Harran, Eastern Turkey – All singing, all dancing Part II
Read on to find out what happened on my Eastern Turkey tour with 52 students who sang, danced and ate the whole time. There was very little sleep to be had!
“… We were headed for Harran, a small town in famous for its beehive shaped houses made from dried mud. Disappointingly, when we arrived I saw that like many rural Turkish towns it was ramshackle and run down. It had the added attraction of grotty little children who tugged at our clothes and asked for money. We headed into the ruins of the castle to escape them and once there enjoyed the cool of the interior while marveling at how impressive the city would originally have been.
Wandering back to the students, we followed them to a neat compound of beehive houses put on display by the Ministry of Tourism. Out in the courtyard there were platforms made of wood. As we stood looking at them Ebru, another of the trip organizers, came up and asked us,
“Have you seen these before teachers?”
“Yes”, I replied, “But mainly in museum houses.”
“Oh, you should talk to Fatoş. I mean Fatma. She was born near here, she can tell you. Fatma!” she called out.
“Hello”, said Fatma when she reached us. She was a cheery girl with jet black hair and darker skin than the others. Ebru spoke quickly to her in Turkish, then Fatma began to explain. “I come from Birecik. We have many farms and in the summer we sleep on these platforms. They are very good at night because they are high up and they catch the cool breezes.”
“How hot does it get here in summer?” I wanted to know.
“Sometimes it goes to 50 degrees.”
“Wow, that’s really hot”, I exclaimed.
“Yes, but we are used to it. My family came from Syria before so we like the hot weather.”
“You must find Kayseri pretty cold in winter then”, suggested Kim. A roll of her eyes told us how she felt about the nights when it got to as low as minus thirty.
“Have you seen inside?” asked, Kevser, who along with Emine had come to listen to the conversation.
“No, is it good?” I asked.
“Come, you must come!”
Accompanied by about ten girls, Kim and I ducked through a low doorway into a cool dim interior. The first room served as a shop and was filled with scarves and other souvenirs, but Ebru led us straight past the young man standing guard to a series of other interconnected rooms. Eventually we found a small room set up for tourists, judging by the assortment of gowns and scarves in which to dress up. We did exactly that and clad in rich brocade gowns we drank tea. After the initial excitement of comparing our finery the conversation turned to the girls’ impressions of Harran.
“I think it is very bad”, said Zeynep.”
“Why?” I asked in surprise.
“I spoke to the children out there, you know the ones up near the castle?” Looking at me intently she continued, “There is a primary school here in Harran, and a high school. They don’t have to travel to go to school but all of them want to work in tourism. Did you see their clothes? They are very dirty. They don’t need to do this but they choose to. Other children do not have such an opportunity for education and here they ignore it. It is very bad”, she finished with a frown.
The other girls teased her for being so serious but they all agreed when Ebru said, “This is not the picture we want tourists to have of Turkey. Maybe we are a poor country but we are not all uneducated!”
The complete version of my trip to Harran and the rest of the Eastern Turkey tour is available in my second collection of essays called Exploring Turkish Landscapes: Crossing Inner Boundaries. Buy your copy today!
Here are my planning tips to come to Turkey and see Harran for yourself
Before you even buy your plane ticket, check whether you need an EVISA to enter Turkey. Here’s my post on everything to know before you take off, including how to buy one from the government website so you don’t pay extra. Once you land, you’ll need to head to your hotel. I’m a big advocate of public transport, but know it’s not suitable for everyone all the time. When I need to be picked up from or get to Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport, I use MELON TAXI AIRPORT TRANSFERS.
Naturally you’ll want to stay connected and eSIM are the way to go, wherever you travel. I recommend Truely, an eSIM provider working with local telcos. You can buy it before or after you arrive in Turkey, a convenience other esim providers no longer offer and can opt for 1 to as many days as you need, instead of being limited to 7, 15 or 30 days. Plus you can reload as you need. Truely eSIM are straightforward to install and activate but if you have any problems their responsive Whatsapp customer service is available 24/7.
Use my code: insideoutinistanbul and get 5% off when you order through the Truely website.
Even if I never claim on it, I always take out TRAVEL INSURANCE. I recommend Visitors Coverage.
If you’re travelling alone, check out this post on useful solo travel tips Turkey for women (and men).
Now that all the serious stuff is out of the way, it’s time to have fun on CITY TOURS & DAY TRIPS. Let me guide you around Kadikoy with my audio walking tour Stepping back through Chalcedon or venture further afield with my guidebook Istanbul 50 Unsung Places. I know you’ll love visiting the lesser-known sites I’ve included. It’s based on using public transport as much as possible so you won’t be adding too much to your carbon footprint.
Browse the GetYourGuide website or Viator to find dozens of ways to experience Istanbul and Turkey with food tours, visits to the old city and evening Bosphorus cruises. If you prefer a more personal touch, I also offer bespoke author walks.
Then, back home, read about what you’ve seen and experienced in my three essay collections and memoir about moving to Istanbul permanently.
However you travel, stay safe and have fun! Iyi yolculuklar.
