Selected
JOURNEYS
"Travelling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller",
by Ibn Battuta.
Our journeys are bold and ambitious, and perhaps the flagship of this homepage.
Although we are also trekking and island nerds, our journeys are sorts of trailblazing travel expeditions which are unique, challenging and adventurous, and thus they epitomize our spirit within adventure.
Often, the regions, countries and places we visit during our journeys take on an exotic quality. What matters is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. Often, we might have to overcome a bit of hardship and logistical challenges since our journeys most often don’t run smoothly. This is all part of the fun.
In our view, a journey is something you would recommend to others. To us, what really matters, is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. We are not talking about the ultimate expedition, but to move away from the familiar, out of the comfort zone, where everyday situations and events take on an exotic quality.
Selected
JOURNEYS
"Travelling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller",
by Ibn Battuta.
Our journeys are bold and ambitious, and perhaps the flagship of this homepage.
Although we are also trekking and island nerds, our journeys are sorts of trailblazing travel expeditions which are unique, challenging and adventurous, and thus they epitomize our spirit within adventure.
Often, the regions, countries and places we visit during our journeys take on an exotic quality. What matters is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. Often, we might have to overcome a bit of hardship and logistical challenges since our journeys most often don’t run smoothly. This is all part of the fun.
In our view, a journey is something you would recommend to others. To us, what really matters, is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. We are not talking about the ultimate expedition, but to move away from the familiar, out of the comfort zone, where everyday situations and events take on an exotic quality.
Selected
JOURNEYS
"Travelling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller",
by Ibn Battuta.
Our journeys are bold and ambitious, and perhaps the flagship of this homepage.
Although we are also trekking and island nerds, our journeys are sorts of trailblazing travel expeditions which are unique, challenging and adventurous, and thus they epitomize our spirit within adventure.
Often, the regions, countries and places we visit during our journeys take on an exotic quality. What matters is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. Often, we might have to overcome a bit of hardship and logistical challenges since our journeys most often don’t run smoothly. This is all part of the fun.
In our view, a journey is something you would recommend to others. To us, what really matters, is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. We are not talking about the ultimate expedition, but to move away from the familiar, out of the comfort zone, where everyday situations and events take on an exotic quality.
Selected
JOURNEYS
"Travelling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller",
by Ibn Battuta.
Our journeys are bold and ambitious, and perhaps the flagship of this homepage.
Although we are also trekking and island nerds, our journeys are sorts of trailblazing travel expeditions which are unique, challenging and adventurous, and thus they epitomize our spirit within adventure.
Often, the regions, countries and places we visit during our journeys take on an exotic quality. What matters is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. Often, we might have to overcome a bit of hardship and logistical challenges since our journeys most often don’t run smoothly. This is all part of the fun.
In our view, a journey is something you would recommend to others. To us, what really matters, is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. We are not talking about the ultimate expedition, but to move away from the familiar, out of the comfort zone, where everyday situations and events take on an exotic quality.
Selected
JOURNEYS
"Travelling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller",
by Ibn Battuta.
Our journeys are bold and ambitious, and perhaps the flagship of this homepage.
Although we are also trekking and island nerds, our journeys are sorts of trailblazing travel expeditions which are unique, challenging and adventurous, and thus they epitomize our spirit within adventure.
Often, the regions, countries and places we visit during our journeys take on an exotic quality. What matters is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. Often, we might have to overcome a bit of hardship and logistical challenges since our journeys most often don’t run smoothly. This is all part of the fun.
In our view, a journey is something you would recommend to others. To us, what really matters, is to get away from the established routes and seek something that little bit more special and authentic. We are not talking about the ultimate expedition, but to move away from the familiar, out of the comfort zone, where everyday situations and events take on an exotic quality.
From Europe to the Himalayas along
THE HIPPY TRAIL
Part II
From Europe to the Himalayas along
THE HIPPY TRAIL
Part II
From Europe to the Himalayas along
THE HIPPY TRAIL
Part III
From Europe to the Himalayas along
THE HIPPY TRAIL
Part III
TravelTwins.dk
Exploring the less beaten paths of the world
- look, read, dream, travel!
