Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the puppets are in shadow rather
than in full view. The storylines
tend to be humorous with a
strong dose of satire so be sure
the story and the antics of the
characters are suitable for the ages
of your children. Karagöz origi-
nated as a form of entertainment
in Ottoman times, and can now
be seen throughout Turkey. In the
Marmara region, look out for the
shows at various venues, especially
in Bursa where a monument to
Karagöz is located, and head for
Karagöz Antikaci (
b
+90 224 220
53 50
), an antique shop in Eski
Aynali Çarsi in Bursa's covered
bazaar, which has a collection of
old puppets on display.
Turkish shadow puppets
Towns & Cities
Balikesir
head out to the shores of
Lake
Manyas
on the outskirts of the
city where the important bird
sanctuary, the
Ku@ Cenneti
National Park
(see p. 101),
can be found.
Balikesir lies close to what is
regarded as the Marmara region's
border area with the Aegean
region. To its north is the town
of
Gönen
, where you can enjoy
the hot thermal springs that
come from, it is believed, 500m
underground. The town is con-
sidered to be Turkey's most
important thermal resort. Just
north, too, is the important
commercial port of
Bandirma
.
The port is the largest in the Sea
of Marmara after Istanbul.
Balikesir offers mainly historical
buildings for its visitors to see,
including its 15th-century
Yildirim Mosque
and
Zagnos
Pa@a Mosque
, its
Saat Kulesi
clocktower
and its
Karesi Bey
Mausoleum
, but younger mem-
bers of the family may prefer to
Bilecik
The town of Bilecik is known
for the commemorative festival
held every September to Seyh
Edebali (1206-1326), a leading
figure of the town who was
instrumental in the founding of
the Ottoman Empire. His
mau-
soleum
stands in the old quarter
of the city, not far from another
major landmark, the
Orham
Gazi Mosque
, in the Ertu
g
rul
Gazi complex. This is a particu-
larly pretty part of the region,
standing as it does in the Sakarya
River Valley. You and your family
91
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