Happy New Year with some OLD system Pics

MikeT_Swampeast_MO

It's been over a year since I visited, but life has changed and my new works finds only new (forced air) systems.  Aarggh!!!!



I've attached a few pics from a recent and very long holiday in Turkey with plenty of time to explore and enjoy.  All are circa 100-300 a.d.



The first pic shows what sure appears to me to be a dual-wall, insulated pipe that in my imagination at least used to carry DRY steam and was originally buried with some nice dry insulating material like straw.  It is from and in the ancient city of Ephesus (Efus).  When I visited last year it was nearly as busy as Times Square at New Year's.  This year it was nearly empty.  While you are certainly watched, nobody seems to mind if you carefully touch, move and examine something like this...



The second pic shows debris-filled warm air (smoke?) conduits that originally heated the walls in a private bath in what is assumed to be an eight-unit condo for the ultimately rich of the city.  The entire condo (about 1/3 acre I'd guess) is now under roof and you walk through on plexiglass walkways.  We spent nearly two hours inside with most of that with only me, my partner and our guide under the roof.  Normally it's like the waiting line for the most popular ride at an amusement park.



The third pic shows some of the plumbing in the walls and floor.  Roof drains?  Sewers?  Fountain feeds?  Grey water for a communal toilet?  Who knows?  All are possible given the location.



The fourth pic has nothing to do with plumbing/heating but it shows just how much "solid" walls can distort without severe damage.



The next of the pics are from the ancient city of Phaselis.



Pic five shows what I believe to be the furnace of the main public bath with a HUGE flue gas channel running under the smallest (and hottest) room at the beginning of the complex.  I am standing in the furnace and looking through the main hallway that leads through the bath complex.  My pic of the furnace room itself looks like nothing but a pile of rubble with a depression in the center--unfortunate but it seems you have to be there and know (or at least guess at) what you're seeing...  I had great disagreement with our professional private guide regarding the heating of the bath complex.  He insisted that steam was used and directed under the floors and through the walls.  I said not only impractical and wasteful but impossible.  The hottest room probably had steam from a "pot over the fire" but they used the flue gas to fill the HUGE floor and wall chambers.  By the time I drew him a picture in the sand, I believe he was at least questioning what he had been taught...



Pic six shows the only remaining floor area OVER a hypocaust that I have seen in three months exploring the Roman areas of Turkey.  This was in the third (and largest it would appear) room of the bath complex yet its' entrance door was still DIRECTLY in line with the now diminished but still huge underfloor chamber leading from the furnace.  As best as I could tell the main underfloor chamber peeled off to FEED the entrance and exit walls of the second room with the bulk of the chamber continuing to the third, final room that had no evidence of a heated wall at the end farthest from the furnace.  I crawled under, through and around any and every place I could fit or see in the connecting walls between the rooms and EVERWHERE I saw intentional and convoluted channels.



Pic seven shows the underside of the hypocaust floor.  It is multi-layered (at least three) with the layers staggered and the lowest layer made up of about one meter square clay tiles with an "X" made by the fingers of the maker.



Pic eight (not heat/plumbing related) shows me learning my new trade--kilim repair.  I spend three days in the street while staying at a truly fine botique hotel not 50' away with a manager and workers who knew the same English words that I knew in Turkish.  I was just intrigued by watching them repair and thought I might learn how to make lasting repairs to my favorite soft Levis when they split at the knee.  It grew into the gift of an antique and fairly valuable rug with all wool and some tools to repair; Sunday at the beach with the manager, his family and workers and a genuine offer of a job as every Turkish rug dealer in the area was brought by to watch the "American who stays at Tuvana who can repair kilim and even thread the needle."  The pay is nothing, but I just might take the offer.



Pic nine--you tell me...

NRT_Rob

good to see you around again mike

and thanks for posting all of this, it looks like a great trip!! Happy new year to you and yours.

DanHolohan

Thanks for the update, Mike.

And for sharing the pics. Great stuff! Welcome back. 

Mark Eatherton

Welcome back Mike

Good to see your words and pictures.



Your common sense approach has been missing.



ME

Roland_18

Turkey Pix

The last photo (bottom-right) depicts a cheerful resolution between home-owner and contractor over the inflated cost of 4" brass steam valves. The home-owner is about to propose 'splitting' the difference.

hot_rod

nice hearing from you again

looks like you have had some great adventures.



hr

MikeT_Swampeast_MO

Description, more Pics and an Invitation

[Edit:  Pics didn't take the first time.  Will add them shortly]



Thanks all for the kind words.  Mid-life crisis sucks but I'm back to normal (for me).  Roland:  The cost of a 3/4" right angle brass gate valve common in the 50s-60s for a house shut-off had me ready to "split the difference" as well!



I greatly recommend a holiday in Turkey if you at all enjoy looking at ancient things and want to get an idea of the ingenuity of humans and the natural changes that occur in climate, land and sea in a geologic instant.  The western part along the Aegean and Mediterranean is especially rich in sights of both human and geologic interest.  You find coastal cities that seem to have dropped or risen by many feet that while ruined are surprisingly intact (and level).  It certainly makes me question the notion that the land rises and falls gradually over hundreds of thousands if not millions of years.  I saw in inland city that is now FAR from any large water source with no evidence of where the water came from to feed huge and spectacular fountains, pools and baths.  Former harbors that are now in low valleys.  Lakes and lake beds that have lost or gained connection to the sea.  Drainage systems that seem far too large and extensive for the present-day precipitation levels (even during the wet winters). 



