Sumela Monastery, Trabzon, Turkey

 

Sumela Monastery is a place of great historical and cultural significance. At an altitude of about 1.200 meters, this breathtaking place is nestled into a steep cliff in the Macka Region of Trabzon City, Turkey and can only be reached by a path through the forest. 

Foundation of the Orthodox monastery is assumed to have taken place around 386 AD. It is dedicated to Theodoktos, a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, mostly used in Eastern Christianity. There are beautiful frescoes inside, showing biblical scenes of Jesus and his mother Mary dating back to the 18th century. 

In 1923 the monastery was abandoned and became a museum and major tourist attraction in the area. On August, 15 in  2010 the first orthodox mass was held there since 1923 with the permission of the Turkish goverment.

Thank you very much Burak for sending this spectacular card and using such wonderful stamps.

Serife Baci Memorial, Turkey

This is a postcard that will be forever among my favourites !!!
It shows a part of the monument dedicated to Kemal Atatürk and Serife Baci, a Turkish heroine and martyr. who took part in the Turkish War of Independence.
The monument was erected in 1990in Kastamonu, Serife's hometown. She was only 21 when she froze to death while driving an ammunition wagon to Ankara, a job she volunteered for. She had covered the ammunuition with her own coat leaving herself without protection against the harsh weather and cold temperatures. Her newborn baby was with her and could be saved.
Thank you so much Helen for sending this wonderful card with matching stamps and for making me research the story of this courageous woman !!!

Tarkan, Turkey

This card was really a nice surprise, bringing back lots of fond memories of holidays spent in beautiful Turkey. Tarkan had a really big hit in the charts at the time and his song was literally everywhere. Back home, the first thing we did was buying his music :)
And it was this card that made me find out that Tarkan was born in Germany, not all that far away from my own home.
Thank you Helen for going to all this trouble to find this card for me !!!!

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) Istanbul, Turkey (UNESCO)

This stunning mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 during the reign of Ahmed I, hence the name. It is widely known as Blue Mosque, though, nicknamed for the blue tiles decorating the interior of this most impressive building. It is one of only 3 mosques in Turkey to have 6 minarets. Folklore has it, that one of the architects misunderstood the sultan's wish for golden minarets. The Turkish expression for "golden minarets" and "six minarets" can easily be confused, thus the Blue Mosque ended up with 6 minarets. At the time, only the most holy mosque in Mecca had 6 minarets. In order to appease anyone claiming that this was presumptuous, the sultan ordered a 7th minaret built in Mecca.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sits.
Thank you Helen for this wonderful postcard and beautiful stamps. A real treasure in my collection. I still remember when I visited there as a young girl with my parents, thank you also for brining back these fond memories !!!

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the founder of the Turkish Republic and served as its first president from 1923 until his death in 1938. He was born in 1881 in Thessaloniki, which was then part of the Ottoman realm. UN and UNESCO honoured his memory and his tireless work for his country, by declaring the year 1981, the centennial of his birth, the "Atatürk Year of the World".
Thank you very much Helen (scopemouth) for this great postcard !!!!

Mevlana Museum, Konya, Turkey

The Mevlana Museum, former lodge of the whirling dervishes, shown on this beautiuful postcard sent by Helen, is actually the mausoleum of Jala ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, later known as Mevlana. He was a Persian poet, Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic.
It is one of the biggest pilgrimage centres in Turkey,  a holy place for Muslims and about 1.5 million people visit there annually.
The quote on the card is one of Rumi's 7 advices.
Thank you very much Helen, also for the awesome stamps !!!

Whriling Dervishes of Konya, Turkey

I don't know what I adore more here, the postcard or the awesome stamp, which is really huge and with gold glitter.
This treasure was sent by Helen (scopemouth) for a privately organized swap. Thank you so much !!!
The Mevleva Sema Ceremony, performed by the whirling dervishes, is an Intangible UNESCO World Heritage and a customary meditation practice, through which the dervishes aim to reach perfection by spinning their bodies in repetitive circles, listening to the music and focussing on God.

