Showing posts with label Ankara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ankara. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Success in Ankara

So, these elusive civil servant houses that I was trying to find have all but been wiped off the map in Ankara. A surging population needed more density and thus the ubiquitous Turkish apartment block took over. However, while walking back from the Samanpazari and Celebi areas into Yenisehir, I saw a leafy green block, walled off and gated. After finding the guard station, we discovered that it was indeed a set of these old houses used for the administration of the Ankara Football (soccer) Association. After explaining that I had flown thousands of miles and then made the long trip to Ankara, the guard let me in to take pictures. I know these are not all that exciting, but they are perfect example of the structures I was looking for. (and much nicer houses than most Turkish government employees get today)

Special thanks to my friend Chase who came down from Istanbul to Ankara. Chase's Turkish is much better than mine, and that is always helpful in a new city.


Now, back to Istanbul to see how much of Orhan Pamuk's city I can relate in pictures.....







Buradayim! Turkiye'deyim

Hi to everyone! I am off on my Summer 2007 adventure. Many of you are probably still wondering, "what is it exactly that you are doing this summer, Matt?". Well, I was very fortunate to receive a cultural immersion travel fellowship to go to urban settings that have been prominent literary depictions in the works of authors I have been working on. For example, the first location I will be working on is Ankara, Turkey. I have brought myself here to follow up on a rather interesting passage I translated from Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoglu's novel, "Ankara", in which he talks about the rapid growth and development in Ankara after the formation of the Turkish republic in the early 1920's. The next question (should be), "did you find anything in Ankara that was relevant to this novel?"....the answer will be posted soon.


Anitkebir (Ataturk's Mausoleum, Ankara)

Meanwhile, know that I am well and in good spirits, enjoying being back in Turkey and walking around a lot in very hot weather.