Field Report

Circumnavigation of the Black Sea October 4 - 18, 2016 UKRAINE Odessa ROMANIA RUSSIA Histria Constanta DANUBE RIVER DELTA Sochi BLACK SEA BULGARIA GEORGIA Sinop Batumi BOSPORUS Bartin Istanbul Safranbolu Trabzon Sumela TURKEY Wednesday & Thursday, October 5 & 6, 2016 Istanbul, Turkey / Embark Island Sky Welcome to Istanbul; straddling both Europe and Asia this city was the core of civilization for centuries. The pride of both Christianity and Islam, Istanbul remains a captivating blend of East and West, antique and cosmopolitan. On arrival at the historic Pera Palace Hotel, some of us opted to unwind in the luxury of this newly renovated land- mark. Others chose to relax at a nearby hammam, the ultimate Turkish bath experience, or set out to explore the city. In the evening we gathered to meet our fellow travelers, some of whom were returning from the pre-trip to Cappadocia. After cocktails, we enjoyed a welcome dinner and were introduced to our lecture staff by our vivacious Expedition Leader, Kelsey Simmons. In a city teeming with possibilities, the morning brought us choices. Some of us spent the morning at the Topkapi Palace complex, begun in 1459 by Sultan Mehmet II who conquered Constantinople in 1453. The Palace grounds house diverse small museums, and we were able to view such wonders as Moses’s staff in the museum of sacred objects. From here it was a charming walk to the National Archaeological Museum. Others chose to go farther afield and first visited the small casket of jewels that is the Chora Church. For a city with its fair share of Byz- antine churches and monuments, this one is especially gorgeous with both frescoes and mosaics dating to 1312. Tucked away in the less visited Western District, Chora Church was built in the late 11th century and then extensively rebuilt when it was converted into a mosque. Heading even farther out of the city core, we also visited the Sakıp Sabancı Museum, which is located in Emirgan, at one of Istanbul's oldest settlements on the Bosphorus. Housed in a 19th-century Ottoman mansion, this former home now houses an impressive calligraphy collection. After lunch in a restaurant on the Bosphorus, we headed for the port. As the afternoon waned we boarded the Island Sky. After enjoying refreshments in the Lounge, settling in our quarters, and completing the necessary safety drill, we gathered on deck watching the minarets of the city fade into the evening. Friday, October 7 Bartin / Safranbolu Just prior to arrival, the ship was visited by the first of many avian guests. A lesser gray shrike perched on a deck rail welcoming us to our first stop on our journey. Docking in the largely military port of Bartin afforded an opportunity to view the countryside, as well as the juxta- position of coffee-brown fresh water on one side of the road and the aqua blue of the Black Sea on the other, dotted with entrances to World War II submarine tunnels, as we headed inland to the best preserved Ottoman town of Safranbolu. The entire town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Named for its historically predominant industry, saffron, we were able to sip saffron and honey tea at our first stop; a terrace overlooking the town that also permitted a bit of orientation for the remainder of the day. Exploration of the town below included the bustling copper and iron-working district, the hammam, and the İzzet Paşa Mosque that incorporates some surprisingly European architectural elements. Our delicious lunch of local delicacies was served at Cinci Han, housed in a 17th-century caravanserai. A variety of Turkish carpets were displayed in the courtyard, and many of us went shopping for mementos or the lokum for which the region also is known; some even flavored with local saffron. Back aboard, our first presentation was by art historian, Allan Langdale, entitled The Hippodrome of Constantinople. Evening found us meeting at Captain Henrick Karlsson’s welcome cocktail party, followed by an exceptional welcome dinner as we weighed anchor for Sinop. Saturday, October 8 Sinop Coming alongside in the natural harbor of Sinop, we were able to walk into the walled medieval city wrapping around its rocky promontory. A short walk found us at the newly renovated archaeological museum and gardens. We then visited the ethnographic museum, in the home of a well-to-do merchant with extensive stenciled and painted decoration and informative displays of textile preparation. Nearby we had the chance to visit the Alaaddin Mosque with its extensive carved wooden paneling. Adjacent to the mosque is a small enclave of shops housed in the former Pervane Seminary. It is now home to some fine locally created textiles, which we watched being woven by a craftswoman, and had the chance to savor some traditionally prepared