Albania: Ride in a time capsule

Xsamil beach in Albania with Corfu island in the back.

A view of Saranda, Albania.

When the ferry departing Corfu island of Greece lands in Saranda, Albania one feels like riding in a time capsule. Indeed, the town and the promenade were a mixture of Beirut, Kusadası and Kumburgaz (a cheap summer house place in Istanbul) but back in the 1980s. Right across from Italy, and northwest of Greece, one wonders how Albania could remain what it is even today. Politics, as always, is the answer of course but for all the destitute feeling of the barren customs control and run down buildings of the communist era in Saranda, there is a certain naiveness in the air. It is not only the niceness of the people and the good Italian and Greek food for half the price or the barber shop or the barren cultural museum across the street. It is the feeling of being in the Balkans, and meeting Kosovars and Macedonians who have descended to Albanian riviera. Although the roads are full of cars with license plates from Italy and Germany, one quickly realizes those are the locals who migrated for a better life. There are few tourists who want to explore the last frontier in Europe.

Albanian goodies on the beach, Xsamil.

On the way to Lekursi Castle in Saranda shows
Albania in a nutshell: mushrooms and Mercedes.

In fact, Albania appears a much more multicultural country than one would think. There are Greek villages close to the border with Greece clearly identified with their Greek signs as such. Although its population is half Muslim, half Christian, the latter are of various dominations. However, given its totalitarian past, religion is hardly visible as evinced by the few places of worship. In Saranda, I could see one mosque, one church and one synagogue. In fact, on the road to Durres, over 200km, I specificially counted the number of mosques I saw. It was only 11. Religion was so supressed, in 1992 when communism fell, ten thousand people occupied the Ethem Bey mosque in Tirana and demanded that it be opened for worship. The mosque, built in 18th century by the Ottomans is today the symbol of religious freedom in Albania. It has really interesting murals, atypically Muslim art.

Blue Eye, Albania.

View from Skanderbeg Square
in Tirana with the Opera House in the back.

If you want to see Saranda to the full extent, a 2-3 days stay is a must. So is a car. You can spend a day on the long stretch of Xsamili beach but beware that if on a weekend, it may be very crowded. Apparently the most virgin beaches of Europe are around Lukova -28 km from Saranda- with some places only accessible by sea but we did not have time to do that. A visit to the Blue Eye -a natural deep spring water that looks like an eye- is a must. At sunset, go up the Lekursi Castle and enjoy the view with a beer and possibly dinner. If you have time you should also visit the ancient city of Butrint and Gjirokaster (50 km from Saranda) which is a small Ottoman village with a beautiful castle on top. We just saw it from a distance on our way to Tirana.

Ethem Bey mosque in Tirana, Albania.

The interior of the Ethem Bey mosque has these interesting murals
given the representation ban in Islam.

As soon as you go out of Saranda, one is surrounded by a feeling of wilderness. Albania is empty and virgin territory ready to be explored by nature lovers and nothing attests to that than the road to Tirana. The road is curvy, dotted at times with mushrooms, the bunkers that were built by Enver Hoxha. Once in Tirana, visit the Skanderberg Square and especially the Ethem Bey mosque and take a walk around the artificial lake. You'd be surprised by the number of people jogging, walking and chatting. And on the way back, make sure you stroll and go into one of the club/bars in Blloku. It's where the young and the beautiful party at night. Over all, my three days in Albania gave me only a flavor of the country and made me think again how much we don't know our neighbors or the Balkans.

Sunset at the Tirana park's artificial lake, Albania. 

Once a harbour always a harbour: Karaköy, Istanbul

As the Taksim-Beyoğlu stretch of Istanbul fills by the day and Galata becomes home to fashionistas, in need of new cool spaces, developers move further down. They arrive no other place than Karaköy which for years was a bustling commercial centre and harbor. Anyone familiar with the significance of the neighborhood since Ottoman times is probably not surprised given its prime location but this may also have to do with harbors' amazing capacity to reinvent themselves in general. 

The Arab Mosque under renovation in Istanbul.

A close up of the Arab Mosque's tower, Istanbul.
Picture: Innes Welbourne.

Although some of the old buildings in Karaköy decayed when the skyscrapers have become the norm for banks, and businesses moved outside the city, the current revival makes sure that the buildings have their best days ahead as evident with the opening of Salt Galata while some will be converted to boutique hotels. Located on Bankalar Caddesi (literally "Banks Street"-yes this was the capital of commercial banking in Ottoman times), the building hosts the museum of the Ottoman Bank, the formerly central bank in Turkey and has amazing collection of old stocks, bonds and safes from 19th century. Designed by French architect Vallaury, the building is a tribute to its location on the fringes of the Old and New City, the Golden Horn side that faces the Muslim part of the city has an Oriental architecture while the Banks Street facing Jewish and Christian bankers' neighborhood Galata is Neoclassical. Even when you enter the building, there is a Latin script on the right hand side and Ottoman script on the left. Its restaurant has great views to the Golden Horn.

Karaköy shore with tea drinkers in the park overseeing
the Galata Bridge in Istanbul.