Didim, Medusa Relilef, Turkey

We visited the archeological site of Didim (Didyma) in Turkey during our holidays.  In ancient Hellenic times the temple of Apollo used to be a highly renowned place of oracle, only second to the one in Delphi on the Greek mainland.
Lots of the ruins are in pretty good shape and a lot is still standing, or has been reconstructed, so it gives you a really good idea how things looked all that time ago.
On the card you see part of a huge relief showing the head of Medusa

Village Life in Anatolia, Turkey

This beautiful postcard came from Nihan Irmak for the Postcrossing Favourites Tag. It shows a typical scene from village life in Anatolia, Turkey. I'd not hesitate to try the little cakes the women are preparing. I love Turkish food :)

Sultanahmet Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey (UNESCO)

Wonderful evening view of the Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul, also called the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles decorating the interior walls. It was built in 1609-1616. As a young girl I visited there with my parents during a short trip to Istanbul. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Areas of Istanbul, inscribed in 1985.
The card along with fond memories of this beautiful city was sent by Nihan Irmak for the Postcrossing Favourites Tag.

Turkey map and carpets

I found this lovely mapcard surrounded by Turkish carptes on a rack in Antalya and just had to buy it to send home for my collection.

Antalya, Turkey

This card I sent myself when on holidays in Turkey. Normally I am not much into multiviews, but these kind of collage cards found a way into my collector's heart :)

Cappadocia, Turkey (UNESCO)

I was fascinated by this postcard when I found it in a postcard rack in Turkey and had to send it home for my collection.  Personally I am afraid of ballooning, due to my fear of heights, but I just loved this picture. Moreover Cappadocia is a UNESCO World Heritage site :) It was inscribed in 1985.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey (UNESCO)

Originally the Hagia Sophia was built as an orthodox church, later changed to a mosque and now is a museum in Istanbul.
Construction started in 532 and until 1453, with a brief intermezzo as Roman Catholic Cathedral, it was the seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul's former name). Until 1931 it was a mosque and then turned into a museum by the first Turkish president Kemal Atatürk.
This beautiful card was sent by my parents during their Mediterranean cruise in October 2013

Hasankeyf, Batman District, Turkey

Hasankeyf is an ancient city at the Tigris River in southeastern Turkey and declared a natural conservation area. Unfortunately much of the city is threatened by floodings due to the completion of the Ilisu Dam.
This great card was sent by Nihan for the Postcrossing Favourites Tag.

Antalya, Turkey

This card I sent home when on holidays in Turkey. I just love this evening view  of the harbour and beautiful colours.
Antalya is Turkey's biggest sea resort and the world's 4th most visited city by number of arrivals.

Antalya, Turkey

Antalya is a really beautiful city in a great country. Been there a few times now, and it keeps amazing me. A day spent at this wonderful harbour, watching the boats and ships, enjoying the great view is truly awesome. I sent this card myself when on holidays in Turkey.

Istandbul, Turkey

It feels strange to get an official Postcrossing card from Finland with a view of Istanbul, Turkey :)
The card shows the Rumeli Hisan, a fort located on the European side of the Bosphorus. It was built by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II in mid 15th century.

Apollon Temple, Side, Turkey

Beautiful postcard of the wonderful Apollon Temple in Side. I have seen this awesome place twice in the recent years during our summer holidays in Turkey. It is really breathtaking, most of all the location directly at the sea. The white of the columns and the blue of sea and sky are so awesome.
The card was sent by Seda Firat Belli for the WiP Museum Swap

Pamukkale, Turkey (UNESCO)

Just had to buy and send this postcard of UNESCO World Heritage Site Pamukkale in Turkey. I fell in love with it right away :)
Pamukkale means "Cotton Castle" in English. Calcite-laden waters from hot springs flowing over travertines and terraces formed this unreal landscape. The kings of Pergamon built the thermal spa of Hierapolis there.