Doğu Ekspresi; Part 2

We barely only had 1 day to explore Kars. Fortunately my friends found a tour that would bring us to exactly two places we planned to visit. We started our journey in 9.00 am by visiting a ruin of ancient buildings, in the very east part of Turkey, Ani. 

Ani was founded more than 1600 years ago. It was conquered hundred of times; by Byzantine emperors, Ottoman Turks, Armenians, nomadic Kurds, Georgians and Russians. At its height during the 11th century, it was estimated that around 100,000 people lived in this site. 

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is not the only “church aka mosque” originated from this country. Although Ani was known as “The City of 1,001 Churches”, enormous number of rulers and city merchants also turned a building into a mosque. Known as The Cathedral of Ani or Fethiye Camii, it was built in 1001 AD and converted into a mosque in 1071. It owed a magnificent decor of the architect called Trdat, the same architect that also redesigned Hagia Sophia in 1064. However, this building had already undergo renovation as an earthquake in 1319 bought a dome tumbling down.

Another mosque called Menuçehr Camii was built in 1074 in the Selcuk Dynasty era. It has the arabic word of Bismillah in Kufic lettering high on its northern face. But again, an earthquake in 1890 heavily damaged the prayer hall. The remaining was still beautiful afterwards. We were extremely immersed with those scenic windows bewitched by valleys and mountains in the background. 

The sun shined so brightly, but sadly it still couldn't bring the temperature higher than -8C. We were freezing; but we could still breath! I couldn't stop thinking how amazing a human body is; it can perform a metabolism process, keeping our body heat extremely higher than the environment. Miracles of science certainly occurred. But miracle will never happen if there is nothing rule behind it!

In the end, this will always bring us to feel very grateful, feel so thankful, for Him who make things happen. For Him who let our blood running, our heart beating. We are nothing without Him. 

“And on the earth are signs for the certain [in faith], 

and in yourselves. Then will you not see?” 

(Adh-Dhariyat/51:20-21) 

The tour brought us to the next destination, Çıldır Gölü. In the northen part of the city, we witnessed an enormous 123 km square area of water converted into land of ice. Again, all you can see was white. Some of us brought “Milo” and intended to make “es kepal milo”. Turned out.. we were not a good “es kepal milo” maker :p 

I also tried to make another snow man, but the snow was in powder-like form so it was surprisingly very hard; as I could only succeeded to make a pile mountain of ice. 

The trip ended by 5 pm as we were dropped in the city hall, beneath the Kars Castle. We took a prayer in the mosque before walking down the road to find a bus terminal. I stayed in the girl dormitory for another one night. A very short journey had been ended already; but it was more than enough for me. Time to go home!