7 August, Doğubayazit
Öğretmenevi 66TL
This morning we visited the very beautiful
17th/18th century Ishak Paşa palace complex southeast of Doğubayazit and this afternoon I had a bath and
massage at a Turkish hamam for the first time in 30 years. The Ishak Paşa
palace was begun in the mid-1600s by a Kurdish chieftain and completed by his
son almost 100 years later. It is built on a small plateau below stark cliffs overlooking
the plain to which the citizens of old Doğubayazit moved
in 1937. The complex has been thoroughly renovated since I last visited; in
1984* one could still climb the minaret, but this is no longer possible. With
not a tourist in sight, I took a hot Turkish bath at a modern hamam near our
hotel, just a few fat elderly women and a gaggle of young girls in attendance.
After my bucket bath and rinse I sat steaming gently in the heated bath room while
the proprietor massaged my neck and shoulders. Afterwards, while I cooled down
in an outer room, I was served hot tea. All very relaxing, but nowhere near as
interesting as my first ever Turkish bath during which I was threatened with
... shaving (see weekly update).
*1984 diary: Tried to
organise a dolmuş up to the 17th century palace and mosque Ishak Paşa this
afternoon to no avail. Even tried to talk some English overlanders I had met
into going, but no luck. So paid 1000TL for a taksi in the end. Arrived just as
the palace attendant was mounting his horse to go home. He unlocked the gates
for us and I spent some time with my driver strolling through the mosque with
its painted dome and pigeon residents, climbing the striped minaret for an
excellent view of the ruins of the original Doğubayazit and the current town,
wandering through the library, the guardrooms and the harem with its lovely
fireplaces, and admiring the well-preserved reliefs.
Ishak Paşa
Ishak Paşa
Ishak Paşa
Ishak Paşa
Ishak Paşa