When we first began planning our trip to Turkey, we still believed we were traveling to the center of the world because, according to a report from a few years ago, the people who created Google Earth lived in Çorum, Turkey! We didn’t find out until much later that this report was utterly false and that there isn’t a real “center of the world.” ” ’ After all, the earth is a ball. Although this was only a trip to Çorum, it’s still a really wonderful experience even without that claim to fame.
While this may have been disappointing there were plenty of other reasons to be excited for this trip. Çorum, though not the geographical center, was one of the centers of the ancient world, with its capital city and numerous other abandoned cities and sacred sites scattered across the rocky hills and prairie. And, as nerdy as this sentence may be, Hittitology happens to be my personal favourite branch of archaeology!.
Since there is no airport in Çorum, we flew to the Black Sea city of Samsun and then traveled through the beautiful Amasya province and Turkey’s northern mountain range. While driving through Amasya, we purchased Amasya apples from a roadside fruit stand. These were the best apples I’ve ever had—well, besides the one at Deyrul Zafaran, but I know people tend to exaggerate how good the food is at the places they visit.
Our first stop was the old castle town of Iskilip. We quickly met a friendly local who insisted he give us the full tour of the town. The first portion of the tour mostly consisted of visiting the tombs of famous religious figures and a museum dedicated to them (for me, this was a really in-depth look at the imperial family!). After that was finished, he led us up to the castle and through the old town, where the best old-world tradesmen in Turkey, such as basket weavers, blacksmiths, coppersmiths, and cobblers, were crammed into shops and where elderly women were squatting on the ground in small groups to remove the green outer shell from recently harvested walnuts. It was really amazing to be there, and thanks to our local connection, we were able to spend a lot of time observing, chatting, and drinking tea with these masters of the disappearing trades.
The most interesting talk we had was with a coppersmith who was cleaning the inside of a large kazan, a copper pot used to cook a special dish from the area. As he worked over the blazing jet of flame, it became clear that, although he had allowed us to take pictures, he didn’t want them to be shared online. I was crying inside at this point because the photo I took of him is by far my best to date. But it was really his reasoning that was interesting. After decades of blackened skin, walls stained by charcoal smoke, mountains of broken tools and metal, and thick soot and grime, he knew how his beloved country would appear to the outside world. Turkey is an amazing country with incredible diversity. While some locations are fully contemporary and state-of-the-art, others have hardly changed in the last century. This man, who lived in the ultra-nationalistic heartland of the country, was first concerned with preserving Turkey’s image and making sure that people did not perceive it as a backward country.
Many asked us to stay the weekend in Iskilip so we could try the most popular local dish, Iskilip Dolması, which is cooked over a 12-hour fire in huge copper kazan pots. Since most weddings in September take place on Friday afternoons, there will be an abundance of Iskilip Dolması available. Unfortunately, our flight was for the same hour as all the weddings, so we begrudgingly declined. I guess we’ll just have to go back!.
The next day, we found the abandoned Behramşah Complex and Kalehisar, a sharp peak among the otherwise gently sloping hills of southern Çorum, along with a barber who had a partridge in his TV. We also met several other artisans in the town.
It turns out that there’s terrible cell reception in this part of the country, and Google Maps was pretty much useless even in the rare cases when we could get reception. Due to navigation issues and some very unusual dirt roads, finding the ruins took a few hours longer than expected, but it was still worthwhile. The complex consists of a ruined Caravanserai, Turkish Bath, and a number of graves. This bottle of Coke that someone had left on the roof was so close to collapsing that I had to move it to a low spot so it wouldn’t show up in the pictures. The Caravanserai roof is extremely dangerous, with many sections already collapsed and many more almost falling. The bottle apparently fell through a gap in the grass, hit the inside rocks fifteen feet down, and burst below!
We had a scrub at the Turkish baths at Ali Paşa Hamamı in the center of Çorum that evening. The hamam was one of the best that we’ve been to yet. Though most of it was original, the restored areas were done so in keeping with the original styles and designs, making it the best-maintained Turkish bath I’ve ever visited. The main contributing factor, in my opinion, is that the hamam is still far more common for people in this area. It was the busiest Turkish Bath I’ve been to at any given time of day. We also saw three other baths in the province all of which were well maintained and busy. If you happen to be in Çorum, this is probably your best chance to visit a first-rate, totally untouristy Turkish bath!
