Antakya II

I had wanted Ted to see Antakya, in fact, to have the whole experience of taking the dolmush to and from Gaziantep and wandering the city. That’s what we did our first weekend here. It turns out they’ve replaced the dolmush fleet – which had basically been 15-20 passenger vans – with new small 30-passenger buses. Of course the ride was more comfortable but somehow less colorful.

After dropping our bags in the hotel, we made a beeline for the little hummus and bakla restaurant my colleague Judy and I had discovered during our last trip. We’d only had the hummus because we didn’t know what bakla was – we thought it might have been something sweet. However, then we saw someone order it and decided next time we’d try bakla. Well, this was the next time, and we did try it. I’m oh so glad we did.

Judy Isacoff and Martha with the chef/proprietor Zeynel Ustanin Yeri

I actually watched the proprietor prepare it. First, he put some salt and a couple cloves of garlic in the bottom of a bowl and mashed them. Then he scooped out a large ladle of beans and broth from a large copper or brass pot he had on the counter. He began mashing those, all the while adding olive oil, lemon juice, tahini and cumin. It ends up about the consistency of refried beans, although there are still some whole beans, and it is still warm and a bit more watery. When he was finished mashing, he drizzled some more tahini on top and added some fresh parsley. It is truly wonderful. In fact, Ted and I found some bakla beans in the market yesterday and are going to try to make it at home.

Click on this to read the official history of this little chapel.

After hummus and bakla we went to another place specializing in the local dessert, künefe. We then wandered through the bazaar, something Judy and I hadn’t done the time before. It’s definitely not a tourist bazaar; in fact, I don’t think I saw any tourist items there. There were just lots of small shops catering to the daily needs of the residents. It was a lot of fun to wander and not be badgered by vendors. After a rest at the hotel we ventured across the river. The bridge takes one to a traffic circle. Several obviously French colonial buildings face the circle, and several main streets take off from it, like spokes from the hub of a wheel. This is the new part of the city. We wandered up the street that most closely paralleled the river. What a contrast to the bazaar. It’s like Antakya’s answer to Fifth Avenue in New York. All the stores were modern and stocked with the latest fashions. The people on the street at least thought of themselves as the hip generation. It was a fun stroll.

A bit of the "original" mosaic that was on the floor. Such fragments are visible here and there on the chapel floor.

The next morning we walked up to Saint Peter’s church. This time I had my camera with me. I think Ted was impressed.

Ted reading the plaque. This gives you a sense of the height of the cave.

It is humbling to think that the earliest converts to Christianity and those that began to think of themselves as Christians, might have worshiped here.

Chair behind the altar and the back of the cave

Ted and Martha in front of the altar

As we were leaving I looked at a map of the area on the wall of the room, which clearly showed the ruins of an old Roman fortification atop the mountain. I asked if there were any busses up there. Someone called an English-speaking employee and he said you have to have a car. He then offered to take us in his car for the price of the gas. That seemed reasonable and turned out to be a great decision. You approach the summit from the backside of the mountain where there are several small villages, lots of agriculture – including a pomegranate orchard – and a huge quarry. He was originally from one of those villages. No attempt has been made to restore any part of this fortification, which was actually huge in it’s time. There are pieces of the wall visible, and here and there you can see evidence of a structure. However, it’s mostly tree-covered now and a popular place to come for picnics in the summer. It was quite windy, and you could tell but the shape of the trees that strong winds blow there year round. The view down into the city was great but it wasn’t a clear day. Apparently you can see all the way to the Mediterranean when there are no clouds or fog.

There is also a tea house that seemed like it could have been a mountain lodge in the US. The walls were covered with wood from small trees and there was a huge stone fireplace. There was also a wood-burning stove going – that’s where we sat and drank tea. It was a lovely morning.

After the trek to the top of the mountain we gathered our bags from the hotel, had one more meal of bakla and hummus and headed to the bus station. The trip home was uneventful. Ted did see what we think was a hawk. Trying to look up hawks in our bird book, however, it seems that might have been some sort of vulture. Anyhow, it wasn’t a pigeon, crow or sparrow – about the only kinds of birds you see around here, at least at this time of year.