Chains, ropes and others... Karaköy still caters to the needs
 of seafarers that anchor in the harbor such as cruiseships.

Leaving Salt Galata and walking towards the Golden Horn, on your right you can see the Arab Mosque, currently under renovation. As evident in its Genovese style, it is the only Gothic church in the city that remains from the era before the Conquest of Istanbul. Then outside the walls of Constantinople, and home to various Christian colonies, the Karaköy region was exchanged between Arabs and Latins many times, hence the name and its later conversion to a mosque. Now cross the main street and pass by stores that still cater to all the needs of sailors. When I say "all", I mean this literally: even Istanbul's official bordello is located in Karaköy. This is also where you can get yellow fever shots for sailors as well as international travellers such as myself.

Sokollu Mehmet Pasha mosque in Azapkapı, Istanbul.

Looking over to Süleymaniye Mosque from the windows
of Sokollu Mehmet Pasha mosque.
Photo: Innes Welbourne.

The interiors of the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha
mosque in Istanbul are tastefully thought
over by Architecht Sinan.
Photos: Innes Welbourne.

Once you are by the Golden Horn, witness the joy of fishermen and people in the park sipping tea and walk towards another interesting building to visit. This is the Great Architect Sinan in 1578 built Azapkapı Sokollu Mehmet Pasha mosque. Located right on the leg of the second bridge crossing the Golden Horn, it is named after the important statesman of the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire. However, its importance stems from the fact that it was built in the master stage of the great architect and overlooks its other master piece the Süleymaniye mosque. This mosque lacks an alley. One enters it through a door which requires one to climb up the stairs. And if you are lucky to visit in a sunny afternoon, enjoy the sun that fills the mosque's interiors with amazing light games.

Anyone who lived the 70s in Turkey can remember
the sign of phone booths all over the city,
now sold at Bej's store in Istanbul.

View from Cafe Bej in Karaköy, Istanbul.

You must now be fed up with the traffic and chaos of the shops around you. Head now towards Kemankeş Street via the underpass. It can easily be said that the revival of the neighborhood started with the Karaköy Lokantası located here which to this date remains my favorite restaurant in the city. If you are hungry, indulge in its mezes but if you just want a drink and a snack, Cafe Bej a hundred meters down, should be enough for you. In the worst case, engulfed by the nostalgia of a commercial harbour turning into a passenger harbour, you can turn into objects from 1970s Turkey sold in its store. For sure, Karaköy will continue to surprise and reinvent itself.

Before Constantinople, there was Adrianapolis

The closer it is, the further it becomes. 220 km northwest of Istanbul, barely 2,5 hours drive on a flat highway, I haven’t made it to Edirne until recently. Known as Adrianapolis, this military outpost served as capital of the Ottoman Empire for almost hundred years (1367-1453) before Istanbul. And it showed! We stayed in Taşodalar, the estate where Sultan Mehmet II (the Conqueror of Istanbul) was born.  It carried this name for the last 600 years. Now renovated, it was located right behind the master piece of Architect Sinan’s Selimiye Mosque. And even better, adjacent to it, there was a Turkish bath (Saray Hamamı) where we spoiled ourselves beyond our senses.

The Old Mosque in Edirne is full of calligraphy.
Photo: Zeren Göktan.

"Allah" enscribed with calligraphy over believers at Edirne Old Mosque.
Photo: Zeren Göktan.

Arabic letter "vav" on the wall of the Old Mosque in Edirne.

A view from the serene Old Mosque in Edirne.
Notice the different architecture without
one big dome.

While the Selimiye Mosque is Edirne’s most famous monumental building, the town's early Ottoman period mosques are also considered unique pieces of architecture. They date from a period before the synthesis of Islam and Turkish civilizations came to a completion and while the signs of Seljuk style were still visible. One example is the Eski Camii (Old Mosque) of 1414 described by architect T. Cansever as standing as a sign of permanency.  It is also the first monumental building surviving from the early Ottoman era with its oldest pulpit (minber). Amid the Muhammad and Allah scripts right at the entry gate of the mosque, the Arabic writings on the walls of the mosque dating from the 18^th century were truly mesmerizing. Their calligraphic beauty combined with the effect of the live prayer, turned it into a divine session for me. I was so impressed  with the muezzin’s voice, I couldn’t help to listen to him until the end. Our later discussion led him to show me around the mosque: pomegranate tree symbolizing heaven in Islam, the calligraphic art variety Sulus and my favorite prayer on the wall (la havle). He even introduced me to the governor of Edirne (who was among the praying crowd) to have me repeat the praise I had for his voice. When I confessed him that I was not “so religious”, I was taken by his response: “nowadays, religion is too much associated with appearance”, clearly taking note of me not wearing a headscarf but implying that covering one's head was not the only way to determine one's religiosity.

Inside the Three Balconied Mosque in Edirne.

Three balconies of the minarette in Edirne. 

