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The trip to Cappadocia, then to Eastern Anatolia, and finally to Istanbul was a fascinating experience. Every day brought unexpected discoveries, both of the amazing layers of history on which Turkey is built and of the astonishing hospitality that we continually encountered. Going to Urfa, the birthplace of Abraham, was not just about discovering holy sites in Islam that I had never heard about, but about going to the heart of the fertile crescent, the very birth place of civilization. The Greco-Roman mosaics from Zeugma at Gaziantep were a revelation. Climbing Mount Nimrod, and looking East to Persia, and West towards Greece, was unforgettable. Entering people's houses, meeting children, and engaging in deep conversations all provided new windows. Arriving at Istanbul for the last few days, was like coming home. The harbor is to die for, the history is so deep, and we met many people. Many thanks to the AIS for making this possible.

Professor Constant J Mews
Monash University
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For me the trip was a wonderful experience that I never dreamed I would have until my wife, Barbara  had a conversation with the a Uniting Church colleague and friend of hers namely the Rev Coralie Ling, who suggested to Barbara that maybe I could be interested. The experience has enabled me to have a more enlightened and informed approach to Islam in the course, I have designed for the U3A at Mornington, where I am a tutor. My course title is, "Respecting Islam". During August and September I am presenting the course for the second time this year. As a minister of the Uniting Church from time to time in services of public worship I design the service around Muslim and Christian beliefs.  This includes considering the many "names" or "attributes" used for Allah in both traditions; the experience of Saint Francis of Assisi who in his day learned from Muslims in Egypt, an aspect of his life not known by many of my contemporaries in the Uniting Church.  Also I deal with the question, "What are some things that Christians could learn from Islam, particularly in its more tolerant expressions?", for example in the words and actions of M. Fethullah Gulen. As a theological student in the early sixties I studied Islam in the a University of Queensland course in the Arts Faculty entitled, "Comparative Religion".  I returned to the study of Islam after the sad events in the USA, and as in part a reaction to the way our media so relentlessly portrays Islam in negative terms.

In the trip to Turkey it was very significant to me that on more than one occasion we went into a Muslim home and received such generous hospitality.  Usually Australian tourists in Turkey do not have this experience. It was also  enriching to attend mosques when there were people praying , rather than the more usual tourist visit at times when a mosque is devoid of worshippers. Each member of the Cicek family present on the journey, at some time or other acted as translator/interpreter for me with a generosity of spirit. I was deeply appreciative of visiting and praying in a shrine to one of the Companions of the Prophet.  His name was Saffan Bin Muattal, I believe, but am not certain my transliteration into English is correct. I would have liked a deeper conversation or lecture/discussion about the incredible history of Edessa/Urfa,  including the various expressions of Christian and Muslim faith in that city at different times. I would have liked to be present at a time when the "whirling dervishes" were dancing out their worship, as I have been very interested in Rumi's expression of Islam and the mystical tradition he was a part of. I would have like us as a group, from time to time, have discussed what we were learning.

Ian Higgins
Minister of the Uniting Church
                                                                                                                                             

We found it very interesting to travel through places which had just been names in the Bible for us. It was enlightening to experience the physical realities of such places, to see these places and to hear histories we had not  heard before. Orhan was a tireless translator for the whole time. Our group had the best guide and organizer. People in our group were always talking among ourselves and we never listened to instructions so that every direction had to be repeated. Orhan and his family showed the greatest forbearing with our group of demanding old people. Although we became sick, we limped around, we grew ill tempered and we grumbled, Orhan and his family were always kind. Their main concern was to help when we needed help and to keep everyone happy. And they achieved the goal of giving everyone a happy and enriching tour which will always be remembered with pleasure.

Our local guides were very knowledgeable and of great value to us. Our bus driver in Anatolia was highly skilled, took no wrong turns though the region was new to him. We always felt safe with him driving and he became part of our group. Our bus driver in Istanbul was also competent and safe. In Istanbul we were hosted by large organizations which were well practiced  in the art of making visitors welcome. The level of gifts we received was embarrassing and there were times when we were unprepared and we had no gift in return. We were not aware of the existence of the Gulen Movement and we were interested to hear of their activities. We visited their TV station, book publishing enterprise, a newspaper, universities and schools. We saw many tourist attractions and were amazed by The Blue Mosque, Haija Sofia, the Topkapi Palace, the Dolmabahce Palace and more. We spent a couple of hours in the Grand Bazaar and I am sure we could have spent the whole time without buying anything if we had wanted. The food on tour was different from what we eat at home. The food was sometimes quite spicy, it was always delicious and it was ALWAYS more than we could eat. The weather was pleasantly warm. We dressed for heat so we were never uncomfortable.

Anatolia / Cappadocia was warmer than Istanbul, but we found shade, dressed for heat and again, we were never uncomfortable.
Starting in Kayseri, we visited museums, Muslim mosques, Christian churches and more. We traveled through the region in our bus along toll ways and highways, looking at changing vistas of market gardens, vineyards, orchards and great plains enclosed by mountain ranges before coming to cities with great blocks of units topped by solar powered water heaters. Our hosts in the regions were warm and spontaneous. We usually had direct contact with a local person which was a delight. Communicating was not easy, but smiles and  gestures achieved what we could not put in Turkish, and once dancing helped spread the good cheer. Then there were the children with their joyful welcome, reactions and performance. For Cara and I, the highlight of the tour was the children's greetings and their merriment in both Nigde and Gazi Antep. This highlight will stay with us for all our days.  

Ian Lovejoy & Cara Jacqueline Lovejoy
 

It is fair to suggest that Turkey lived up to, and probably exceeded, all of my expectations. Conversations with many well traveled individuals alerted me to the fact that Turkey is a special place and it will certainly remain memorable in terms of any of the countries I’ve previously visited in Europe, Asia or the Americas. It’s a country which assaults all of the senses as well as our human emotions.

The sights, the smells and the sounds are just a context to the overwhelming reaction to visiting ‘the cradle of civilization’. Turkey on the basis of my experience is a warm, generous and peaceful place. Enquiries for information or help were always greeted warmly regardless of language barriers and there was a general feeling among all members of the delegation that this is a very ‘laid back’ culture.

If it’s reasonable to assert that if ANZAC Day is conceivably the most significant national day in Australia, then our most significant international relationship might well be with the people of the Republic of Turkey.

Cr Vernon Knight
Deputy Mayor                                                                                                Click here for detailed feedback & Information (pdf)
 

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