If you visit, stay as long as possible and avoid the rushed, sponsor-filled, commercial tours!  Rent a car, take your time and follow the brown signs leading to areas of historic or natural interest.  The roads are good, but avoid driving at night.  Licensed private guides are expensive, but with some reasonable care you can find someone to act as driver/interpreter.  Turks--even young Turks--are refreshingly honest and hard-working and crimes against tourists carry especially harsh penalties.  While honest, you have to play the game as like any reasonable people they have no problem taking advantage of a "rich" sucker...  REAL (and straight) barbers are everywhere and they give FABULOUS shaves and they know how to nicely groom hairy men!  If the wife gets jealous, send her to a salon for the "royal" treatment...



Unless you enjoy crowds and high prices, March - May and September-October are a good time to visit.  Later in October you can charter a private, crewed yacht for just a few days at a reasonable price.  The sea will still be perfect for swimming/snorkeling/diving and the weather is nearly flawless.  There are great values in accommodation of all sizes and levels.  If you stay at one of the truly fancy places, don't mention where you stay when bargaining or hiring services!  The price will jump and they'll think you're a "rich sucker".  I would avoid the large, moderately priced, family-oriented resorts as they are filled with Europeans on short, cheap, package holiday.  If you want to be spoiled and pampered, spring for one of the small botique hotels or one of the truly first-class resorts.  The smaller, less expensive places where we usually stayed typically offer a fine buffet breakfast and dinner that while short in fancy meats is long in fabulous vegetables, fruits and fresh breads.  I lost nearly 15 pounds mainly by turning into a quasi-vegetarian.  Be prepared for solar DHW and showers only in the small, value-priced places.



If at all possible spend at least one day in Oludeniz and paraglide down to the sea from the highest mountain top!  If you're incredibly lucky like we were, there will be a thin, dense cloud layer with the full moon rising over the mountain as the sun sets into the sea.  Unless you're experienced it will be tandem with a pro doing the flying but you do have to have the nerve to run full steam off the edge of a cliff.



Here's a few more pics--mainly plumbing (or at least water) related:



Pic one shows one of two famous Medussa head column bases in a GIGANTIC underground Roman-era cistern under Istanbul near the Blue Mosque.  It STILL holds water and trains travel over the top!  The vaulted ceiling is supported by hundreds of columns--many of which you can tell were recycled, mis-ordered or unfinished due to aesthetic problems when they were being made.



Pics two and three show an unusal clay pipe in the city of Efus.  There are hundreds of clay pipes scattered around, but nearly all are smooth walled--especially inside.  Maybe intentionally turbulent water for use in a fountain? 



Pic four is looking down a long (about 1/4 mile) colonaded boulevard at Perge near modern Antalya.  I say "boulevard" because it was divided along its entire length by pools and fountains.  The city had an especially rich (and well known) water source and an extraordinarily rich female patron who must have been fascinated with water features.  Pic five is at the end of the boulevard and originally contained large artificial waterfalls and incredible fountains.  Back behind, I saw an array of dozens of very large clay pipes that must have moved water in enormous volume.  I was so awestruck that I must have forgotten to take a picture.



Pic six is in a waveless, tideless Mediterranean bay where we anchored for one night.  (Our boat was similar.)  I woke before dawn to an incredible star filled sky without light pollution and for the first time in my life actually saw and understood the constellations.  I swam leisurely for kilometers in these bays.  Many of the beaches are made up of small, smooth, polished, flat stones.  Perfect for skipping, comfortable to the bare foot and incredible to bury yourself in perfect warmth.



Pic seven shows the town of Kalkan.  I'd love to live there, but only Turks may purchase property in the area.  Pick eight shows the view from the other side of the ridge above Kalkan.  This is an ancient (in human terms) seabed that is now filled with thousands upon thousands of greenhouses.  The greenhouses are NOT however "hot houses".  They are there to control evaporation and nearly eliminate the need for irrigation.  Without the greenhouses constant irrigation is required--with the greenhouses the underground aquifer supplies nearly all of the needed water.  Ruins in the area sure make it look like at least some of these places were once sea ports in Roman times.



If anyone is interested in a Turkish holiday in the fall of 2010, please contact me.  A group of six would be ideal for renting a minivan.  With our without a private driver/interpreter I'm familiar enough with the area to get us to wonderful places at modest cost.  I have a fine business relationship with a very good travel agency in Bodrum that will arrange for accommodation, rentals and yacht charters.  Repeat business is especially valued in Turkey and they will arrange for better places at better prices than I could get personally and on-the-spot.  A seven-day charter of a six cabin (12 passenger plus crew) boat but with only six passengers would be exceptional and far less expensive than you would imagine.  While I'd like to stay for at least six weeks again, two weeks is plenty if you can handle staying in a relatively small area and taking our time to explore and I have no problem with multiple, small groups.  I'm open to anything except rushing and spending time in airports.  Nearly all flights are routed through Istanbul and you will essentially waste two days in transport.  BTW, Istanbul is a wonderful city, but I am not familiar enough or confident enough to even consider driving there.



I'm seriously considering buying a home in Turkey but really want to spend some more time exploring before deciding where and my favorite candidate (so far) is the Bodrum peninsula that became severely overpriced but is now coming back down to earth.