Turkish coffee. Returning to the harbor, we stopped at the infamous Tarihi Cevaevi (fortress prison). Established in 1887, it is one of Turkey’s oldest prisons and noted for the number of political prisoners it held, many of whom were journalists, writers, and poets well known in Turkey and abroad. During free time, some of us wandered the town, others visited the handful of sea-front shops specializing in ship models, and many of us couldn’t resist sampling the local specialty manti for lunch. The small meat-filled pasta comes sauced with yogurt or crushed walnuts, or both, and what appeared to be vast quantities disappeared remarkably easily! Returning to our floating home, we set sail for our next port and joined Michael Golay, our MIT representative, for his discussion of Turkey, Climate Change, and Energy. Olga Eggert, our historian and concert pianist, then prepared us for our upcoming travels in Georgia with her lecture, Georgia: The Land of the Golden Fleece. After dinner, cultural geographer Ron Wixman, led the discussion, Who Are the Peoples of the Black Sea. Sunday, October 9 Trabzon / Sumela We were greeted this morning by a troupe of regional Laz dancers and musicians on the quay when we came alongside, before we headed into the interior to view the iconic Sumela Monastery. Founded during Byzantine times by two Greek monks following a vision, the monastery was abandoned in 1923 when inde- pendence quashed local hopes for an indepen- dent Greek state. Under restoration after sig- nificant seismic activity, it was not possible to enter the structure but the weather held for us to obtain some beautifully lit photographs and enjoy a local cheese dish similar to fondue. Returning to the ship for lunch, we set off in the afternoon to explore Trabzon. Of par- ticular interest was Hagia Sophia, built in the 13th century as a church, then converted to a mosque, a museum, and has just been re-converted to a mosque again. Most of the frescoes are still evident, however, of equal interest was the graffiti; a sailors’ church for centuries, there are images of ships inside and out scratched into plaster, including into some of the religious art. The images provide some- thing of a catalog of vessel forms. After visiting Hagia Sophia we divided; one group of hardy souls was willing to brave the rain-slicked streets to take a two-mile walk back to the ship with Allan. The rest of us visited the charming mist-shrouded Atatürk Mansion set in a beautiful formal garden, above the city. The birdwatchers among us were fortunate to see a great-crested grebe and common redstarts. Monday, October 10 Batumi, Georgia Although a Greek trading colony by the second century, Batumi remained a small fishing village until, under Russian governance, it was industrialized in the 19th century. The architecture is a mix as well, with ultra-modern structures—including a skyscraper with a Ferris wheel built into its upper floors—rub- bing shoulders with fin-de-siècle buildings. We, too, blended experiences by first visiting the substantial local farmers’ market, where our presence brought out curiosity and puzzlement as everyone wanted to com- municate with us and every purchase was a source of delight. We followed this with a more placid venue as we strolled through the extensive and diverse Batumi Botanical Gardens, situated on a promontory rising directly from the Black Sea and providing some breath-taking vistas despite the showers. We were also lucky to spot a rare hobby falcon. With appetites whetted by our morning’s explora- tions, we returned to the ship for lunch. The afternoon offered a walking tour of the city through the picturesque streets, satisfying both shutterbugs and shoppers. Others of us continued south to the Gonio Fortress; one of the finest surviving examples of Roman-Byzantine military architecture. Built in the first century AD by the Romans, it covers nearly 12 acres inside a rectangle of high stone walls with 18 towers. We arrived at the Bella Costa restaurant for a dinner that could only be called a supra (a feast) featuring some of the famous Georgian wines. This was accom- panied by an astounding performance by the world class Ajara Dance Troupe; these young people fairly flew across the floor and were clearly enjoying them- selves as much as we enjoyed watching them. Tuesday, October 11 Sochi, Russia Although currently best known as the venue for the recent XXII Winter Olympics and XI Paralympics Winter Games, Sochi has been a Russian tourist destination since the 19th century. Its subtropical climate earned it the soubriquet of the “Russian Riviera,” and it still boasts numerous sanatoria (therapeutic hotels), and rest houses, as well as modern high-end hotels and private dachas.

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