Killing time in Kars
Trip Start
Apr 23, 2011
1
14
54
Trip End
Dec 15, 2011
Kars, Kars, Turkey
Saturday, May 14, 2011
We were at the consulate early on the next morning. All went well and we would have our visa in three days "Monday-Friday". We decided to slow down to rest and digest what we had seen so far. We booked into a cheap hotel to wait out the days. After 14 hours of sleep we opened up to the city and it opened up to us. Meeting a local Kurdish politician who spoke fluent German opened our eyes to the political situation here. With 27 days till the election and campaign waggons blairing inspirational music in the streets, we could feel the tensions rising. In Kars alone, a predominantly Kurdish city, four dissidents were recently arrested presumably for speaking out for Kurdish rights. We were invitation to meet their member of parliament, a woman. She explained to us that they are currently fighting for the right to speak their own language and the title Kurdish in their passport. The Kurdish question is highly complex. We are keen to learn more about their history and follow their progress.
Turkey certainly has some political problems to solve: There are also tensions with their eastern neighbour, Armenia. Why else would they erect a memorial for the Armenians killed in the 1920s at a cost of two million Euros only to deconstruct it a few years later. Total deconstruction cost currently stands at 300 000 Euros but as you can see from the photos it is still standing. We certainly saw areas in Kars where the money could have been better spent.
We when we visited the ancient city of Ani we noticed that the mosques were being restored and the christian churches left to crumble. On the silk route traders would have crossed a bridge of the big gorge to Ani. This gorge is now the border to Armenia. We could look but not cross.
Side note: Stefan had close encounters with three snakes in half a day.
