished up to the really last centimetre. The two 80 metres high minaret look a bit like decorated confectionary with beige ornaments but not a second I have the idea of it being kitsch. The michrab is from grey carved marble and also the mimber is very worth looking at. Locals think that the Izet Paşa Camii is more beautiful, I do not agree with them.
ERZINCAN
About 15 kilometres south of Erzincan – take a dolmus – there is the small village of Girlevik. The water falls there are wide and high, even in the hot summer and breath taking, so beautiful. Around these falls it is possible to walk in the hills so you can see them from different corners. Mind you: the last dolmus back to Elazig is at a quarter to six in the evening. If you miss that one, you are in trouble, there is not a hotel available.
ERZURUM
In the Yalentiye Medresse is now the museum for Turkish-Islamic art. The building itself is beautiful though I feel pity with the former students who had to bow deeply to go through the only 1,50 metre high entrances of the class rooms. In these former class rooms are all the exhibitions. The art work seems to be put at random, with very little interest. I think they deserve more attention because of their historical value. The minaret of this building is quite big-boned, not at all the more refined architecture I saw in other Turkish cities.
Erzurum is famous for its local black amber used in silver jewellery. At Rüsten Paşa Carşisi there are more than 50 tiny shops, packed (read: cramped) till the last centimetre. Full with rings, earrings, necklaces, braces and tashbeed. Personally I do not like them, too much kitsch, I like the fine silver jewellery from Sivas and Mardin a lot more.
Next to the mosque in the city centre there is a teagarden (çay bahçesi) where you can have drinks and sit to look at the locals. Do not forget: the locals will look at you too! Besides this one Erzurum has a lot of pastanesi and restaurants, some of them serve the locally famous Erzurum Civil Peynir, a green and delicious cheese. For foreigners they call it simple Erzurum Roquefort.
The city castle, the kale, is not really special I think. The entrance is only two lira but even that seem to be a big amount for this abandoned place. Grass grows knee high and there is too much litter every where.
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