Travelog to Turkey: [Day 2] Bursa - Kusadasi

Food

Whenever you travel to any country, it is best to eat as that country's citizen would do. In this case, eat like a Turkish. This morning, we are served with the usual hard-boiled egg and bread as well as assortments of jams, cheese and olive. I have discovered few interesting food combination which is great because I have to eat this kind of stuff for a week! 0_o As someone who doesn’t really like egg that much, this type of combination is recommended. Hard-boiled egg accompanied with cheese and tomato gravy (not tomato soup). You should try to eat olive pickles stuffed with chilies as well. It is sort of a whet and the most delicious olive I had ever try as compared to other hotel and restaurants in Turkey. High expectation huh just for a small olive? Oh! There’s another one that I would like you to try if you stay in this hotel which is bread with fig jam. It is super delicious with sweet-but-not-so-sweet flavor. Just nice…

Apart from the food, the interior of the lobby is one of the most interesting space to be taken picture of. What's not to love? They even have gold motorcycle and antic jeep in the lobby. Sounds like Hard Rock cafe ain't? As good as it looks inside; it goes the same to the surrounding of the hotel. Hotels in a form of ancient buildings standing proudly at the back of our hotel. Alas, I only realized it after we have check out from hotel this morning which makes me regret of allowing the tiresome to conquer my curiosity to wander outside the hotel. T_T *

Places

Our first two destinations for today are Grand Mosque and Green Mosque which is located nearby to the hotel actually. As a Muslim, the opportunity to visit mosques is a chance that not to be missed in Turkey. Despite many mosques being erected “bagai cendawan tumbuh” in Malaysia, the architecture as well as the interior embellishment of calligraphy inscriptions and floral motifs embedded on wall and carpets of mosques in Turkey is incomparable. Grand Mosque is one of the true examples of these magnificent characteristics.  I swear by it!

Visiting both of the mosques, I could see that each of them have its own beauty and same applies to the other mosques that we’ve been visiting for the rest of the weeks. Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in Bursa and from my observation; its exterior architecture of the mosque does not match the grand Early Ottoman architecture on the inside with a big fountain standing proudly in the middle of the mosque. On the other hand, Green Mosque is too small for a mosque if compared to Grand Mosque; yet its interior decoration covered with mosaic of blue-green tiles as well as a sculpted white marble fountain in the middle of the mosque makes me in awe. The best part about Green Mosque is when the muezzin come to open the entrance which reminds me of a goblin who unlocked a door for Harry Potter in Gringotts Bank. How cool is that?!

Visiting mosques shouldn’t be wasted with just a mere mesmerization of its architecture. It is the opportunity for Muslim to perform tahyatul masjid prayer. From Abu Qatadah r.a. from Rasulullah s.a.w said: “if one of you entered the mosque therefore; it is forbidden for you to sit before performing two rakaat prayer”. Truthfully, the ambience of the mosque in Turkey makes my heart eager to stay in here (temporary stay would be sufficient) so that I have the chance to perform Jemaah prayer everyday in those mosques. One day, perhaps. Amin.

Opposite the Green Mosque stood Green Mausoleum of Sultan Mehmet I Celebi; however, I did not enter the tomb because I’m torn between following my mom and other tour members to Silk Bazaar which is located few stones away or following my father climbing the stairs to see Sultan’s tomb. In the end, I decided to follow my mum and the decision I have made make me feel regretted until now. L If only I knew earlier about the background of Sultan Mehmet; I would be in no doubt to follow my father to the tomb. Truthfully, I feel disappointed with myself. [you will know about it after you read about my visit to Antartuk Museum on Day 6].

A few stones away is where Silk Bazaar located. It’s not a place filled with variety of stalls. More like a big shop to me. Since this is the first place to be labelled as a “shopping place”, the other tour members have been wildly searching around and started to buy stuffs! Few shops nearby Silk Bazaar are also affected by their ‘shopping mood’ which is good for the seller ain’t? Hehe. The peculiar thing about the shop in Turkey is; they always welcomed you with a cup of hot apple tea and there’s no regret of drinking it because it is tasty! Imagine drinking warm apple juice. :P For quick shopping tips, it is advisable for you to survey the prices and buy things bit by bit at every location you stop by because following a tour group is not the same as travelling on your own. Too many places to go. Too little time for shopping. Besides, the goods and trinkets sell are quite similar in mostly all of the places that we go. 

Thereafter, we will be going for lunch before heading to Kusadasi. On our way, we stop by at a Turkish delight shop where customers would be served with testers of variety of sweets. Soooo…. This is the time to gobble up and munch all those sweets into your mouth! My Malaysian friends are even worse. Can’t you see how ‘predator’ they are ready to attack those foods? For your information, Turkey is known to be the best producer of olive. They used olive oil as part of the staple food in rice and salad! Despite the greatness of the olive, do not buy it. It is cheaper to buy it in Malaysia with the same label “made in Turkey”.

Accommodation

Finally, we arrived in Marbel Hotel and it is quite congested here due to its location which is near the seaside.  I have come to learn that Turkish and European people love to sunbath. Most of them buy beach house here. In summer, it’s going to be lot of people compared to during winter; where the town turns quite.

That’s all for Day 2. Goodnight peeps!

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  Travelog to Turkey - PART 1