Detlef Heinzel - Turkey Lover and Traveler
- Written by Portal Editor
Detlef Heinzel - My great love affair with Turkey began in 2000. My first visit took me to the Turkish Riviera region, with initial excursions to Alanya, Side, and Manavgat.
The small town of Gazipaşa, located about 40 km east of Alanya, was my first holiday destination in Turkey. In Gazipaşa, a small town idyllically situated on the Mediterranean coast, time seemed to stand still.
Barely paved roads, predominantly old houses, the traditional vegetable market, the small artisan alleyways, and the large greenhouses with their fruit and vegetable cultivation.
The incredibly friendly people, the contrasting landscape with its rugged mountains, the stunning beaches, and the blue sea prompted me to visit Gazipaşa again the following year.
Since then, I have spent at least one year in Gazipaşa, which has become a second home for me and serves as a base for extensive self-organized excursions and tours with my two sons.
In 2001, we initially explored the region around Antalya, Kemer, Alanya, Anamur, and Kizkalesi. We also undertook more extensive tours. In 2002, we began our "exploration tours" with a trip to Cappadocia.
The approximately 2,500 km round trip took us first to Silifke and Mersin, then on to Cappadocia, and on the return journey via Issos and Yakacik (Payas) on the Gulf of Iskenderun back to Gazipaşa (Read more details here).
The following year, a shorter tour took us to Termessos, Pammukkale, Aphrodisias, and Nysa. In 2004, we visited good friends in Antalya and took excursions to Kemer, Olympos, and Phaselis. We also enjoyed an unforgettable evening at the opera in the ancient theater in Aspendos.
In 2005, we embarked on a tour that took us from Gazipaşa via Silifke and Mersin to Antakya, Nemrut Dag, Diyarbakır, Urfa, Mardin, and Harran. Our first stop was the Hattay region (Antochia) with its fantastic mosaic museum (read more details here). From Antakya, our journey continued to Katha (Nemrut) (read more details here), Urfa, Diyarbakır, Mardin, and Harran. On our return trip, we drove approximately 1,300 km from Mardin back to Gazipaşa with only a few stops.
In 2007 and 2009, we made further excursions to the Kizkalesi region. Our tour began in Silifke and led us into the territory of the forgotten priestly state of Olba, through the towns of Demircili, Uzuncaburç-Ura/Olba, Canbazli, Adamkayalar, Kanlidivane (Canytelis), Ayas, Mut, Göksu Valley, and Kizkalesi.
In 2008, we then undertook a multi-day trip with our friends Seher and Detlef along the Turkish west coast, via Myra, Kas, and Fethiye to Kaunos, and back via Pammukkale to Alanya and Gazipaşa.
In 2009, another unforgettable trip with our friends Seher and Detlef took us to Cappadocia (Göreme area). Unforgettable highlights included hikes in secluded valleys and visits to various churches untouched by tourism.
We also had the opportunity to take a hot air balloon ride over the unique landscape. Later in our vacation, we embarked on a multi-day tour of Kizkalesi and explored the surrounding area. For those interested in following my illustrated travelogues, I recommend my website (link below).
About the author Detlef Heinzel
The author, Detlef Heinzel, born in 1953, works as a bank clerk at a savings bank in the former East Germany. Since 2000, Detlef Heinzel has been a fan of Turkey and intends to spend a significant portion of his life there after his retirement.
Please also read:
Hattingen - Christmas market with historic old town silhouette
Silifke Seleukia - Ancient Ruins of the City on the Göksu Delta