The Middle East part I:
THE LEVANT
Part I covers the journey across the bleeding heart of the Levant - from Turkey over Syria and Lebanon and deep into the West Bank
Let’s admit it right away: when the Levant comes up, we are talking about a true love affair.
We have visited the Middle East many times on both short trips and longer journeys. This +5 month route follows parts of ancient trade networks that once carried frankincense, myrrh, spices from India, gold and exotic goods from Africa – routes that rivalled the Silk Road and shaped entire regions.
From our very first visits, we encountered experiences that challenged every stereotype. A simple “salaam alaikum” often led to long conversations in coffeehouses, games of backgammon, shared meals, and invitations into people’s homes, gestures we experienced repeatedly from Aleppo to Amman.
It is this warmth and hospitality that continues to define the region for us, and why we always encourage others to travel through the Levant.
A journey that changes how you see the Middle East.
Location: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon & Palestine / West Bank; the entire journey took +5 months
On this first leg of the journey, we travel from Turkey into Syria, Lebanon and finally the West Bank / Palestine, following a route that connects some of the most culturally significant cities in the Eastern Mediterranean. Throughout the journey, we experience a region where distances are short but histories are immense. From Turkish bazaars and Anatolian landscapes to Syrian cities, Lebanese coastlines and the sacred streets of Jerusalem, the Levant reveals itself as one continuous cultural and historical tapestry rather than separate countries.
Arriving at Istanbul Airport in spring, we travel across Turkey’s Western Anatolian plateau: Ödemiş, Tire, Kaplan, Birgi, etc., before pushing inland to the Pamukkale plain. We then travel south to Muğla and east to reach Turkey’s little-visited Lake District. After a few days here, we reach the Çukurova Plain on the border with Syria. Along the way, we visit some of the most remote parts of Central Anatolia, while enjoying the sights and sounds of timeless Turkish life. Turkey is easy-going to travel in, and most stopovers on our route to Syria are rewarded with friendly locals and excellent food. As it is springtime, the tourists have disappeared, and as we travel east, the energy rises due to the area’s proximity to the Kurdish regions and the Syrian border.
Crossing into Syria, we enter the heart of the Levant, exploring historic cities, markets and landscapes shaped by thousands of years of civilisation. It is not always easy to travel here. Logistics and language can be a barrier, but this can be handled through flexibility, patience and humour. From here, the journey continues into Lebanon, where Beirut, the coastal mountains and ancient sites such as Baalbek and Byblos reveal a country of intense contrasts between sea, mountains and history.
Further south, we continue into the West Bank / Palestine, where Jerusalem stands at the centre of the region’s religious and cultural complexity. Here we move through the Old City, including the Christian Quarter, Muslim Quarter and Jewish Quarter, with landmarks such as the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall, alongside the narrow alleyways, markets and everyday life that define the city.
Continue to Middle East part II for leg two on this journey.
More travel content near this region:
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Our Persia page covers a journey across classical Iran
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Our two Kurdistan pages covers the Kurdish provinces inside Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan
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We also climbed Damavand, the highest mountain in the Middle East.
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Our Iraq page covers a trip from Mosul in north to Basra in south
Selected pics from this journey:
(to see all photos, click Show More at the end of the gallery)
From Istanbul across Anatolia into Syria, Lebanon and Palestine / the West Bank.
Jakob is looking towards the gate to the Middle East: the Bosphorus strait. Istanbul is one of our favorite cities. We've been here +10 times on different journeys and occasions. It offers an unparalleled mix between European and Middle Eastern culture.
A great start of any journey is to gaze at the ornaments and beautiful interior of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. After a few hours around the old parts of Istanbul we found a roof top eatery and had shish kebab. The day ended with tea and hookah (water pibe) while seeing the sun set over the Bosperus strait. Insch'Allah, what a great day
We never miss out "dondurma", or Turish ice cream. Made of milk, sugar, "mastic" plant resins and "salep" flour from the tubers of orchid plants (Ottoman recipe), the delicious ice cream carries a lot of history and tradition. It is great for cooling of during the hot summer months.
Istanbul is an "archipelago of neighbourhoods" and it is fascinating to join the friday prayer while planning the onwards journey.
The plance of a one-great Anatolian kingdom. Except from a key hotspots and the Agean coast from Izmir to Antalya much of Turkey is delightfully remote and off-the-beaten track.
