From Cyprus to Austria – a diary! We left Cyprus on the ferry on the 21st, and it was as chaotic as when we arrived. This time we were loaded onto the middle deck, which meant hot, not enough ventilation and very, very noisy. It was a very pleasant night, and we arrived fresh and …
Still in the northern part of Cyprus, we reached Varosha, a suburb of Famagusta. It was once the number-one tourist destination in Cyprus. Many new high-rise buildings and hotels were constructed in the area. Between 1970 and 1974, it was one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and was a favourite for celebrities …
We know that Cyprus is not really on the way home, more like a little detour, but we decided to spend some time here, having a summer holiday, before we would return to Austria. Nearly 3 years ago, we were already at the harbour of Tasucu, with a ticket for the ferry in hand, but …
On our way to Soganli, we did some shopping in Ortahisar, where we also climbed the 90-metre-high rock-castle in the centre of the town, an extraordinary example of the rock-cut architecture typical of the region. The rock-castle has served as a refuge from attackers in Byzantine times and the climb was an interesting experience, which rewarded …
Again at quarter to five, we were woken by the noise of balloons getting filled up, this time even closer. Many were starting next to us, floating into the Love Valley with its fantastic fairy chimneys, before they made their way further to Göreme. More and more people started to come there, taking their pictures …
At Göreme, we visited another open air museum with churches. The entrance fee of 20 Euros, with another 6 Euros when you want to visit the “Dark Church” with the best frescos, felt a bit like a rip-off. We had a lovely lunch in a small pide restaurant in Cavusin, away from the more touristic …
Coming from Iraq, we made our way to Cappadocia, with a couple of stops. In Mardin we had our washing done and enjoyed some local food before we continued. We came through the region where pistachio trees grow, and crossed the Euphrates a last time on our way westwards. In Kahramanmaras, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake had …
On the way to Baghdad, we visited Taq Kisra, the remains of a palace of another ancient city, dated to the 3rd or 6th century AD, which was really spectacular. We had to circle the building until we got the perfect view of the remarkable high arch. It was the facade of the main palace …
The many checkpoints continued on the way north to the city of Babylon or the few remains which you can visit today. In Babylon stood once the famous Tower of Babel, which probably looked more like a Ziggurat than how it is depicted in the Western world since ancient times. Today there is just the …
The most important places for Muslims are Mecca and Medina, which you can’t visit as a non-believer. The third site on that list is the Shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf. Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from 656 to 661, as well as the …
