25 August 2020 | Medium
The eighth largest city in Turkey boasts the world’s first human civilization, along with an eclectic mix of mythology, monotheism, and warrior Amazons. It’s a hidden treasure for experienced travelers.
Amazon Queen Melanippe in Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
Entering the UFO-shaped Haleplibahçe (“Garden of Aleppo”) Mosaic Museum in the southeast Turkish city of Şanlıurfa (pronounced “shan-lee-uhr-fah”), one is immediately struck by an expansive canvas of Wonder Woman.
That is, the original Wonder Woman — Amazon Queen Melanippe of Şanlıurfa.
For the experienced traveler, Şanlıurfa is a treasure trove of history speaking directly to our contemporary culture. The opportunity to visit this undiscovered city arose from a special tour organized by the Ministry of Tourism in December 2019. The tour included Turkish artists who were hired to create authentic souvenirs from the region.
In Greek and Roman mythology, the Amazons were a tribe of warrior women believed to have lived in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), who established Lycia (modern day Likya in Antalya, Turkey). In the most famous mosaic in Haleplibahçe Museum, Queen Melanippe is on an epic hunt alongside her fellow Amazons Hippolite, Thermodosa and Penthesileia, bringing down exotic and ferocious animals, including lions, a leopard and an ostrich. A dark, deep stain stretching across tiles of mosaic on the floor was correctly identified as “leopard blood” by one of the Turkish artists.
Mosaic of Amazon Queens hunting exotic animals, including leopard bloood. Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
The Amazon mosaic found in Şanlıurfa, Turkey is the only known mosaic in the world to depict these Amazon warriors together — fierce women frequently cited in mythology, whose exact origins are unknown. It is said the Amazons challenged such mythological warriors as Hercules, Theseus, and Achilles. According to mythological lore, Amazon Queen Melanippe was involved in one of the Twelve Labors of Hercules, who sought to redeem himself as a noble warrior.
This could be the reason why the Queen, with her fellow Amazons, resides in immortal repose alongside mosaics of Hercules, Jesus, Achilles, the Greek God of the Lyre, Orpheus[1] and an African slave leading a zebra. The Greek figure Ktisis, enrobed in gold, who personifies the act of generous donation or foundation, lies in the middle of the Haleplibahçe Museum floor. She is a fitting symbol of the gift that these mosaics are to humanity.
The Şanlıurfa province of Turkey (known as “Edessa” on the Silk Road of the Roman Empire) was a rich breeding ground for intermingling pagan, monotheistic and mythological beliefs. These mosaics reflect the period in breathtaking art; a canvas for interpretation of diverse beliefs adorned with sophisticated prose in Greek, Latin and Syriac script.
Entering the Haleplibahçe Museum, you are struck by the image of Queen Melanippe, riding horseback and bare-breasted while brandishing a javelin. Only a few steps away from her is a serene mosaic of Jesus, the Son of God in Christianity and Prophet of Islam, alongside a series of mosaics depicting the epic life of Achilles, whose mother Thetis dips him in a pool of immortality — missing his famous ankle.
Thetis, mother of Achilles, dips the hero as a baby into an immortal bath, missing his famous ankle. Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
In contemporary culture, the intersectional feminist movement has focused on the diversity of experiences being a woman, and entertainment has reflected examples of strong women leaders competing with or dominating men — notably the Wonder Woman (2017) franchise starring Gal Gadot, with WW84 set to be released in October 2020, and The Old Guard (2020), starring Charlize Theron as the character of “Andy”, short for Andromache — an Amazon who fought Hercules.
The conglomeration of faiths and eclectic imagery in Şanlıurfa is enough to captivate the imagination of scholars and tourists alike, yet nearby Göbekli Tepe has truly created a stir.
Göbekli Tepe, meaning “belly hill”, is a prominent mound rising from the Fertile Crescent — and it is pregnant with the mystery of human history.
“Archaeologists could dig here for another 50 years and barely scratch the surface,” said famed archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, who is credited with the discovery of the ancient site. It was originally dismissed as a medieval cemetery by archaeologists in the 1960s.
Göbekli Tepe is home to the world’s oldest human civilization, proving people first organized to celebrate faith, instead of practice agriculture. Much of the site remains a mystery, but the treasures which have been unearthed thus far have forever altered the human narrative.
In 2018, Göbekli Tepe was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It predates Stonehenge by about 6,000 years, and is the inspiration behind a popular Netflix series which premiered in Turkey at the end of 2019 — which was designated “The Year of Göbekli Tepe” by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism. Atiye, or “The Gift”, follows a female protagonist through a personal journey as she discovers universal secrets about the site and its link to her past.
Similarly, the reason the site triggers such fascination with us today is its link to our collective past: The prehistoric people who established Göbekli Tepe had yet to develop sophisticated metal tools or pottery. Yet the 10-ton, 16-foot tall[2] T-shaped obelisks at the site are meticulously arranged in a circular pattern depicting humans, animals and nature, and were successively visited over thousands of years to pay homage to the divine. The two largest monuments at the center of Göbekli Tepe are believed to be a man and woman, facing one another at equal height.
Conveniently located next to Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum are ancient Roman Baths still under excavation, as well as a stunning Archaeology Museum. The Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum has an impressive plaza entrance flanked by Roman sarcophagi, and a sky-high marble façade surrounded by a verdant public park. The museum is toured chronologically from the prehistoric age to the present, and houses a replica of the world’s oldest statue, the “Urfa Man”, who captivates the viewer with his Obsidian eyes.
“Urfa Man” with obsidian eyes, replica of the world’s oldest statue of man. Archaeology Museum, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
The museum also features a rare depiction of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, with her navel exposed. The only other statue of the goddess in such a manner was created centuries later, and is currently housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. One wonders if there is a connection between Nike’s belly and “belly hill”, Göbekli Tepe — perhaps symbolizing the birth of our triumphant human spirit.
In the rich symbolism of man and woman; gods and goddesses in Şanlıurfa, equality, strength and beauty are a timeless theme.
Before leaving Şanlıurfa, visits to local shops and restaurants are in order. Outside the Archaeology Museum are a chain of local stores selling handmade souvenirs and spices (try isot, a dark local pepper put on everything, from kebabs to soups to salads). The Şanlıurfa women’s collective, which sells handmade art created by Turkish and Syrian women, is an affordable way to support the local community. A unique souvenir to take home is black rose cologne, with real black rose extract from nearby Halfeti Lake — the only place in the world with naturally growing black roses, due to the high nitrogen content of the soil.
Another lake to visit in Şanlıurfa is Balıklıgöl, or “Lake of Fish”, significant to all three monotheistic faiths in the story of Abraham. It is said when King Nimrod sentenced Abraham to be tossed onto a pit of fire, the fire miraculously transformed into water, and the firewood into fish. The fish that exist in Balıklıgöl today are under special protected status, and meandering locals feed them daily.
Feed yourself before leaving this captivating region — with şıllık(pronounced “shih-luk”), a coyly named dessert (meaning “b*tch”), quite similar to baklava. It is a soft, spongy crepe (rather than flaky pastry) filled with walnut, pistachio, local ghee and sherbet syrup. Although it is softer than baklava, it packs a stronger and more flavorful punch.
Şıllık is a fitting finish to a stunning adventure — something Wonder Woman might have enjoyed; a sweet treat after a day spent hunting alongside her fellow Amazons on the hills of Göbekli Tepe.
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[1] The “Orpheus Mosaic”, was returned to Şanlıurfa in 2015 by the Dallas Arts Museum.
[2] On average; the obelisks vary in weight and height.