Mustafapaşa is a town in Ürgüp district of Nevşehir Province in Cappadocia, Turkey. It is situated to the west of Gomeda valley. Its distance to Ürgüp is 5 kilometres and to Nevşehir is 27 kilometres. The population of Mustafapaşa was 1550 as of 2011.
Former name of Mustafapaşa during the Ottoman Empire era was Sinasos. It had a mixed population. Greeks and Karamanlides (Turkish speaking Christians) constituted the majority of the population and Muslim Turks constituted the rest. Although situated far from the seas Sinasos Greeks who temporarity migrated to İstanbul, were known to be the traders of seafood and especially caviare.
The small town had many elaborate houses by the wealth from Istanbul. In 1924 however by the population exchange between Greece and Turkey agreement, Greeks and Karamanlides left the town for Nea Sinasos a town in the northern part of the island of Euboea in Greece. They were replaced by Turks from Kastoria, a town in northern Greece. During the exchange years the town lost its former prosperity.
The town economy used to depend on agriculture. But the town is a part of Cappadocia, a touristic region of Turkey known for fairy chimneys and medieval rock carved churches. Now hotels are being built around the town and tourist activities are being developed. Many Greeks whose families originated in Sinasos regularly visit this town.
This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme.
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus (Greek: Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnisos), is a large peninsula, located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth. During the late Middle Ages and the Ottoman era, the peninsula was known as the Morea (Greek: Μωρέας, colloq. Μωριάς), a name still in colloquial use. It was here that the Greek War of Independence began; the Peloponnesians have had a dominance of politics and government in Greece since then.
The Corinth Canal (Greek: Διώρυγα της Κορίνθου) is a canal that connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek mainland, thus effectively making the former an island. The builders dug the canal through the Isthmus at sea level; no locks are employed. It is 6.4 kilometres in length and only 21.3 metres wide at its base, making it unpassable for most modern ships. It now has little economic importance.
Rich in its diversity of landscapes, alive with the variety of its flora and fauna, the Greek countryside is astoundingly beautiful – a place where the soaring peaks of craggy mountains sit juxtaposed against the lush softness of the rural landscape, which is set off y the sparkling sea, sometimes deep blue, at other times azure, clear and limpid. The small towns and villages with their terracotta roofs peeking through the lush green of the pine trees makes for picturesque settings where one may read Homer!
This post is part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Mandarin Orange meme.
On a recent trip to Perth, the sun was just right for some nice shots of the countryside as we were landing, but also it was fun chasing the shadow of our plane on the ground!
This post is part of the Shadow Shot Sunday meme.
During my recent trip to Tasmania, I had occasion to drive between Hobart and Launceston. The weather was perfect for a road trip and as someone else was driving, I tried my hand at shooting a few photos fromt eh rapidly moving car ont he highway. I must say that even though the conditions were not ideal - dirty car windows and sometimes bumpy road - I am quite pleased with my shots!
This post is part of the Weekly TopShot meme,
and also part of the Scenic Sunday meme.
Mount Etna, is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It lies above the convergent plate margin between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently standing 3,329 m high, though this varies with summit eruptions.
It is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 1,190 km2 with a basal circumference of 140 km. This makes it by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. Only Mount Teide in Tenerife surpasses it in the whole of the European-North-African region.
In Greek Mythology, the deadly monster Typhon was trapped under this mountain by Zeus, the god of the sky and thunder and god of gods and creator of mankind, and the forges of Hephaestus were said to also be located underneath it.
Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and the broad Plain of Catania to the south. Due to its history of recent activity and nearby population, Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations.
This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.
The field daisy, Bellis perennis, is the symbol of purity and
virginity, adoration and innocence. In the language of flowers, the daisy
speaks the words: “I share your sentiments”.
It is under the dominion of Venus and in the past bruised leaves were
applied to the testes to reduce swellings there! It is said, that Spring had not truly
arrived until one could step over 12 daisy blooms under one foot on a lawn
where they were growing...
This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.
Penny Royal Village is located in Launceston and is a tourism and accommodation complex. A visit to Penny Royal World is like stepping back into the 19th century. Its story is of Andrew Gatenby, an early pioneer of van Dieman's land, and his family. They arrived in 1823 and settled on land between Cressy and Ross on the Isis River, then known as Penny Royal Creek. They built their farmhouse and millhouse there.
Over the years the mill fell into disrepair and, rather than be demolished, the complex task of disassembling and relocating it to an old quarry in the centre of Launceston was carried out. The Penny Royal Gunpowder Mills provide the only complete set of working gunpowder mills in the world. Faithfully built, they depict colonial mills of the early 19th century. There are windmills, water mills, gunpowder mills and model boats.
The surrounding area offers quaint accommodation options, walks along the river gorge and plentiful boating opportunities on the river.
This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme,
and also the Things in a Row meme.
