Marash, Kahramanmaras Province

Marash was a captive one; there was no way to escape from those gigantic mountains surrounding it, almost double the height and width of the Cordillera’s Sierra Madre. Along our way to Marash were old, beautiful little towns, like a jewel that shines like gold from afar.

We went directly to a dinner hosted by a group of young businessmen. As expected, the food was awesome: all my favorites on a table, kebabs, ayran yogurt drinks, veggie salads and a lot more. A sudden moment when my friend Tani asked one of the guys, “Do you know Yilmaz Bektaz?” He was clueless, and asked the group, who were also curious about who this infamous Yilmaz. They googled Yilmaz Bektaz, and they altogether giggled with laughter. As written in Turkish Wikipedia, Yilmaz Bektaz a famous Turk in the Philippines, and the first question a Filipino asks a Turk national is, “Do you know Yilmaz Bektaz?” Yilmaz should thank Ruffa Guttierez for landing his name to Wikipedia.

Marash is an historical city that whenever you encounter a place called Germanikeia during the Roman and Byzantine ages in world literature, it is Marash today. The Ummayad Caliph Muawiyah of Islamic history and Alexander the Great of world history once ruled the city.

Marash was able to preserve the ancient town; its old adobe houses, the ancient walls, forts and markets were still regular sightings. And at the same time, they were able to reinvent the city in a modern, stylish way. Marash is now filled with branded and local shops, decorated with inviting lights at night that make their new streets glamorous.

People from all over the world visit Marash for its unconventional ice cream, or dondurma. They are selling it like a kebab on hooks, without melting. It is the ice cream that you bite, served on a plate like a piece of cake.

But there was an intriguing thing that caught my attention. Distinctive leather summer shoes are on sale like the Marash ice cream in every shop. It’s the Harry Potter shoes! I thought it was a joke. It’s a Yemeni shoe that Armenians and Turks from the old days used to wear during the summer. Shoes used in Harry Potter movies were Yemeni, made in Gaziantep, a city near Marash.

The locals were amazing people. I was deeply touched by our host, who showed us his utmost care. I am forever grateful to Dr Murat Ozdemir and to his family. Language has never been a barrier; they talked with sincerity and with all truthfulness, even for kids. There were random kids who told us to take always care and may we have all the strength and goodness in our travels and in everything we do. Man, their kids talked like grownups.

   With Dr Ozdemir and his family. The Harry Potter shoe Marash ice cream     The Ulu Cami or Great Mosque minaret built in 1502 walking serious around down town Marash LOL

     one of the many adobe houses along Marash streets

Some of the amazing photos are from my good friends Tani and Nash.