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Gobekli tepe, the oldest known temple in the world. place a hand over their hearts while returning the greeting. More than any individual thing, this simple salutation always made me feel welcome in a foreign land. One of my major goals was to experience the rural culture of Turkey. Cities around the world have many similarities, but I found that the rural locations of Turkey highlighted its uniqueness. The people in Fevzipasa, the town where we resided close to the dig, were wonderful. We were made to feel welcome in so many different ways. One of the local shopkeepers offered me tea most days. While we didn't speak each other's language, the simple act of drinking tea brought a quiet dignity to the situation. While strolling around the town near the end of my stay, a family invited me to sit, and offered fruit and cold water- even though they were fasting during Ramadan. On one excursion, we came upon five local women making their traditional flat bread over an open fire. It was more than 40C that day, and we could still feel the wilting heat of the fire while standing five metres away. The jovial women invited Karen to try it out-- to much merriment from them and us-- and offered us all some of the bread to try. It was fantastic, soft and flakey with smoky overtones. The staff of the dig was wonderful. There were about 55 experts from around the world, ranging from university students to post doctorates. With more than 100 local labourers, this dig is one of the largest in the Middle East. David Schloen ran a tight, well-organized and fluid organization. It was truly an honour and a privilege to work with him. Members of the dig team, from left, Erika Jeck, Emily Wilson and author Don Ablett, of Glen Williams, pose with a close friend from Zincirli. dig-- and also because two of the Zincirli lions were there. Unfortunately, that building was closed for much-needed renovations when I went, but, as fate would have it, I bumped into two good friends from the dig-- right in front of the lions! It was the perfect end to a perfect trip. For more information: Archeology Magazine http://www.archaeology.org/0901/topten/kuttamuwas_ soul.html University of Chicago site with complete information on Zincirli. http://ochre.lib.uchicago.edu/zincirli/ Chapter 9: The end? On my last day in Istanbul, I went to see the archaeological museums. I particularly wanted to see the section that highlighted the era of my SUMMER · 2011 26 S I D E R O A D S O F H A LT O N H I L L S S HALTON HILLS VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTRE 369 Mountainview Road, Georgetown Monday-Friday 9:30 am- 8:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Coupon must be presented to redeem these offers. 905.873.2296 www.salonconcepts.ca