One stop was at a Turkish rug making shop. We got to watch the rugs being made by hand knotting. The hand dyed wool and silk was a paradise for the eyes.
The CEO of the rug shop assured us that the silk worms, which sacrifice their lives for the cocoon of silk, die humanely. Ha!
The lead lady of the silk room demonstrated how they unroll and spin the silk strands for the rugs.
It sure looks like she has done this once or twice before. Her hands flew!
I loved how they had the Turkish evil-eye ward embedded all around in the cement. I have a few areas at home I would love to incorporate this. Steve says he can do it!
Hieropolis
Our last day in Turkey was spent traveling to Hieropolis….2.5 hours there and back but very worth it!
Thankfully Rail and Sail Vacation rented three electric carts to transport our group to the tippy top of Hieropolis to view the early second century Theater.
This ancient Hellinistic city was built around ancient hotsprings and flourished for centuries. The Greco-Roman style of architecture was breath-taking. Many earthquakes have shaken this city so the archaeologists are enjoying piecing together a huge puzzle.
This intact statue of Hades, the Guardian of Hell, and his 3-headed dog, Cerberus. The arch below him carries sulphurous water that would kill any who entered.
There have been many many tombs unearthed. This is one of the most ornate in the museum.
Hieropolis also has a hot spring pool that legend has it Marc Antony had it built for Cleopatra. In the 7th century a massive earthquake toppled all the columns and statues into the pool. We were able to swim amongst the ancient architecture. I didn’t get any pictures but here are some from the Internet. It was a pretty cool experience.
We also visited the ancient travertine terraced pools, but they were nowhere near as stunning as the pictures seen on the Internet.
I did manage to wade a bit, but time was very short.
So off to the museum to see the small artifacts, and it did not disappoint! There were a few ceramic pieces unearthed a bit south that were estimated to be from 3,500 bc!
Legend has it Marc Antony built a stunning pool for Cleopatra, surrounded by marble columns and statues. It flourish for centuries until a major earthquake in the 7th century. All the architecture tumbled into the pool.
All that submerged marble was slippery.
Well, that is all for today!
Much love from your Pirate King and Queen
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