One Halim Salim (HS) took a trip to Rumeli (Thrace) and Anatolia in
1892. He began his journey in Istanbul at the end of March, taking
the train to Dedeağaç (today's Alexandropolis in Greece). He had to
change trains in Kulelibergos, east of Dimetoka, to get the right one
for Dedeağaç:
"It was approaching dawn and the sky was as clean and clear as the
deep blue sea. I heard the roosters crow as the train stopped all of a
sudden. Since this was my first trip to Rumeli I didn't really know
where I was going so I asked a fellow traveler, who informed me that
'This is Kulelibergos. Since you're going elsewhere you have to
catch a different train here.'"
Map of the Rumeli Railroad around HS's time.
Istanbul is the dark spot at right-center. The rail
line diverges in the center of the map at
Kulelibergos, with one line going north to Edirne
and Bulgaria, while the southern branch goes to
Dedeağaç.
HS toured some of Dedeağaç's schools with a relative and marveled
at the students' command of French and the diversity reflected by
the Armenian, Greek, Jewish and Turkish student body. He also sat
in on an Ottoman history class:
"We happened to come in during the history lesson, which was about
Süleyman Shah, the father of Ertuğrul Gazi (who was Ottoman founder
Osman's father). The teacher asked the student at the blackboard why
Süleyman Shah bin Kaya Alp had left 'Maveraünnehir' (Transoxiana)
and headed toward Anatolia and the relationship between the Selçuk
dynasty and the Ottoman Empire. The student provided excellent
responses."
another Ottoman's tour in 1889 click here for
the story of a journey from Baghdad to Istanbul
in 1889, which passes by the grave of Süleyman
Shah on the Euphrates River in today's Syria.
After a few days in Dedeağaç, HS took a sailboat to İnöz (today's Enes
on the Meriç River border between Greece and Turkey), but getting
there was a maritime adventure:
"Travel between Dedeağaç and İnöz (Enes) is via the water, specifically
sailboats. I boarded one at three-thirty in the afternoon, along with a
few other passengers. We lost sight of Dedeağaç and the weather
began to deteriorate, putting the fear of God in all of us. With the force
of the waves the sailboat would head for the sky and then for the depths.
Nevertheless, our captain used the wind to keep our speed apace."
"At six o'clock we reached the point where the Meriç River joins the
sea, creating a foaming focal point. Our sailboat was captured by the
Meriç's current so we could not reduce speed and we began to be
pulled back to where we had come from, as the current dragged
us in that direction. The crew struggled mightily with oars but
fighting the Meriç's current proved to be extremely difficult."
"Our crew prevailed, though, and İnöz came into view. We managed
to escape the current and take calmer refuge in the shore waters,
although we grounded twice, but easily freed the boat. Finally, at
ten-thirty we reached the modest İnöz pier."
HS spent two days touring in İnöz, admiring its historical Greek
fortress, in particular, and the mosque built inside of it by Sultan
Mehmed the Conqueror. Nevertheless, HS had this to say about
the air quality:
"The sand and mud that the Meriç brings downstream to this place
has created a swamp covered by reeds and rushes. Since this swamp
is near to the town, the air is disturbed, creating a 'rotten egg' smell
all around. In addition, the mosquitos are voracious. In the event
that the swamp can be purified and a ferry line is established with
Dedeağaç, then İnöz can return to its earlier commercial glory by
means of improved transportation."
After returning to Dedeağaç, HS just barely caught a ferry to Izmir.
END of PART ONE
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