There are places on this earth that hold a different kind of time. Places where the past is not a distant country, but a palpable presence, a quiet weight in the air. Southeast Turkey, the land historically known as Upper Mesopotamia, is such a place. It is a landscape that remembers the dawn of civilization, and to journey there is to feel the echoes of our own deepest beginnings.

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We have long been drawn to this corner of the world, a place where stories thousands of years old are not just memories, but are woven into the fabric of daily life. This is not a journey for the faint of heart, or for those who prefer their history neat and tidy. It is a deep dive into a land of profound complexity and breathtaking resilience.

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Today, we are thrilled to invite you to join us as we begin our Season on Southeast Turkey. This is more than a series of articles; it is a curated exploration, a shared journey of discovery into a region that captures the mind and stirs the soul.

The compass for our journey: the motifs of Mesopotamia

As we began our own immersion, we found ourselves returning to a few powerful themes, or key motifs, that seemed to hold the essence of this land. These will be our compass for the journey ahead, guiding our explorations:

• Immense antiquity: We will stand in the presence of 12,000-year-old mysteries, questioning the very timeline of human history.
• Cultural crossroads: We'll trace the ancient arteries of the Silk Road, listening for the echoes of millennia of exchange in the bazaars and on the streets.
• Layered heritage: We will learn to read the landscape like a palimpsest, uncovering the stories of Roman, Christian, and Islamic life written one on top of the other.
• Resilience amidst complexity: We will seek out the stories of enduring traditions—of craft, of faith, of flavor—that have survived in this historically volatile borderland.‍
• Contemporary resonance: We will ask how this deep past continues to shape the present, and how modern choices are defining its future.

A glimpse of the path ahead

Our journey will begin where human history itself seems to restart: at the astonishing 12,000-year-old sanctuary of Göbeklitepe. From there, we will trace the ghostly paths of ancient trade routes that turned this region into a vibrant melting pot. We will wander the spice-scented bazaars of Urfa, a city sacred to three world faiths, and ascend the lonely summit of Mount Nemrut to sit with its silent, colossal gods.

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We will listen to the stories told by the honey-colored stones of Mardin as it gazes over the Mesopotamian plains, and taste the improbable resilience in its ancient Syriac wine. We will marvel at the tales told by the magnificent Roman mosaics of Antakya and Gaziantep, and explore the vibrant soul of Gaziantep's world-renowned cuisine and craft. Finally, we will contemplate the poignant, complex story of Hasankeyf, a place of deep heritage facing the forces of modern development.

An invitation to see differently

This Season, like all our work at On Way Storytellers, is an invitation. It's an invitation to move beyond the quick photo, to slow down, and to connect with the deep, layered stories that give a place its meaning. We don't have all the answers, but we are passionate practitioners of asking questions.

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We are so excited to embark on this exploration with you, our "Curious Companions." The adventure begins now.