00:02Some destinations are all about what you see, this one is about what you feel.
00:14Today I'm exploring Afion Caraissar using my senses and I'm starting with one of the most spectacular perspectives you can
00:22imagine.
00:23In a few moments I'll be taking off above the Phrygian Valley. Let's go!
00:30We are in Central Anatolia in the region of Afion Caraissar, also known as Afion. Just a few kilometers from
00:37the city this is the Phrygian Valley.
00:39It looks like we are on another planet.
00:42It's one of Turkey's most remarkable landscapes shaped by nature than the Phrygians who carved monuments into these rocks over
00:513000 years ago.
00:54And from up here you can see why.
01:24And that comparison comes up a lot.
01:26But unlike Cappadocia, the valley remains blissfully uncrowded.
01:31The alarm went off very early this morning but it was absolutely worth it.
01:42I've seen the region from above. Now it's time to feel it.
01:47For centuries people have traveled here for something else entirely, thermal waters.
01:54People have come to these springs to heal since the Phrygian era around 1200 BC.
02:01It's earned Afion Caraissar its nickname, The Healing City.
02:05We are in terms of our history, from this time, and from this time.
02:10We are only in Turkey, but not even in the world.
02:12The water is much more efficient.
02:16We are in terms of the mineral waters.
02:22We are in terms of the mineral waters.
02:23We are as much as fresh as we are in terms of the water.
02:33the steam in the air, the scent of the minerals, every sense gets its turn here.
02:40Here the baths aren't a seasonal escape, they are part of everyday life all year round.
02:50The lands around the Afyon Karahisar are famous for something else too.
02:55Every spring poppies bloom across these fields,
02:58a symbol of the region and a staple in its cuisine.
03:02After sight, touch and smell, it's time for the most delicious sense of all, taste.
03:08Afyon is recognized by UNESCO as a creative city of gastronomy
03:11and I'm going to learn how poppy seeds find their way into traditional local recipes.
03:18To taste the region's cuisine at its most traditional, I've come to Ayazini,
03:22a tiny village of stone houses where recipes are passed down through generations.
03:28Maryam has invited me into her kitchen to make a katmer,
03:32one of Afyon Karahisar's most loved pastries.
03:35But before the cooking starts, there's one skill I need to learn.
03:40You're going to try it?
03:41Yes, go ahead.
03:49With the poppy seed paste ready, it's over to the expert.
04:17Katmer is just one of many local dishes made with poppy seeds,
04:21an ingredient at the heart of Afyon Karahisar's cooking.
04:31There's one final challenge before I go,
04:33the climb to Afyon Karahisar castle around 550 steps, straight up.
04:42From up here, the whole city is at my feet
04:45and all I can hear is the wind and the birds.
04:48What a way to end my journey in Afyon Karahisar.
04:51Go to Shurus!
04:52And today, come to us.
04:53This has been a very well- Boom.