After questioning what it means to be a faithful person a little more, we then hit the Three Balconied Mosque (Üç Şerefeli Camii). Also dating from the 15^th century (1447), this mosque had four minarets that were all in different length, width and shape, one of which had three balconies, hence the name. This mosque is considered as the beginning of the later emerging Ottoman architecture. Lastly, we went to Selimiye (in İçkale district) which serves as a point of orientation since it is visible when you reach the town from Istanbul or other directions.

Selimiye mosque's famous marble mihrab in Edirne.
Photo: Zeren Göktan.

Selimiye Mosque in Edirne.
Photo: Zeren Göktan.

The dome of Selimiye Mosque in Edirne.

The minber (pulpit) of Selimiye Mosque.

Selimiye is considered Architect Sinan’s masterpiece although it was built after his other great work of Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, in the name of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Just like the other sultans before him who had all erected mosques in their names, Istanbul was the natural location for Sultan Selim, the son of Süleyman who was patronizing the mosque. However, it was soon realized that there was no place in Istanbul (Old City). Hence, Edirne as the gate to Europe and former capital has become the natural choice to demonstrate Ottoman power to Europe. Selimiye’s dome is indeed impressive not only with its height and width but also the Islamic art on it and its pastel tones.There is also a myth that accompanies the mosque. Apparently Edirne was full of tulips (and tulip gardens) at the time. When Sinan found the spot to build the mosque, its owner, an old woman was not willing to give her land. She would only be convinced if Sinan built something in the mosque that would remind future generations of her. So, in a truly subtle artistic way, Sinan made a tulip on a barely visible part inside the mosque. However, the tulip was put in a reverse fashion to symbolize the trouble she caused himJ.

Views from the streets of Edirne's Old City.

The synagogue of Edirne, due for renovation. 

I don’t think I ever made it to so many mosques in a row at any time in my life and –surprisingly- enjoyed it that much. Maybe religion was indeed not about appearance and about your heart. Maybe it was the diversity of styles, stories and layers in Edirne that gave one this feeling? Edirne is indeed a colorful place, full of students and people. They flock to Edirne’s liver and köfte shops. The town borders both Bulgaria and Greece as evident from the signs in both countries’ languages all over the city. After all, it is located in the Balkans, always first to catch snow coming from there to Turkey. Another natural element to Balkans are the Roma people who live in various Balkan and Central European countries. Their presence adds another color as they ride around the city in horse cars and sing while listening to their hand held stereos. They are also in the business of picture taking amid plastic flowered walls behind Selimiye mosque. Right behind the mosque, Köfteci Osman is excellent place to taste köfte (meat balls) also because the shop uses really good olive oil in its salads. This is truly unusual in Turkey but given the historical oil wrestling in the town, it should probably not be a surprise. 

The pedestrian market zone in Edirne.

Thrace University building in Karaağaç, Edirne.

The town is located by the river Meriç (Maritsa) which was navigable until the end of 17^th century. Today, at the river side one can spot couples, men sipping raki (Turkish ouzo) on grass and restaurants (Hanedan was our favorite). When one crosses the old bridge to reach Karağaç and the campus of Thrace University –itself a magnificent building- one is only kilometers away from Greece. Given the commercial activity associated with the river  as well as its location, Edirne was once home to sizeable minority populations such as Bulgarians and Jews. Unfortunately, the pogrom of 1934 in Thrace all but ended the latter’s presence. Today, the beautiful art nouveau synagogue building is finally being renovated while the Sveti Yorgi church holds mass every Sunday with a crowd of mere 30 people and those coming from Bulgaria. Minorities always pay for the establishment of nation states:-).

Old bridge over Maritsa (Meriç) river.

An illustration of the music therapists of the
Beyazid complex in Edirne.

The Health Museum in Edirne won the
2004 Council of Europe museum prize.

A simple room in the hospital section of the complex in Edirne.

Another place not to miss in Edirne is the Health Museum that won the 2004 Council of Europe Museum prize. Located in the hospital section (Darüşşifa) of the Complex of Sultan Beyazid II (1484-88) beside the Tunca River, this was a place where mentally ill patients were treated with water and music therapy. In fact, a different rhythm was used for each different illness. For more click here. Having served for 400 years as hospital, it later became a hospital for the mentally ill. The complex included a medical school, a guest house and a soup kitchen, as well as a mosque. When the Empire was falling apart after the Balkan War, Edirne was occupied by the Russian Army. As a result, the hospital also fell apart. Patients started to be held in isolation and in chains while the welfare system of the complex all but collapsed. While the building was later used for other governmental purposes, thanks to the renovation it again found a purpose in the form of Health Museum. One of the scenes at the Museum I really liked was the fact that two patients, described as melancholic depressive and lunatic, were housed in the same room. The Turkish translation of melancholic basically refers to someone who is so hopelessly in love, he has lost his mind. Under the circumstances, his roommate cannot be anyone but who has lost it totally, don’t you think?

The melancholic depressive and his roommate the lunatic
at the Health Museum in Edirne.

Prayer beeds inside the Bayazid mosque in Edirne.

The Bayazid complex in Edirne from outside.

Postcard showing Bulgarian machine guns

before Adrianapolis during the Balkan War.

(Courtesy of TT).