Tutku is the Turkish Word for Passion.

White Calcium Cliffs of Pammukale

Passion. If I had to describe this trip in one word, it would be passion. I have been struck by the way that passion is and has been displayed in this beautiful country. Yesterday, we spent the afternoon hanging out on the calcium cliffs of Pamukkale (formerly known as Hierapolis) where hot springs pour out over a mountain fortified by the calcium that is deposited by the water. As you can see from the pictures, they are literally awe-some. They filled me with awe as I splashed my feet in the water and hiked up and down the cliffs. As I walked back from the cliffs to the bus, I told my friend, “Isn’t God so cool?!” He created this earth with passion, intricately weaving chemicals and elements into a world that His creation could experience freely. From calcium cliffs to ferry boat rides to Patmos, I have been amazed that our God would love us so much that He wanted us to experience these beautiful things.

Elaborate Marble designs in Aphrodisias

Not only have I experienced the passionate creativity of God, but of His people too. As I have walked around archeological sites that have been here for thousands of years (by the way, I did the math, and America is only 238 years old which is chump change compared to cities like Ephesus), I have seen the passion of the Roman empire. Much can be said of the empire both positively and negatively, but you have to hand it to them, they were passionate. Everything from the elaborate designs of marble buildings in Aphrodisias to just the effort of lifting actual tons of marble to create humongous temples and homes, it screams passion. What else would motivate one to spend years building a temple or chiseling a marble chunk into a finely designed sculpture of the emperor?

Today, we spent the morning in Laodicea, a rich, ancient city that was destroyed by earthquakes and continually rebuilt. Our guide, Cenk, spent a while explaining part of the Roman culture of slavery during that period and the lifestyle of many people during that time. Rich Romans bought slaves (usually captives of imperialized lands) and filled their households with them to serve their families. They spent hundreds of denarii and sesterces buying some slaves to have as gladiators, entertainers, and companions. Today Cenk gave us a glimpse into the culture of the Roman elite of the time, their desire to experience the world for all that it could offer. This isn’t innately a bad thing, at least in my opinion. I fully believe that God gave us senses and strength and curiosity so that we could experience the incredible things that He created, to His glory, however, the Romans, just like we do today, exploited that gift.  

The Emperor, being crowned by a god.

From the Temple to the Roman Caesar, you can see the white cliffs of Pamukkale.

Silk worm pods being separated for Turkish silk carpets

The Romans were passionate about experiencing life, and that is what I have seen of the Turkish people on this trip. I have witnessed Turkish men sitting in the shade in the hot afternoon, sipping tea and Turkish coffee (which is quite the experience) enjoying the company of their closest friends. I have seen women weave detailed designs into silk carpets, extracting silk from silk worm pods and patiently dyeing the silk for use. I have eaten amazing dinners that took the entire day to prepare by my host mother’s mom. I have loved watching the way that Turkish families work together to raise their children with a free hand, spoiling them with affection and ice cream (which I too have spoiled myself with on this trip). My host mother sat with us at dinner and told us about the way that she chooses to live her life (on the coast, outdoors, with good food) and I found myself jealous of her. I realized that often times in our American culture, we cultivate this work ethic that doesn’t allow for the time to live passionately.

Passion. That is what I have learned about the most on this trip. I want to live my life with an element of stopping to have Turkish tea, to walk upon calcium cliffs, to eat the baklava, to jump around on ancient ruins, and to do the things that God would have me do. That is what I’ll be taking home with me, so watch out mom!
-Julia
                                          

Ferry boat ride to Patmos, Greece

Btw, our tour company's name--Tutku--means "Passion" tours, so we've been riding the passion bus for two weeks now!