Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Ordu; A Hidden Paradise in Turkey!

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Ordu; A Hidden Paradise in Turkey!

In last few years, we witnessed an unbelievable increase in the wealth of some Afghans. This huge amount of money was then invested outside the country for buying houses or property. Some of them bought properties in Dubai and some other European countries but later on, Turkey became their favorite destination. Due to this, thousands of Afghans are living in Turkey or have obtained the long-term stay permits. Many of them have applied for Turkish citizenship as well and their cases are in progress while many others were able to obtain Turkish passport as well.

Turkey is an ideal place for them due to a number of reasons. First, it is an Islamic country and Afghans are much sentimental and concerned about their religious beliefs. Some of them could have moved to European countries but they feared that their coming generations might lose their religious beliefs and cultural values. Secondly, there is much resemblance between the cultures and social norms of the people of two countries. Afghans are able to learn Turkish in the least time possible due to the similarities between the two languages. In the same way, Afghans are given much love due to historic events when Afghans showed their solidarity with Turks in WW1. In the same way, large numbers of Afghans visit turkey every year for tourism, medical treatment and higher education. Turkish government has granted thousands of educational scholarships for Afghan students who are now studying in different Turkish universities.

However, majority of Afghans have preferred to live in big cities of Ankara and Istanbul. However, these two cities are very expensive and so they had to spend large amount of money to buy property or houses there. However, I found most fascinating a province located on the Black Sea coast by the name of Ordu.

I was lucky to be invited by the Governor of Ordu for a visit of the province. Our group included of two journalists from Afghanistan along with a group of journalists from the Arab world. The aim of the tour was to introduce the hidden beauty of the province to the external world so that more and more tourists should also head to the province. While visiting Ordu, I listened two interesting sentences about Ordu that depict its beauty. One said, ‘We hope to see the paradise in the hereafter but if you want to see the paradise in your life, you should come and see Ordu’ and the second one said, ‘In the hereafter when you will be taken to paradise and if you have spent some time in Ordu in your life, you will not feel yourself stranger there as it would be resembling to Ordu.’ Both the sentences show the actual beauty of Ordu without any exaggeration.

When talking of the beauty of Ordu, there are two important factors contributing to this. One is the beauty and all the enjoyment associated with the beaches along the coasts of Black Sea. Ordu harbors a long coast of Black Sea, which makes it a wonderful place to relax, play and enjoy the memorable times on the beach. There are large numbers of hotels, restaurants, cafes and other recreational places along the beach where delicious foods or drinks add to the beauty of the beach and the Black Sea.

Another important factor is to visit all the mountainous places and green grassy plains where one can go on hiking or riding within the beautiful trees. It looks as if Ordu was a forest and they cut down trees to make roads and build houses. When we reach to the plains, it looks as if green carpet has been spread wherever one looks and this gives a refreshing feeling to the eyes and the body. The cool and gentle air, the smell of flowers, the quietness of the environment and all other natural factors make this place a wonderful destination for all those who want to escape the busy life and spend some days in complete joy and relaxation. Its lakes, with their beautiful blue water provide a wonderful opportunity to take beautiful pictures and spend the best moments of your life with your friends and family members.

Another factor adds to the completeness of Ordu. On one hand, you can see nature and enjoy its beauty in the form of beaches, trees, grassy plains, high mountains, beautiful lakes and other natural elements. On the other, you can avail all the facilities that are expected of the modern cities of the world. Its beautiful roads, vast town-center for shopping, its modern and well-facilitated hotels and other facilities can give you all the enjoyment and convenience associated with the modern, metropolitan cities. Many of its towns like Unye also provide with all the needed facilities so at any time, you will not feel that you are not living in a big modern city.

The ride of yacht in the Black Sea makes this city perfect. There are also speedboats for those who like to enjoy fast waves in the sea.

On Friday, Ordu had the honor of having the first airport in Europe and third in the world that has been built on an artificial land by filling the sea. This beautiful airport would now connect Ordu to different parts of the country and the world so that tourists should be able to visit the province with convenience.

One of the modern facilities of recreation in Ordu is the aerial lift system of gondolas functioning between Ordu city and Boztepe hill. This gondola service was opened in 2012 and now it serves as one of the major tourist attractions for the city. Boztepe hill provides a beautiful and panoramic view of the city. Tourists can also enjoy delicious Turkish foods and ice creams and there are many stalls from where they can buy souvenirs for their loved ones.

Ordu is also the biggest producer of hazelnut in the world. While visiting the province, you can enjoy hazelnut in different forms, each carrying its own unique taste.

The description of Ordu would remain incomplete if we did not mention the delicious Turkish foods served in the restaurants. As it is a tourist attraction so large numbers of restaurants and cafes serve variety of Turkish foods for the visitors and guests. Tourists can enjoy different types of Pide (Turkish pizza) but they should not forget to taste the fresh fish varieties caught fresh from the Black Sea.

Ordu is not much old city but there are many places like mosques and hamams, which are historic and interested visitors can also visit these places. In Unye, one of the towns in Ordu, a museum was recently opened that shows the life of a Turkish family in the Ottoman times. However, there are many museums in different parts of the province, inviting the attraction of tourists.

In Ordu, houses were cheaper than many parts of Turkey. Their friendly people, beautiful environment and modern facilities make it an attractive destination for all the tourists from Afghanistan or other parts of the world.

Muhammad Rasool Shah works as Academic Coordinator at Barakat Int’l School, Kabul. He can be reached at muhammadrasoolshah@gmail.com

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