Amasra, Turkey and the Black Sea

In the states, the last time I looked at a map, I never would have imagined that I would be able to see the Black Sea. It was just another body of water that I had heard about, just another part of geography that seemed to be vaguely located in the Asian continent. But experiencing the Black Sea was an experience that truly fully justified the term known as "travelling." Travelling should mean that you cross borders, you experience sights and sounds, you embody a new self. That you develop an entirely new personality just to be one with the people by whom you are surrounded. The Black Sea was the first time I actually felt like I was a traveler who could draw the world map and point my finger to it and say, I have been there. I have experienced this place. I know what it feels like, what it smells like, what it tastes like.

Amasra is a small coastal city located on the Black Sea region of Northern Turkey. It is famous for its fish, which I clearly tried and thoroughly enjoyed. It seemed there was an enterprise of culture revolving solely around fish. What a feeling, I almost felt like I was on the fictional land of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The fish was exceptional, fried, and perfectly accented with the sprinkles of lemon juice.

After eating I decided to explore the town. It is surprisingly intimate despite the allure one would expect from a historical mark that houses a castle. Yes, Amasra Kalesi, the Castle of Amasra, was one of its main attractions. Above is a picture I took describing its history.

The cylindrical rotunda in the picture to the right is actually a mosque. After climbing the stairs to the castle and heading more inland to the living quarters, I discovered the Ezan resounding loudly. A field of cats occupied the steps in front of the mosque. It was a beautiful sight. The mosque overlooked the Black Sea, with stairs spiraling downwards around its periphery.

Take a look at the islands from the vantage point of the castle:

Amasra's size was a definite advantage in terms of navigating around. The restaurant where I had eaten the fish, known as Cesm-i-Cihan, was famous in Northern Turkey. It was in the hub of all the other fish restaurants which were porched in a single row, in a bazaar-like fashion. I appreciated the view from the restaurant, which included the sailboats pictured below. The fishermen, Sea, restaurants and ferries were all just meters away from each other. It was such a sense of community that the realization of lifestyle truly dawned upon me. I concluded that the fishermen outside most probably sailed on the Black Sea facing me, caught the fish I had just eaten, which was then prepared right there a few minutes later.

The Amasra Salata was a favorite. From the moment I tasted its freshly squeezed marinade to the moment I crunched on the crispiness of the vegetables, I knew I would crave it from then on. It was truly the best salad I had ever eaten in my life, and there were no croutons, no cheese, no dressing. It was purely from nature, it was truly a delight and a privilege to be able to taste its freshness.

Going to the extents of what seemed like an island, I hopped onto the rock formations also known as the coast. There was a monument of a brick wall 7 meters high. The height, of course, is not the matter of pride; rather, if you can claim that you made it to the wall itself and additionally hopped on the rocks in the pouring rain, then that is the matter of pride. Yours truly can claim this! 

Take a look at the landscape and a closer look at the climb:

The stairs were slippery and I felt like a grandma trying to make my way down. The small pension on the left was opposite the stairs. How do people live like this? Amazing.

After my travelling feet retired, I witnessed the harsh weather the Black Sea was infamous for. It was pouring all day but I did not leave the coast without first touching the Sea. It was very cold. I felt so happy when I touched the waters of the Black Sea, and with each retraction of a wave I likened it to my trip here in Turkey. It was a force that was constantly pushing and pulling at me to simply stay longer, but just like the waves came and retracted ever so quickly, it was just a tease...

Next was a trip to the Amasra Museum, below.

An old printing of the Quran. I could not believe how closely it resembles those small, contemporary green ones that can be found all around the world. It almost makes the format of Quran standardized, just as is the text it contains.

Here are examples of clothes that citizens of former Amasra used to wear.

These "Amphora" vases are capable of being stacked one atop the other for easy storage and transport. Amphora is an art-history term that is used to describe the characteristics of the vase itself rather than the type of vase it is.

It looks like jewelry has not changed much over the course of history.

Some old ruins that were recovered by archaeologists. I was trying to pose like them, but I was not meticulous enough to note the specific arm raised. Clearly, I fail.

Roman sculptures can be found outside of Rome, too! Yes, these female sculptures lack heads but do embody typical Phydian drapery. The elegance of these stones cannot be understated enough. Imagine carving the drapes with simple tools. How great a task it would be to fool the eye into thinking that even stone can be soft and curled at the edges. As I ran my fingers along the creases of the folds, I pictured what kind of talented artisan must have sculpted it.

Here are some other remains, columns, and grave markers left behind. They were all displayed outside of the museum--out of context, out of memory. That was the only upsetting part--the extent of inauthenticity.

Do you notice the different hats on these grave markers? They indicate the profession of the deceased. In addition, I noted that the languages of inscription varied from Farsi to Arabic to Ottoman Turkish.

The final destination on the agenda was The Bird's Rock Monument, below. It was a huge climb uphill that was made easier by the construction of wooden stairs curling in and out of the mountain leading to the top. Although the embossed figure was on the mountain, it felt like I was hiking through a jungle or a rain forest. All of the rain had left dew on the leaves and I was playing hide-and-seek with each foot I stepped forward. It was worth the efforts as I saw the grandeur the emboss had to offer. I could not understand how people had managed to make their way up this mountain hundreds of years ago and managed to carve a figure out of the stone of a mountain. Lastly, I grasped a finally look and delved in the beauty of the mighty Black Sea.