Antalya: Turkey's Hottest Gem
Antalya: Turkey's Hottest Gem
Expert advice, Korean cooking, and a brief exploration of Paul's coastal journey
I’m from Texas, so I’m no stranger to the heat.
At different times in my life, I’ve lived in the three largest Texan cities. In Dallas, the dry air in a summer parking lot will singe your nostrils. In Austin, you can fry an egg on the hood of your car (I’ve done it). There’s a difference, however, between sauna hot and Houston hot.
Welcome to Antalya
I had been warned about the unbearable, stifling humidity of this striking coastal city, especially during August. My journey led me to Antalya during the warmest week of the year, when foot-traffic patterns on wide pedestrian walkways are determined by the creeping afternoon shadow. Sunny streets are mostly empty while people squeeze past one another in a narrow strip of shade.
As the sun sets, this bustling coastal city comes to life.
The turquoise clear water of the Mediterranean Sea makes up for the otherwise intolerable heat. Morning swims in the warm, salty water are especially pleasant. Essentially, Antalya is divided into three coastal areas: pebble beach, cliff beach, and the old port in between.
I wasn’t entirely certain why I was being sent to Antalya. If you remember one of my first posts from Izmir, I mentioned a coffee cup that I was repeatedly given at a German bakery in The Gambia, Africa. That cup—one of the many signs pointing me to Turkey—was from Antalya.
The idea of an ancient beach city with crystal blue water on the Mediterranean is appealing, yet when I rang my sweat-drenched shirt out the first day, I decided I needed to keep this visit short and move along. Where?
Expert Advice
When originally investigating the Seven Churches, one of the biblical scholars that was repeatedly pointed out to me was a man by the name of Mark Wilson; he runs SevenChurches.org. And, since his base is in Antalya, I decided to reach out and get his unique perspective on Turkey.
We met on a Thursday afternoon at Paul’s Place, a coffee shop attached to the St. Paul Cultural Center in Kaleici.
During our hour-long conversation in the shaded courtyard, Mark reached into his bag and gifted me a copy of one of his books entitled “The Spirit Said Go: Lessons in Guidance from Paul’s Journeys”. Amazingly, “Go” is the one consistent word I’ve heard since leaving for Israel in February of last year. I believe there is much wisdom hidden in the pages of this book (to be unlocked as I read it at a later date).
Our short talk also provided me some clarity regarding the next phase of my journey:
I would stay in Antalya until Sunday and attend worship with their English speaking international Church
There were some significant places in the vicinity worth visiting including:
Perge (from Paul and Barnabas’ journey in Acts 13-14)
Duden Falls (near the port where Paul returned from Cyprus on his second journey)
Myra (current day Demre near the port where Paul transferred ships)
Patara (“the nicest beach in Turkey” where Paul once landed).
To make the most of my remaining time in Turkey, Mark Wilson—who often leads groups on biblical excursions—created a custom itinerary with high-level highlights that will serve as my rough outline as I head further east into a more remote side of Turkey.
Cappadocia
Gaziantep
Urfa
Mardin
Diyarbakir
Van
Doğubayazıt
Sunday Surprise
As one of my main focuses in Antalya was getting some work done online, I only made it to the first of Mark’s suggestions (Perge) before Sunday rolled around.
Saint Paul Cultural Center hosts three services each Sunday. The first “early” service at 10:30am is in English. During worship, I heard a clear word for a woman at the front which I shared after service. This turned out to be the pastor’s wife, who invited me for tea in the courtyard.
I found the tea alongside a man selling cookies to raise funds for a summer youth camp. We exchanged pleasantries and quickly realized that we were both from Texas. I don’t quite know how to describe what I experienced, but Nelson seemed to be one of those individuals who holds keys to unlock doors. We both realized that further conversation was needed, so we scheduled a coffee for the following morning.
On Sunday evening, Nel called and changed our plans. Instead of meeting at a local coffee shop, his wife invited me into their home. I packed my bag with the intention of departing for my next destination after breakfast.
Korean Cooking
Nel’s married to an amazing cook. I’ve always enjoyed kimchi, yet never like this. My body was overjoyed as I replenished my gut’s microbiome with fermented cabbage from their dedicated kimchi refrigerator.
One breakfast feast turned into an invitation to spend a day with them and explore some of Mark Wilson’s suggestions with their family, via car. And so my plans changed as I was invited into the home of a Korean mom, a Texan dad and a teenage ballerina.
Together, we explored Duden Falls that afternoon and hit the road the following morning to Myra, the ancient city that was home to Saint Nicholas.
I’ll share a word from Myra at a later time. For now, let me simply say that a certain grace was unlocked during this time together to begin sharing more openly about what I see coming in the near future. Stay tuned to this blog for the latest as words are released publicly.
One night turned into two, as I indulged in scrumptious Korean cuisine. It was clear that—while this Korean mom loves to host—she was going out of her way to make my stay delectable. For this, I’m Gr8ful.
Despite enjoying my time, I am not one to overstay a welcome. So, the following morning, I departed en route to the next destination on my new travel itinerary with a special invitation to connect with another Korean in Cappadocia.