An intimate view of Turkey’s local residents
The original publication date of this article was April 19, 2010.
Our travelers never cease to amaze me with their creativity—whether it’s putting together photo journals after returning from adventures around the world, or producing videos showcasing favorite moments from their trips.
Cecelia Feld, a three-time traveler from Dallas, Texas, is one of these inspired travelers. She reveals her paintings, prints, and photographs on her online art gallery—and she recently shared with me a slideshow created after traveling on OAT’s Turkey’s Magical Hideaways adventure.
Cecelia says this about her photography: “People and places, far and near, are the subjects of my photographs. The action, the light, the drama, the surprise moment are what I’m drawn to wherever I go. The moment can be captured, but the photograph must be made.”
I hope you enjoy her photographs as much as I did …
Written by Cecelia Feld, 3-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador, Dallas, Texas
In September of 2009, I spent almost three weeks traveling in Turkey. It is a country of varied terrain, bustling cities, quiet villages, and friendly people everywhere. One’s experiences in Turkey can be as full of contrasts as the country itself. A modern shopping mall filled with young people and families … McDonald’s and KFC next to Turkish fast food in the food court … ancient ruins (Ephesus, Perge, Aspendos) … magnificent, mysterious tufa structures (Cappadocia) … mountains and lush valleys growing everything from olives to pomegranates … and towns overlooking the truly turquoise Mediterranean Sea are a few of the delights awaiting the traveler.
See Istanbul, the city which straddles two continents, go to Ephesus (preferably late in the afternoon, when the crush of cruise ship tourists has left), spend a few days on a traditional Turkish sailing boat called a gulet dipping in and out of coves along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, hike in the hills while at anchor, and take a hot-air balloon ride over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia (you’ll be sorry if you don’t).
I hope this selection of photographs taken in Turkey conveys some of what made the country so interesting to me:
Ablution at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
Pedestrian Mall in Istanbul.
A local man in the cemetery near the Shrine of Rumi in Konya.
A vendor at a market in Selcuk.
A young girl at the Hittite ruins in Jonya.
View from the Ahbab Konagi Hotel in Cappadocia.
A woman I met while hiking in Cappadocia.
A birds-eye view of Cappadocia, as seen from a hot-air balloon.
Encounter Turkey’s intimate wonders on OAT’s Turkey’s Magical Hideaways adventure.