Eurasia Mega Trip 2026 - Day Twenty And Twenty-One - Historic Alanya Castle

 I should have actually titled this 'Return of Day Nineteen'. Because while we were doing our photo workshop, we were also visiting Alanya Castle. And we got to see quite a bit of Alanya city as well. It was the first time we had ventured from Mahmutlar and it was quite good to get a feel for the full aspect of the city. But I want to focus my introduction on the Castle for it is a real opportunity for a history buff like de-I. 

As background, I have been doing tons of reading about the phenomenal civilizations of Central Asia during the period from about 500 BC to the time of the Mongol conquest in the early part of the 13th century. Without going into detail (for which people have written books), it was a time when this part of the world was arguably the most advanced in terms of civilized activity - from beautiful cities, to sophisticated water systems, to science and engineering, mathematics, literature and poetry, etc. I had always thought about traveling so someplace like Uzbekistan that was in the heart of that region hoping to see things from that era. However, doing research, I found that there is actually precious little that remains. The Mongols did such a good job of wiping out the major cities of the area, that all there are now are echos of ruins. 

I certainly didn't expect to find here in Alanya a site that not only dates from the end of that period but was a major location. 

Alanya's history goes back to the Hellenistic period. During the late Roman Republic period, it was known as a key base for pirates. In fact, the famous anti-pirate campaign conducted by Pompey in the 2nd century BC culminated in a battle off the coast of Alanya. It became a Roman and then Byzantine city. But, at the same time that the Mongols were wiping out much of Central Asian civilization, one of the last Central Asian dynasties, the Seljuk Turks, set-up camp in the Anatolian peninsula with Alanya being made the Winter Capital of its Sultan. So the ruins we are seeing today date from that time.

 Cast of Characters

Photo Workshop Leader Vadim...a very serious guy

 

 

 Actually, he is very serious, just not when you take a picture of him

The pirate theme is alive and well in Alanya

 

 

 

Walking toward the castle

 

 I find a ME from another part of the multiverse passing through our dimension!

 

 The castle is built on a peninsula and has a lower section that was guarding the harbor

 

 

 This includes the shipyard where the Seljuk navy was based

 

 And there was the upper castle that was essentially a city

 

 

 Miscellaneous

 

 Maybe...we'll see

The fuel that kept me going through our photo workshop

 

Turkish Coffee

 

Türkiye and Cats

 

I remember in the times we've been to Istanbul, the proliferation of cats, and tiny facilities to provide for them. Cats were all over Alanya

 

 

Even a Cat Resort

 

 

SIGNS OF THE WORLD

 

 

This sign was smack dab in the heart of the city. It says "A Cat May Come Out"

 

 

Warning that Inter-Dimensional portals are in the area

 

 

As the Sultans started to have troubles paying for soldiers to defend the castle, they put these "Attacking Prohibited" signs around the walls

 

Eurasia Mega Trip 2026 - Day Nineteen - Alanya Photo Workshop

It is getting harder and harder for Wife and I to arrange photography workshops when we travel. The rise in the Instagram driven world of personal travel has caused those doing photography to morph. There is little money to be made in teaching photography. There is tons of money to be made bringing people around to 'Instagramable' photo locations or even taking pictures for the clients so they can post them. I was able to work through our Airbnb host and find a professional photographer, Vadim, who was willing to work with us to create an actual working/teaching session. 

We found out he's actually never done this. Yes, he's done the Instagram driven type of touring, but not real teaching. But he was definitely enthusiastic about it, looking at what Wife and I had put on our blogs, getting information from me, organizing a program, and even sending us some homework ahead of time.  

We started our day at 8:15am and finished getting back at 3:15pm. In between, there was tons of driving around the center of Alanya, and climbing the prominent hill that has the cities most notable landmark, its castle. We spent many hours walking in pretty hot weather but working on our photography. 

Note: There is a ton of stuff related to our day and to the fascinating history of Alanya and its 'castle'. We took a lot of 'non-photo workshop' pictures too. However, both Wife and I feel the posts would be to busy and jumbled up trying to combine the two subjects. So we're both going to segregate the photography component and then do a separate post on Alanya and the castle. 

There were a few significant lessons (or maybe I should say teaching points) that the session focused on. 

1. The first had to do with my actual handling of the camera. He is the first person who showed me the physical way I was working with the camera was causing instability which led to lack of clarity in the individual shots.
2. He had me focusing intensely on making sure that I had my base horizontal line truly flat and not crooked. While we were shooting, I didn't quite get it, but when I looked at the pictures afterwards, I could really see the difference. 
3. Lastly, Vadim's composition esthetic focuses on having a strong central point of focus (he would repeat 'Centrum' over and over.

He took the whole shoot seriously and was constantly watching what we were doing and making corrections. He also wanted me to be taking many shots of the same thing...like 6 to 12...so I ended up with 421 pictures! More than I have ever taken in my life. Of course, because there were so many duplicates, most were simply trashed. Here are the final ones I kept. Tomorrow, we'll go into the fascinating place that is Alanya. 

Eurasia Mega Trip 2026 - Days Seventeen And Eighteen - An Ode To Çay

On Wednesday and Thursday, we mostly rested while getting our bearings on what this town of Mahmutlar is. We did some walks. Wife did take some pictures but I was more interested in seeing what was available for 'living' while we are here. 

It turns out we have two supermarkets, three greengrocers, two butcher shops, 1 bakery, and one fish market within two blocks in either direction of where we exit our building complex. There are also a varied choice of restaurants. On Tuesday and Saturday, there are large markets that are about 15 to 20 minutes walk. The apartment kitchen is reasonably well equipped (at least by vacation rental property standards!). I have been doing a lot of cooking as a result.

However, one of the great revelations for me has been...

Çay  

(Tea) 

 

I have never been a tea drinker. There have been some periods of time where I got into a habit of having tea in the afternoon. But never for any extended periods. But at this apartment, there is no coffee making apparatus other than a small Turkish coffee pan (I love Turkish coffee, but not as a breakfast/morning beverage. I like American style coffee I can consume over long periods of time). However there was this:

 

 

 

 A HUMONGOUS BAG OF LOOSE TEA

A Kilogram of the stuff (2.2. Pounds)

 

That's a lot of tea

 

 

 

 I've always liked Turkish Çay. I decided I would use what was at hand for the three weeks we are here. I have become hooked. At least temporarily. There is tea making apparatus available.

 

 Tea kettle with tea brewing pot. Loose leaves in their proper container

 

 

 

Put the container with the leaves in the brewing pot and pour water over them.

 

 

 

 Your master pot of tea will now start brewing, keeping hot from the water boiler below.

 

 

 

 To make a cup of traditional Turkish tea in its traditional serving cup, you pour some of the master in then dilute it with hot water to the strength you desire.

 

İşte bu kadar! 

(Et Voilá in Turkish)

Enjoying a lovely cup of Turkish Çay on your balcony watching the Mediterranean Sea