26 August 2009
What a wonderful surprise! I open my email and find a message from Fodor’s that starts out as noted in the title of the post. This is all a result of a photo contest I entered on the Fodor’s website.
The content of the email is short, but sweet: “Congrats! Two of your photos appear in Fodor’s Turkey, which came out last month. One on page 220 (horse-drawn carriage) and one on page 188 (Temple of Trajan). I apologize that it has taken me so long to connect with you. We’d like to send you a complimentary copy. ...” Unless the copy Fodor’s is sending me arrives in the next couple of days, I’ll have to wait until we return from our trip to the Canadian Rockies to see my photos in print. In the meantime, here are the two photos in question.
Temple of Trajan — Pergamum.
The ruins of the ancient city of Pergamum are located in the modern-day Turkish city of Bergama. The Temple of Trajan was built to honor the Roman Emperor by the same name and dates back to somewhere between AD 100-130. It is the one structure at the Acropolis of Pergamum that does not date back to the city’s Hellenistic period. Visit my Favorites — Fairy Chimneys & More gallery for more images from my 2007 trip to Turkey.
“Fayton” in Gündoğdu Square — Alsancak, İzmir.
I came across the horse carriage on an early morning walk along “Kordon,” the waterfront promenade in İzmir. I have many fond memories of riding these buggies as a child. They were a fun and convenient mode of transport for us ... now these buggies are more of a tourist attraction. The monument in the background is “Cumhuriyet Ağacı Anıtı” (Republic Tree Monument). It was erected to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Turkey becoming a republic. The top portion represents Atatürk and the Turkish cavalry fighting the War of Independence. The reliefs carved on the marble base depict scenes associated with Turkey becoming a republic. I like the contrast of having something from my childhood in the same photograph with something that didn’t exist back then. Visit my Favorites — Ruins & Memorials gallery for more images from my 2008 trip to Turkey.