[Mahigeer]

TURKIYE TRIP 09/01/2023

Note: This report is more than just "look what I caught" report. Type of travel, family history, etc. report.
I hope it is informative as well.


After a 10-year period, I wanted to visit Istanbul, Turkiye once again. As a background information following may help to understand why a Persian born in Tehran, Iran wants to visit Istanbul, Turkiye?

My grandfather (Haji Hashim) migrated from Azerbaijan state in Iran (pronounced E run) to Istanbul, Turkiye before my dad was born. Thus, my dad along with his sisters and one older brother were born and grew up in Istanbul. My GF was too proud to become a Turkish citizen, so his family was considered Iranian. My dad who loved living in America, tried to migrate to USA at 19 years old, but was not allowed. Then he moves to Tehran, Iran and marries my mom. Me and two older brothers were born and raised in Tehran, Iran. However, every year or every other year we would travel to Istanbul in summer via bus and then a train to visit my father side of the family. We would be treated like Sultan and his family. I have a lot of great memories from that time.

When I was 16 years old (1967), I went to Istanbul and finished high school in Istanbul. The best three years of my life/youth was spent in Istanbul.

On October 20th, 1970 (which I celebrate) I entered LAX. I have been back to Turkiye several times, but not Iran. But, that is story for another time.

Anyhow, the purpose of the trip was to visit my dads' final resting place in an Iranian cemetery in Istanbul, visit my father side of relatives, visit my old stomping grounds such as high school, where I lived and some nostalgic locations as well as places that I had not seen before. In that order.

More than you wanted to know, but I hope it helps to set the mood.


Here is the report:

1-Wating at the gate for my flight to Munich, Germany. Then to Bodrum, Turkiye.





I spent the first week in Bodrum which it has become a very popular location to visit.
A very close friends who live in Los Angeles have a summer townhouse there. I did the same 10 years ago.


2-Our view from the townhouse in Bodrum.

I tried casting some lures from the small pier there, but no takers. Later I used mask and snorkel and saw some fish including mullets.



3-Amazing how these natural holes are so symmetric.





4-Sample of a Turkish breakfast in a garden setting.


After the week, I flew to Istanbul to stay for a month.



5-When I lived in Istanbul; every day I would take a trip on a similar ferry to cross the Straight of Bosphorus.
It connects the Black Sea to Sea of Marmara, to go from home to school and back.
From Asia to Europe in half an hr. A very leisurely trip.




6-Galata Bridge on the European side. One of the most famous bridges in Istanbul as well as Turkiye.




7-An angler fishing on the bridge.



8-The catch of one angler, Horse Mackerel. I used to catch much bigger ones before.
About the size of our more common Spanish/Jack Mackerel. They sell it on the bridge.




9-One of the many fish markets in Istanbul.


To see the price in US Dollars, divide the shown number by 27. The rate while I was there.



10-A Red Gurnard called Kirlangich in Turkish caught by an angler using cut bait.




I decided to go fishing on the Asian side and took a taxi. We looked for where anglers were and I got out.

11-You can just park for free and start casting. How great is that?
I did not see any parking meters anywhere.




12-Some anglers were casting far as I was at the beginning, then when they saw I was dropping the rig and pulling string full of fish,
they stopped casting.




13-Though I did not count, but a lot of Horse Mackerel were caught.



Notice the lack of any railing.



14-Only touristic locations had railing for protection.




15-A Turkish version of pier cart. I should have bought a cheap cart to haul my fishing backpack which weighed about 17 lbs.
Because of the convenience of riding taxi, I used them a lot. The US Dollar to Turkish Lira exchange made it very reasonable.
Besides, at my age my body is more important than money.




16-If you go to the end of the picture and make a left, you will end up in Black Sea. Across the water is the European side.




17-This time was the last time that I fished on the Straight of Bosphorus. On the Asian side.




18-While casting for Horse Mackerel called Stavrit in Turkish, I caught a Needle fish looking fish called Zargana in Turkish.

A great bait to use for catching big Blue Fish. The Blue Fish in Turkish has different names depending on it size.


19-A Mullet called Kefal in Turkish was caught using a rig called Cypress rig and bread by this angler. On the Asian side.




20-This picture taken from a cruise boat while doing a 2 hrs. tour of the Straight of Bosphorus.
It is where I fished on the European side before.




I did a lot of walking and checked out the surf for fishing.

21-The slanted rock pile made it impossible to fish from. Hard to set my stuff and if I fished from the flat part, it would surely snag on
the slanted rocks below it.




Important part of my trip was to visit my old stomping grounds.

22-It is said ?you can never go home again?. A three-level apartment that I used
to live in has been demolished and this monstrosity has been built in its place.

Land is very valuable in Istanbul proper.




23-The third place where I lived before coming to America is now a men's hair salon.




24-This tea garden is still there, where me and classmates used to study for exams. I would help them with physics and mat, they
would help me with Turkish language and literature.




25-Guess who is famous over there too?




26-I made friends with this brigade while they were fighting a restaurant kitchen fire on the famous Galata bridge. I was fishing there.





27-My daughter is married to a fire fighting family, so later I visited the fire station the firefighters.
They offered me tea and Turkish coffee.




28-They invited me to be in the picture and I did, but I did not get a chance to give someone else my camera.




29-My technical high school which is scheduled for demolition and rebuilding.




30- I met the new principal and he was amazed that a 1970 graduate would come back to visit his school. We had tea and he had his
staff come and have tea with me. We talked about the past.




31-I had told him that I worked at a Toyota dealership at one time, so he had the instructor for the Toyota sponsored
shop to give me tour.

The students took a short pause while I saw the shop.




32-More fish market picture.






33-These lug worm looking worms were taken from the rocks by local angler.




34-I was at an entrance of a river from the sea looking for Mullets. Saw some, and used the Cypress rig and bread, but no takers.




35-Saw a lonely kayaker come in to the river, then go out.




36-The bread rigged with cypress rig. Lots of baby mullets at a different time and location.




37-I caught a small one using it.





38-The most famous, or popular food in Middle East? Doner in Turkish, which means--it turns. Shawarma in Arabic and Hebrew
and Gyros (pronounced you ros) in Greek languages. I recently discovered the Spanish version of it.
It is made with pork meat. Called Taco El Pastor. Spicy and delicious.
Other countries use ground meat, sliced meat or chicken. No pork due to religious prohibition.




39-Inside of the Sultan's Harem.



40-Ceiling of the same.




41-Lots of nice beaches for public to use.




This trip was a mixture of many happy days as well as some awful ones. The lack of respect for traffic laws and the way Istanbul was
built makes visiting there very stressful.
At my age, traveling with several stops make it even harder.
More than likely it was my last try. We'll see.

THE END