A good place to sleep over and stock up on dried fruit etc.
All across Turkey we would encounter that special countryside feeling. Inside all villages and semi-large towns farmers on tractors, goats and stray dogs criss-cross the streets while the locals are called to prayer from the abundance of mosques across the country. There is a very lively Saturday market in Ödemis, otherwise it is very low key.
Known for the religious intensity of its inhabitants, Tire has more than 30 ottoman mosques clustered inside the city and its backstreets. The picture is taken on a hiking tour into the Bozdagler Mountains above Tire.
Kaplan, sitting deep in the Bozdagler Mountains, hosts a good Tuesday market. There is also a pretty caravanseri nearby in the village of Tahtakale dating back to the 15th century.
Birgi is a very "undeveloped" village in the mountains - extremely pretty and fairytale-like. It has the feel of a quaint and an authentic Turkish village. The collection of authentic Ottoman houses in Birgi is astonishing! Birgi has a rich history thanks to its location along the famous Silk Road. Its name comes from the medieval Greek word Pyrgion, which means little tower. It has been home to Phrygian, Lydian, Persian, Pergamon, Roman, and Byzantine civilizations.
...which is popular with devout muslims whom come here to study, pray and find peace. There are several cozy private prayer rooms inside. A good place also to sit, relax and read a book - or even take a nap.
One of the finest historical houses in all of Turkey. This three-storey wooden house, completely covered in frescoes, was built in 1761 for Serif Aliaga, a wealthy local tradesman.
The problem with most open-air museums is that there is often a bit of an artificial feel to them; not so with Birgi. This is a lively place with friendly and welcoming people who make your stay all the more pleasant. No matter where you walk, you’re met with a smile, a hoşgeldiniz (welcome) or an invitation for tea. This is Turkey in its most pleasant form and shape.
A good place to stop for lunch or dinner. We drove during two days along the very remote way through the mountains from Ödemis over Aleshir, Buldan and Saraköt to the Pammukkale plain.
A vast market and a good place to walk around.
A mandatory stopover across the Western Anatolian plateau. We were the first to entre the shelves and pools as the site opened at 7.00 AM and had the site to ourselves for 90 minutes.
The travertines and natural ppols were discovered by the Romans centuries ago, which is why they build a large spa city, Hierapolis, to take advantage of the water's curative powers. Today, Hierapolis is a vast ancient site with lots to explore for history buffs.
In april, there are still snow on the mountains nearby.
All wants to visit Pamukkale, but all seem to miss out on the beautiful wooden mosques on the montains behind Pamukkale. Why? Because nobody will take you there and you will have to ask around and find the key master yourself. The mosques are closed to the public. With some stamina we pushed on and got inside both the mosque in Belenardıç and Yukari.
Around Denizli, we’d find quite a few villages that have modest looking mosques, until you go inside. These painted mosques are fascinating places to visit. Some of them are still in use; others aren’t, like the Yukarı Cami in Akköy, which is believed to have been built in the late 1800s.
One of the walls depicts a pair of scales. They symbolize the weighing of the soul if one dies. Depending on the result of the weighing, ones’ soul ends up in hell, which is represented by a cauldron filled with flames, or in heaven, reached by the steps surrounded by flowers. Next to the stairway to heaven is the image of Mecca and the Ka’aba.
We'd discover the same symbols as the ones we saw in Akköy in this mosque that dates back to 1884.
Wooden mosques are impressive buildings. They rarely look as if they are built out of wood from the outside, but once inside, it becomes obvious. The plastered walls of those mosques are built out of stone, the structure and supports are made out of wood, as is the carpet-covered floor. The Western wall of the mosque in Belenardıç was destroyed in an earthquake and has been restored, without the paintings. Just like the mosque in Akköy, the murals are everywhere.
From the Pammukale plain we drove south towards Mugla to explore this atmospheric city, visit one of the oldest hammams in Turkey and look for even more wooden mosques.
A beautiful and exotic city with an amazing historic old city of mazed alleys and a vast bazaar. Many of these Ottoman neighbourhoods had whitewashed houses and an array of tea gardens - cay bahcesi - filled with local shisha-smoking men and students.
The bazaar is jammed with artisans' shops, local vendors and small eateries. Local farmes come here to sell their local produce.