Are you feeling frantic because of the rising cost of living, the brisk rise of your energy bills and the fast-approaching uncertainty driven by the wars in Europe and the Middle East? Well, there is plenty of hope. As the conventional wisdom goes, “everything happens for a reason,” and “it’s not the end of the world.”
Recall that COVID-19 brought the rise of Amazon and numerous other companies, although many closed down. Nicki Minaj’s famous lyrics, “The night is still young,” perfectly fit in the current travel tale of Türkiye embedded in discovering new business ventures. I have a bunch of good news.
Antakya expedition
After being on the plane for several hours, my muscles were stiff, but the passion for discovering historic Antakya, meeting worthy friends, professor Tülay Atay at Mustafa Kemal University, and businessperson Yusuf Eroğlu, and exploring new business ventures expended my strength.
The Hatay airport offers modern facilities, especially low-cost connecting flights to several cities in Türkiye. We arrived in Hatay on a sunny morning on a low-cost AJet airline. We were exhausted but thrilled to learn about Antakya’s history, home of early Christianity with the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Antiochian Church and the sixth-century Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Usually, for a traveler, the language barrier remains a challenge. Türkiye is no exception; even young Turks are less ecstatic to communicate in English. However, one can witness the same trends in France, Germany, Russia and several European countries.
Urdu stemmed from Arabic, Persian and Turkish; I had a little edge in Turkish. Notably, Turkic words ending with the Urdu letter (ta) help you pass on the message. Other shared words, such as “musafir,” or “guest,” mean the same in the Turkic language. After hearing “musafir,” Turks in the Balkans and Türkiye treat travelers well.
If you fancy scenery, collecting imagery and observing cultural trends, then the best option is to travel by road. Therefore, we boarded the small coach to Antakya. Luckily, I noticed a Turkish passenger who happened to be an English teacher. After a brief introduction, she volunteered to be a guide while on the bus.
Being approachable and chatty, I often make friends. Within a few minutes’ drive, I noticed windmills on the mountains alongside the waterless river. I witnessed vast fertile lands filled with cotton fields.
Hatay shines in UNESCO’s “Creative Cities Network” heritage as an ancient trading city on the Silk Road and is now home to Syrian refugees as a border city near Syria.
Along the road, we witnessed the damaging effects of the 2023 earthquake survivors housed in container shelters in blistering weather. Life is never a straightforward business but a challenging journey.
Honestly, demolished buildings and rubble could move any softhearted person. I could not control my emotions as I watched people still living in temporary containers while waiting for reconstruction. I learned from an anonymous passenger how she lost friends and a few family members in the devastating earthquake.
Thankfully, our world is full of kind-hearted people, I thought as I recalled an anonymous American Pakistani businessperson who donated $30 million (TL 1.02 billion) to the earthquake victims under the United Nations food program appeal.
Despite a cataclysmic earthquake, Turks and Syrian refugees have displayed tremendous seismic resilience in Antakya.
I noticed that my travel friend Shabbir Hussain was in a low mood. Perhaps ruined buildings in Antakya made him feel sad. As a first-time visitor, he had witnessed a dusty and rubble-filled city. I could imagine his feelings, especially when we reached the Tetrapole Boutique Hotel and learned that our booking was vague. Here, we cashed in memorable hospitality; a Syrian hotel owner admitted us ahead of check-in time despite doubtful reservations.
After we spotted ruins and emptiness in the city, we decided to extend our stay. I informed Tülay of our arrival and then jumped straight to bed for a few hours of nap.
Journey to Iskenderun
The next morning, we woke up to a sunny and warm Antakya. I had my first mobile phone ring, it was Tülay: “Hey Irfan! Welcome to Antakya, get ready; I am on the way.” The words raised my hope in the resonating city.
After 20 minutes, Tülay arrived. The next moment, we were heading to Iskenderun, also known as Alexandretta, the main port on the Mediterranean Sea. Tülay knew my travel passions were nature, blue waters, beaches and history.
She looked at me and said, “Sorry, Irfan, the Antakya has lost much of its history in the earthquake.”
The relics of Habib-i-Nejjar Mosque made me sad; an icon of Antakya has lost its original shape. I would not imagine that stunning Antakya has become a “City of Containers.” Still, one can see numerous houses standing gently on the adjacent mountain.
Surely, for “less well-off residents,” there are more testing times ahead. However, I figured out the city would regain its beauty and life. Our epic journey to Iskenderun revealed spectacular scenery, soaring mountains, lush green valleys and contemporary dwellings alongside the road. All signs of restoration.
Surprisingly, on the way, Tülay showed me an enthrallingly decorated truck painted with poetry: “Yarabi Ben Indostan Dilim Malakor,” meaning “My God! Please protect me from my friends.” In our materialistic world, one can think of “selfish friends.”
Coincidentally, one can find such poems and rhymes on the trucks in Pakistan. On the way to Iskenderun, signs of life were more apparent. Luckily, Iskenderun was saved.
In Iskenderun, Tülay’s friend Yusuf Eroğlu, a businessperson, invited us to a traditional dinner at a popular Sirinyer restaurant located at the seashore of the Mediterranean Sea that offers seafood as well as Turkish and Mediterranean cuisines.
Style, standard and splendor best express our time at the restaurant. The seaside glamour attracts newlywed couples for photo sessions. Sitting on the bank of the blue seaside and drinking ayran, Tülay said, “We don’t think of going abroad for holidays.” Of course, she was right. The hotel staff presented us with a complimentary fruit basket.
Turks are warm, hospitable and chatty people. Yusuf continued to fill our dining plates and shared his business plans, exporting olive oil products, especially soap and food products like cheese and baklava. I think traveling transforms one’s perceptions of others, facilitates businesses and enhances mutual ties.
On our return to Antakya, Tülay continued to brief us on the history of the Hatay region, its culture and its inhabitants. Türkiye is mainly an agricultural country, but now, the young generation prefers to reside in cities.
The Antakya expedition reassured me that Türkiye is a safe destination for travelers. We reached Antakya at 10 p.m. and decided to leave for Gaziantep the next morning.
On that night, I thought we humans cherished less and complained more. After all, I have seen happy people in a wrecked city whose determination was exemplary. As long as our determination is strong, nothing can break us. That is an accurate description of Antakyans.
