4135 km: Turkey, Lake Emra

11 August 2019

Orux map screenshot: 
BLUE line is the planned route 
RED line is the actual route we drove

The street system in Turkey is really very good.  Even smaller towns are connected through highways in excellent condition. So it is fast and easy to reach the intresting places we want to visit. But some roads between the small undeveloped villages are often dust roads, while most of the roads inside the villages are paved with concrete mosaik stones.

Police cars everywhere 

Nice place for our picnic

We pass the Town Kula with a huge mosque in the center

Absolutely worth visiting is Aizanoi
The antique Roman town of Aizanoi is situated beside the village Cavdarhisar, that was mostly destroyed in a strong earthquake in 1970. Although the earthquake destroyed parts of the antique town, the Temple of Zeus is one of the best conserved in Turkey. It is a pleasure to walk through Aizanoi almost alone with only some few turkish tourists sharing the same interest in the middle of the summer heat.

Temple of Zeus from the back 

Temple of Zeus 

The Goddess Kybele

The cellar under the Temple 

Married couple

Tara used to our desert trips, always finds a place in the shade

The Theater and Stadion 

The Market place with a real police car this time

Between Aizanoi and Lake Emra

Lake Emra situated near the village Döger is beautiful and offers many monuments of the Phrygian time and great rock formations.

This is a perfect place for the residents and local tourists to spent the weekend

It is very sad to see how little people care for these juwels. The waste from the people's picknick is everywhere, even if their is a big garbage container nearby

We find a beautiful place to stay over night and start cleaning up the plastic waste of our surrounding from the people who left before we camp there.

The moonshine, the sound of the sheep bells and our beautiful location attracts also others from the nearby villages to spend a nice evening to have a picnic. Late in the evening they leave and we can enjoy the peace and beauty.