We left early the next day to see the excavation of a Roman-era dam close to the tiny village of Örükaya. Afterwards, we met with the mayor, who briefed us on the dig and the village’s hopes that it would soon bring in some desperately needed tourism money. We went back into the village with him to have tea with him and another local. Similar to other remote farming communities, Örükaya is losing its youth as they relocate in pursuit of better work, educational, and lifestyle opportunities. Like most villages in this region, Örükaya is surrounded by abandoned houses in various states of collapse as the neglected mudbrick slowly melts.
I think we easily romanticize the “living off the land” lifestyle without realizing how hard it really is. Examples of this include the way a shepherd ages swiftly or how a sixty-year-old woman will look if she has spent her entire life carrying wood and water, planting crops, making cheese, weaving, and sewing. While the mountain air is better than the city air, the cooking fire fills the house with smoke. I sincerely hope this project brings new life and opportunity to this beautiful place!.
Even though we knew we wouldn’t be able to see everything in one trip, we felt that we had to visit at least one of the major Hittite sites while in Çorum, so after the Roman Dam and a few rounds of tea, we headed to the nearby Hittite excavations of Alacahöyük and the Hittite era dam, which has been in use for approximately 3300 years! Although the dam was closed, we managed to find the opening in the fence to take a peek inside! It seems that entry is allowed in Turkey as long as one does not have to scale the fence!
(Please don’t do this with anything military related, you’ll probably be in jail for awhile if you do!)
After an uncomfortable night’s sleep in the city due to a late-night wedding at our hotel, we headed north to the stunning Kapılıkaya (meaning rock with a door). However, it sounded like they were cleaning up afterward because they were rolling metal tubes down the stairs. Though it looks like a rock door, the structure is actually a roughly cube-shaped tomb carved out of the mountainside with a sort of porch in front. We had to put that scratch insurance to the test again because to the tiny dirt roads choked with blackberries and the occasional boulder that stuck out of our path that we had to drive on to get there. As you can see it was an absolutely astounding sight!.
Somehow another four-day trip had flown by us and it was time to start finishing up. After returning to Samsun from a visit with a friend in the city, we bought some of the famous Çorum leblebi (roasted chickpeas) to give to Istanbul. We had a few minutes before our flight, so we went to the beach to see some boats I had noticed pulled onto the sand when we first landed. Just as we arrived, the storm clouds that had threatened to ruin our trip the entire day twisted and transformed into amazing shapes! It was an amazing farewell show!
There has been centuries of discussion over whether Turkey is the center of the world. This article explores the geographical, historical, and cultural facets of this issue and offers a thorough examination of Turkey’s distinct place in the global community.
Geography: A Crossroads of Continents and Cultures
Turkey’s strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia has played a pivotal role in shaping its identity The country spans across two continents, with the vast majority of its landmass in Asia and a smaller portion in Europe. This unique geographical position has made Turkey a melting pot of cultures, blending Eastern and Western influences.
Historical Significance: A Cradle of Civilizations
Turkey has hosted many different civilizations throughout history, each of which has left its mark on the region. Turkey has experienced the rise and fall of empires, from the Hittites and Greeks to the Romans and Ottomans, all of whom contributed to its rich cultural legacy. Numerous archaeological sites throughout the nation, such as the ruins of Ephesus, the ancient city of Troy, and the Hagia Sophia, attest to the country’s historical significance.
Cultural Tapestry: A Blend of East and West
Turkey’s cultural tapestry is a vibrant blend of Eastern and Western influences. Mosques, minarets, and traditional arts showcase the nation’s Islamic heritage, while its architecture, music, and cuisine are distinctly European. Due to this special blending of cultures, we now live in a rich and varied society where traditional customs and contemporary innovations coexist.
Center of the Earth: A Geographical Claim
The Central Anatolian province of Çorum was designated as the geographical center of the Earth’s land surface by Google Maps in 2016. This claim was based on calculations made by physicist Andrew J. Woods in 1973 and subsequently modified using a global digital surface model by Holger Isenberg in 2003. It’s crucial to remember that the idea of a “center of the Earth” is arbitrary and dependent on the particular standards applied during computation.
Beyond Geography: A Subjective Notion
While Turkey’s geographical location and historical significance are undeniable, the notion of being the “center of the world” is ultimately subjective. This concept can be interpreted in various ways, depending on one’s perspective and definition of “center.”
Turkey’s unique position at the crossroads of continents and cultures has shaped its identity as a nation Its rich history, diverse cultural tapestry, and strategic geographical location have all contributed to its influence on the world stage While the question of whether Turkey is the “center of the world” remains open to interpretation, its undeniable significance and impact on global affairs cannot be overstated.
Additional Resources:
- Is Turkey the centre of the world? (Quora)
- Google marks Turkey’s Çorum as center of the Earth (Hurriyet Daily News)