| The
Aegean city of İzmir is associated more with blue seas than snow,
yet not far away |
| the
mountain of Bozdağ generously shares the beauty of its snowy peaks
with winter |
| sports
enthusiasts. The ski resort was built two years ago on the mountain,
known for its |
| fertile
alpine pastures, flocks of partridges, and attractive stone houses.
Now, as well as |
| hikers
and nature lovers, the 2159 metre high summit welcomes skiers with
their bright |
| coloured
outfits and cheerful smiles as they speed down the ski slopes through
the white |
| winter
scenery. |
| |
| This
hospitable mountain lends its name to the Bozdağ range which stretches
for 120 km |
| between
the Gediz and Küçük Menderes rivers in the Aegean region. It is the
highest |
| peak
in the range, lying just to the east of the road which crosses the
range from Ödemiş |
| in
the south to Salihli in the north. This is a range of great geological
interest, composed |
| largely
of metamorphic rock such as marble and crystal schist. Bozdağ
enjoys equal |
| mythological
fame, which it owes to King Tmolos of Lydia. Tmolos, son of Ares,
was out |
| hunting
one day when he saw the water nymph Arriepe and fell in love with
her. Artemis, |
| goddess
of fertility and the soil, was angered that any mortal, whether king
or commoner, |
| should
have the temerity to fall in love with an immortal, and sent a fierce
bull to trample |
| him
to death. Tmolos's son buried his father on the summit of Bozdağ,
which thereafter |
| became
known as Tmolos. Moving on from myth to history, we find that from
the time of . |
| the
Turkish Aydınoğlu Principality, which became part of the Ottoman Empire
in 1426, |
| the
inhabitants of the nearby cities of Manisa and Birgi spent the hot
summer months on |
| the
cool pastures of Bozdağ and in the mountain village of Elma Bağı (formerly
Tekke), |
| which
was also a halting place for caravans and travellers crossing the
mountains. |
| |
| Sultan
Mehmed II (1451-1481), conqueror of Istanbul, who as crown prince
governed |
| Manisa,
is said to have spent his summers on Bozdağ, where he continued to
take |
| lessons
from his teacher Molla Gürani as well as less serious pursuits. Birgi,
once |
| capital
of the Aydınoğulları Principality, lies south of Bozdağ, and is a
fascinating town |
| with
many early Turkish monuments and traditional houses. If you have time
after visiting |
| Birgi,
you can explore the picturesque villages of the area along the winding
mountain |
| roads
on your way to Bozdağ, 17 km away. As you drive along you may see
a shepherd |
| following
his flocks, and pass hikers with backpacks out to enjoy the scenery
and fresh |
| mountain
air. Around almost every bend you catch sight of Bozdağ's summit with
its |
| glistening
white cap of snow and scarf of fluffy clouds. The large village of
Bozdağ, |
| whose
population is 3200, is the hub of this agricultural area where the
principal crops |
| are
potatoes, apples, cherries and sour cherries, and flocks of sheep
and goats produce |
| milk
used to make delicious local cheese. Walnuts and chestnuts are the
gift of the |
| mountain,
as are the wild flowers that lend fragrance to the superb honey. In
the shops |
| here
you can also find thyme, senna and many other herbs gathered in the
meadows. If |
| you
stop here for a meal, try the wonderful pide - thin bread spread with
various fillings |
| such
as cheese, and baked in an oven, and the speciality known as katmer,
a kind of |
| layered
pastry. |
| |
| There
is a small partridge and pheasant breeding farm in the village, and
the young |
| birds
are released into the wild every spring. Ancient planes, chestnuts,
ashes, willows |
| and
poplars surround the village. One of the prettiest spots in the vicinity
is Mermeroluk, |
| a
favourite picnic place and a base for university mountaineering club
expeditions. The |
| ski
resort at Büyük Çavdar is just 7 km east of here, and colourfully
dressed skiers can |
| be
discerned in the distance. Two hotels and bungalows provide accommodation
at the |
| resort,
which lies on the northeast flank of the mountain at a height of 1600
m. There are |
| two
ski lifts and one chair lift, the latter carrying passengers up the
ridge to a height of |
| 2000
metres, where there are two ski slopes, one 2300 and the other 2500
metres long. |
| For
less experienced skiers there are also two shorter slopes, 800 and
1000 metres in |
| length
respectively. In November, as soon as the temperature drops below
-3 degree |
| Centigrade,
the pistes are made ready with artificial snow. When you want
a break from |
| skiing
there is a cafeteria selling a wide range of drinks and snacks. |
| |
| Even
if you are not intending to ski, it is fun to take the chair lift
to just below the summit, |
| and
after a glass of hot tea in the summit café almost buried in the snow,
take a short |
| walk
along the ridge. Listening to the crunching of the snow beneath your
feet and |
| breathing
the cold bracing air of the summit, you will experience the white
flavour of life. |
| The
sights of Bozdağ do not end here. Before you leave you should visit
the mountain |
| pasture
known as Subatan Yayla and the lake of Gölcük. Subatan is a plateau
with a |
| wavy
surface created by the broad shallow valleys eroded by time which
cross it. It takes |
| its
name from a sink hole into which the numerous tiny streams plunge
underground. |
| Potato
fields and apple orchards cover this fertile plateau. |
| Lake
Gölcük is situated at 1049 metres and has an area of 1.5 square kilometres.
In |
| summer
people come here to picnic under the shade of the pine trees and enjoy
the |
| idyllic
view in the cool breeze. In winter you will find the lake deserted
but the silent white |
| and
scape is equally beautiful and unforgettable. |
| As
well as skiing, mountaineering, and trekking, cycling is another sport
which attracts |
| many
people to Bozdağ throughout the year. This hospitable mountain towering
over an |
| ancient
and lovely region has much to tell if you lend it your ear. |
