Weddings, Castles and Carpets! OH MY!

What better way to get to know Turkey then to step into an exciting event in a Turks life?

Today Michael, Anne and I went to a wedding in the park.

A Turkish wedding ceremony is very different from any ceremony that I have witnessed in America.

The ceremony takes a total of 10 (on) minutes.  The bride and groom drove up in a go cart/limo, because of the location, together and went into the government building where about 75 guests waited.  They sat at a table (masa) with a government ambassador (call her GA for short), maid of honor and man of honor.  The GA stated that they were there for a marriage and asked if they wanted to be married for the right reasons.  Bride and Groom both stated "Evet!" (yes) Then the room was asked if there were any objections to those statements. No one answered but one man in the audience yelled "Evet dediler mi?" (Did they say yes?)  The bride and groom then signed their marriage license, took a photo and left the room.  During the ceremony, no one was silent.  People were talking among themselves and laughing cheerfully.  In the next room, everyone lined up to greet the bridegroom.  The bride then had a red sash put around her waist and a white sash around her neck and the groom had a sash around his.  The people in the lines then went to them and attached their token, gold, coins, liras, and dollars.

Michael and I both had different ideas of how we should dress for a wedding.  Guess who was right!

Him.

So I decided to hide my shame (ayip) and red lipstick in a tree.

I said in a different post that the weather changes dramatically through out the day.  This morning, for instance, was about 70 degrees F, by 11 (on bir) it was 95 degrees F and by 5 (beS) it was down to 80 degrees F and now that the sun is down, it is easily around 65 degrees F.
With this being said, the wedding was at the hottest point of the day and I never realized how exhausting it is to be in the dry heat with little access to air conditioning.  (my access being stores)

I'll admit.  I took a few naps.

Then when it cooled down, Michael and I took two buses all the way up the mountains to Kadifekale to see a castle!

If there is something I love it is old buildings and ruins that are fading away.

We climbed the staircases, walked with the sheep and goats, and checked out the amazing views.  While we were leaving we stopped by the mini marketplace that was set up and I was fascinated by a woman who was making a rug.  She was kind enough to let us take photos, which Michael could not resist doing (since he is a master photographer from Kodak :P )

We also wanted to learn some history about the site.  We found, what appeared to be, a huge hole in the ground.  Upon investigation (add monocle) we found out that this hole used to be a church.  When it was no longer used for its original purpose, it was used as a way to store water.  The water would be held there and later they made a way for it to travel to Agora, down the mountain.  I have been to Agora before but I didn't know much about it.  Michael and I will be heading back to that old city soon!

The view from on top of the castle.  Notice the Ferris wheel in the middle?  That is called the center of Izmir.  

I was a little too sheepish to get any closer to them... bah ha ha
(double joke fail)

A part of the castle walls from above.

The kind woman who let us photograph her.

The underground church that was later used to store water (Su).

That's all for today.  I'm exhausted.  Time to eat whatever that delicious looking dessert is that Anne made. 

YUM.