Eastern Express with Masala Journey

Eastern Express with masala journey: For years, departing from Istanbul, high-speed train with the arrival of Ankara is now moving. The East Express adventure, where we listen to dozens of legends, begins after a six-hour bus trip to Istanbul-Ankara.
The Eastern Express passes through the edge of an orphan village when it is passing through Anatolia. The mountains pass through the tunnels and swing over the bridges. Along the way, you can see the beauty of Anatolia when you see the plains and the snow on the hills. The East Express adventure, where we listen to dozens of legends, begins after a six-hour bus trip to Istanbul-Ankara. Trains departing from Istanbul for many years now move from Ankara with the arrival of the High Speed ​​Train. Our train that left the capital behind in the evening; Kırıkkale, Yozgat, Sivas, Erzincan, Erzurum and 24 hours to reach the 20 hours in minutes.
Doing the second road at Ankara Station is a bit sad. Because High Speed ​​Trains, which take their passengers from the same place, reveal that we are waiting for an old man. They disappear rapidly one after the other, but our train is slowly approaching the platform. We mingle with the hectic crowd and get on the Eastern Express. Some of them go to Sivas with a saz, some to Erzurum, the father's home, where he has been separated for many years… The conductor who checks our tickets is surprised when he learns that we went to Kars: What are you doing in Kars in this weather? We say that our aim is to complete the journey like a fairy tale and go to Ani Ruins. Although he was amazed by our answer, this time he talks about the beauty of Kars.
We leave our backpacks in our compartment and explore the train. Bed, padded, pulman, restaurant uz We walk all the wagons in the first half hour of our journey. In this short trip we see that everyone else is familiar with the train journey. Children are sleeping time, parents sipping tea in the evening. Every side of the passenger carriage is filled with guts. The first thing that comes to mind when you say the train journey of cheese and cheeses have already been removed. We turn off the lights of the compartment and watch the vast steppe of Central Anatolia from our window. This feeling of restlessness is divided by the sound of the train moving in the dark of the night. The first stations in our memory are included. We do not have enough time to watch. We come across the first descendants of Yozgat Yerköy town. They're hugging the black cover of the evening.
The pleasure of watching the stations is another pleasure, but the hunger is overwhelming. Isn't there a train ride but the bread break is not prepared? We are talking about a loaf of bread we bought at the Ankara Station at the last minute. With olives, cheese, tomatoes, it's time to tea. We take our apple cinnamon cakes and head to the restaurant. Even though soup drinkers and grill eaters find it strange, the cake and tea duo takes away all our tiredness. While taking the last sip, the snowy mountains whisper that we have reached Kayseri. Kemal Gönenç, the wagon attendant, who did not miss his attention throughout our journey, with his memories sohbetjoins us.
HAYDARPAŞA ÖZLEMİ LIVES EYES
At dawn, Sivas appears from afar. We are witnessing the dawn for a long time behind the train. The weather we expect it to be cold is surprising. It is almost like a summer day begins in Anatolia. In the breakfast we had on the train, the restaurant staff greet their guests with the folk songs of Âşık Veysel and Selda Bağcan, as if we were in Sivas. Sezen Aksu continues with her songs, breakfast mock. While drinking tea sohbet While Kemal Gönenç, who spent his life on train journeys, shared a memory, we realize that we came to Erzincan's Eriç village: “Last year, there was a young man riding from Eriç. He took two 20-pound pike fish to Ankara. The cranes of the Eriç Stream are very nice. We insisted, we said sell someone to us, but we couldn't convince. " He talks about Haydarpaşa with full of eyes. Gönenç thinks that the Eastern Express is humbled from Ankara: “We came to Kars from Istanbul for years. I missed the Ankara Express and traveling from Istanbul to the East. There is no longer either. They say that after these high-speed train works, the trips will start again, but I have no hope. I would like to go to Haydarpaşa just to eat fish and bread. "
When we reach every big city, new passengers are attending as well as those who descend. We encounter the first passengers who will accompany us in the Erzincan and Erzurum stations until Kars. When they say the train, we leave the lines of Haydar Ergülen into the verses of the poets who came to mind first. Of course we arrived in the desert, not through the snowy mountains, to Kars. Again, one afternoon we met at the station. It makes us realize that we have come to the east of Anatolia with its fresh air burning. When we look at the Eastern Express for one last time and say goodbye, we understand that we are the only ones going to Ankara from Ankara.
THE CITY OF LEGENDS: ANİ
The next day we start to visit the famous Ordu Street of Kars. All the buildings here are almost Russian. You may think you are in a movie set on Ordu Street, which is decorated with baroque buildings. While we are looking for those feelings, we come across a bank's commercial film set. Our first stop is the mausoleum of Seyyid Abu'l Hasan Harakani, one of the city's spiritual guards. Harakan'den together with his students to come to Anatolia to tell about the great Sufism in Islam, martyred in Kars. There is a silence in the shrine of His Holiness Haji Hamid, who shared the experiences of the scholars such as Ibn-i Sina, Ebu'l Kasim Kuşeyri. Kümbet Mosque right next door offers a photograph of Kars. Only one of dozens of churches converted into a mosque by the conquest of the Seljuks. There are icons representing 12 Apostles in the dome of the mosque. We go to the castle for a panoramic view of the city. We see the Kars River, the mountains behind us, the cute city of ribat. After an unsuspecting view, the aim is to travel thousands of kilometers to Ani Antique City. When we reached the village of Furnace everyone "Turkey would build were destroyed Ani. Sudden were destroyed on Turkey can not build. "We are frequently mentioned.
Historical artifacts keep the city alive
6 of the city. The earliest history that started in the 13th century is leading us to the Armenian Bagrat family. The city of Ani, the crossing point of the historical Silk Road, was an important trade center of Christians until the conquest of Sultan Alparslan. The city is dominated by Turks during Friday prayer performed in the biggest temple of the city. Since then, it has been operating commercially until the earthquake in 1319. It is impossible not to see and admire Arpaçay, which is right next to the border with Armenia. In Ani, you turn your head around and face another wonder. During the occupation, the ruined Silk Road Bridge, Manuchehr Mosque, Fethiye Mosque and Polatoglu Church, Girls Monastery has witnessed dozens of history, such as works, trying to keep the ancient city alive. As everywhere in sight, all structures were sacrificed to vandalism. Not so much, but a few years ago, this depraved city, which has also been affected by the destruction of treasure hunters, now needs care and repair. The cave tricks near Ani are also worth seeing. One of the first settlements in Anatolia, this region is waiting for the moment to return to the old enthusiastic days. As we leave, we are looking at the herd of goats walking around the city with us.
Evliya Celebi, and the last time we go around Kars streets. Goose herds, rope-shaped noodles, stone walls, and blue sky are the last remaining squares. As expected, we prefer to return to Istanbul by bus and train, unlike our 36 hourly journey.