Alexandria. I like saying it. Probably because it’s a mysterious city I’ve heard so much about in history class, reading history books, and because I’m Greek. It’s a great city near and dear to the hearts of Greeks, with several songs and poems written about it. A city founded by Alexander the Great and from where Cleopatra seduced the Rome. And just like Constantinople (now Istanbul) and Smyrna (now Izmir), many lament having to leave it behind. For these reasons, I had to pay a visit.
Far to the west in Istanbul’s nether regions lies the district of Büyükçekmece. It sits on a large (and unfortunately polluted) lake, spanned by a historic Ottoman bridge built by Mimar Sinan (c. 1490 – 1588).
Küçükçekmece is a district in Istanbul west of the old Atatürk International Airport that isn’t worth your time visiting. I’ll write about it anyway, but I won’t have much to say. When I visited with Isaac, we were in and out in 30 minutes.
From the modern center of Afyon, I walked to the historic part of the city. The old town has some of the most beautiful Ottoman homes in Turkey.
Afyon has a few points of interest in the city center. I started exploring there before checking out some more important sites.
Uşak is an Anatolian city located in an area untouched by tourism, and for good reason. There’s not much of interest in this city to detour travelers, but there’s enough to keep someone busy for a few hours. All in all, it’s skippable.
Kütahya has a small collection of nicely restored Ottoman mansions, and the best ones sit along cobblestoned Germiyan Street (Germiyan Sokağı).
Kütahya Castle (Kütahya Kalesi) occupies the highest point in Kütahya. The area has been occupied since ancient times. The castle was originally built by the Byzantines and restored by the Ottomans. I decided to hike up to the castle after exploring the city center and visiting some museums.
I visited three different museums on my trip to Kütahya. They’re all located near each other at the end of Republic Street.