GEEO-UNC Turkey Trip, July 2024.
Photos by Melyn Roberson
This summer the UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies partnered with GEEO to send U.S.-based teachers to Turkey for 15 days. GEEO, alongside their partner, G Adventures, offered an educational 15-day journey through Turkey, exploring its rich multi-faith & multi-ethnic history, its diverse landscapes, and its vibrant cultural heritage. This group of seven teacher-travelers visited iconic sites in Istanbul, Anatolia, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean, such as the ancient cities of Cappadocia and Ephesus and the coastal towns of Kaş and Antalya. In each location, guided tours and educational discussions took place, where the group learned about Turkey’s historical significance and diverse cultural heritage.
The Center’s Associate Director, Dr. Micah Hughes, accompanied the group as a liaison and Turkey-expert to provide additional insight into how to incorporate this trip experience into classroom activities and pedagogy. Dr. Hughes reflected on his experience, saying: “I really learned so much from the teachers on this trip. Our long bus ride conversations frequently turned into fun and casual brainstorming sessions where we each reflected on pedagogical challenges and opportunities. I was inspired to hear how creative our group was at trying to incorporate what we learned on our trip into classroom exercises for the diverse needs and grade levels represented in the group. Additionally, our tour guide, Hazal Öztetikler, was top notch! She really went out of her way to meet the needs and interests of the group. She was also incredibly knowledgeable, with expertise in Turkey’s ancient past and the multiple civilizations and empires that have called Turkey home.”
The Itinerary:
The GEEO-UNC Turkey trip began in Istanbul, with a short orientation tour around the Sultanahmet-Eminönü area. After a brief stay in Istanbul, we headed to Bolu, a quiet town surrounded by forests, where they stayed for one night in order to break up the long drive to Cappadocia. After a brief stopover in Ankara to visit Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s Mausoleum (Anıtkabir), where we saw a changing of the guard, the group arrived in Cappadocia, where we visited the Göreme Open Air Museum, with its ancient rock-cut churches and vibrant frescoes. Our guide surprised us with a morning hike; we saw ancient cave churches, rock dwellings, and valleys filled with ripe plum and apricot trees. Some of us ventured into one of the underground cities, exploring winding passages with narrow walls. On the way to our homestay in a village outside of Konya, we visited the neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük. We toured the archeological remains and then explored the dwelling re-creations and new, interactive museum.
One of the most memorable parts of the trip was the night spent in a rural village near Konya. We had dinner with a local family, and they cooked us dinner from meat they had saved from the recent Islamic holiday of sacrifice, or as it is known in Turkish. Kurban Bayramı (Arabic: Eid al-Adha). As we walked around the village of Güneysinir, a group on young locals followed us and soon became our guides around town. We rounded out our walk with a nice tea in the town center, and the teachers got to ask the young elementary aged students-turned-tourguides questions about their favorite subjects in school.
The tour through Antalya and the Mediterranean coast offered a wonderful change of pace. We spent one afternoon on the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, passing by sunken cities and swimming in crystal-clear coves. We then made our way to Kaş to relax for a day at the beach before heading inland again. Next, we were off to Pamukkale to see the surreal white terraces of travertine, or crystalized calcium carbonate. We explored the haunting, ancient necropolis of Hierapolis with its overlapping histories of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ephesus, too, revealed layers of history now preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Our final days took us to the famous ruins of Troy and the battlefields of Gallipoli. Standing in ANZAC Cove, we discussed Turkey’s modern, national history and its contemporary modes of commemoration. By the time we returned to Istanbul, our group had bonded on a love of learning about the world, ancient and modern, and a desire to share this experience with our communities.
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In the words of Melyn Roberson, a high school Spanish teacher from Atlanta, Georgia:
The adventure to Turkey with GEEO was in a word-unbelievable. It began with genuine curiosity and an open mind. It concluded with incredible memories and images of the people, a huge diversity of landscapes, new flavors from foods I still cannot spell or pronounce but loved, traditions that piqued my curiosity, monuments to events and heroes, evidence of civilizations that I didn’t even know existed, musical sounds that I enjoyed and a country that is a must to visit to understand the world. The fact is that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I learned from our site visits and guides but also from asking questions, observing daily life in a home, through a window on a bus, from a boat on the Mediterranean, taking walks in each town, exploring in each destination, riding a ferry, climbing rocks, and enjoying sunset from a rooftop restaurant in Istanbul. This trip had absolutely everything and then more! As an educator, I dove into the role of student and tried to learn as much as I could for myself and then to share with my community. I returned to the new school year with a renewed spirit, a refreshed mind and a thirst to know about the world.
A reflection from Erika Tornberg, an elementary school social studies teacher from Tucson, Arizona:
I do not think I can accurately express what an amazing experience I had this summer with GEEO and UNC trip to Turkey! It was more than I could even imagine.
First, I had never been out of the country…so for me this was a whole new experience. And I was going by myself! So, this was a first on many different levels. And in all honesty, I had no idea what to expect. I arrived in Istanbul 2 days before the actual trip. The first day I went out and about and was instantly immersed in the rich culture. I thought to myself, if this is me on my own, I can’t wait to see what GEEO has in store for us. They didn’t disappoint.
Our guide, Hazal, was absolutely amazing! She gave us so much information about the area and history everywhere we went. And as this is the subject I teach (and love to learn about on my own) I was like a sponge, grabbing all the information I could. I was able to keep a vlog through Instagram to help me remember, and have since implemented much of what I learned on this trip in my classroom and lessons.
Of all the places we visited, my favorite was our visit to Çatalhöyük. This is always one of my favorite areas to teach, but being there, I couldn’t believe that I was living in the moment, completely immersed in its history… [I was] thinking how incredibly lucky I am to be able to experience this all. We got to see models of the homes and artifacts found at the actual dig. And of course, we got to visit the dig site. I cannot tell you in words how important this experience has become to me.
Since this trip, I am now confident in myself to be able to travel more, with family, friends, or by myself. I am already saving for my next GEEO adventure, and am already planning other trips that I never thought I would take. GEEO definitely made everything so much easier with having everything planned out so well–I’ve become super spoiled after my first trip!
When I talk to people about my trip, I tell them it was absolutely incredible. I got to try new food, meet new people and learn about a culture in such a unique and first hand, awe-inspiring way, how could I not have had the most wonderful time! I always end with, “I got to swim in the Mediterranean Sea, y’all!” How many people can say that?
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If you’re interested in joining us this next year, stay tuned to UNC’s Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies for updates on Summer 2025 opportunities!