Seferihisar is located on the coast of the beautiful Aegean Sea

The Morgan Hill group standing in front of the “Library” ruins in the originally Greek city of Ephesis. Photo courtesy Morgan Hill Sister CIties

By Peter Anderson

Peter Anderson

Eighteen Morgan Hill residents gathered in the lobby of the Yasmak Sultan Hotel in Istanbul on the morning of Sept. 27 to begin a special visit to view the wonders of Turkey. We received a brief overview of the history of the western Asian nation by our guide. The first thing we learned is that there is no way the many-thousand-year-old history of Turkey can be brief! But we were to learn the essence of that history on our journey across the western part of the country, to arrive two weeks later at Morgan Hill’s newest Sister City: Seferihisar, on the coast of the beautiful Aegean Sea.

The tour was organized by long-time Morgan Hill resident Emmie Turan, who was born and raised just 25 miles from Seferihisar, so we were afforded special privileges throughout the journey.

Remember that Roman Emperor Constantine founded Constantinople (now Istanbul) in the year 330 when he conquered the Greeks, who had held possession of the area ever since Alexander the Great had beaten out the Persians 661 years earlier. Our tour took us to ruins of these and many more such empires, including visits to World Heritage sites such as Hagia Sophia and other famous structures and mosques of the Ottoman Empire. That’s about as brief as one can get for Turkey’s history.

A mostly Muslim country, Turkey is open to all cultures and religions. We were welcomed by many different groups and enjoyed marvelous Turkish cuisine, particularly the many local varieties of shish kabob. Emmie used her contacts to also provide us with visits to several wineries for special tasting tours.

Morgan Hill’s newest Sister City Seferihisar was visited by seven of the 18 South Valley residents last fall. It has similarities to the South Valley including many excellent wineries. Photo courtesy Wikipedia

The tour culminated with a visit with Tunc Soyer, the mayor of Seferihisar, that included a private tour of the city, an exchange of ceremonial gifts representing our respective communities, and a commitment to maintain contact on items of mutual cultural and economic interest.

Sister Cities of Morgan Hill is an all-volunteer, membership nonprofit that establishes relationships and activities between Morgan Hill and cities around the world with whom we share similarities. Formed in 2002, we currently host relationships with five international cities: San Casciano, Italy; Mizuho, Japan; Ameca, Mexico; Headford, Ireland; and Seferihisar, Turkey. Our meetings are open to the public who are welcome to join us at any time. Save the date for Jan. 19, 7 p.m., Centennial Recreation Center. Visit www.morganhillsistercities.com for

A sequel tour and a repeat of the Turkey tour are planned, possibly in spring. Information is available from Emmie Turan. Call her at (650) 678 – 8237 or email [email protected].

For more details on the Sister Cities committee call John Kelley at (408)-590-7867 or email him [email protected].

  • Sister Cities will provide a presentation on the tour for March 31 to  April 12, 2023 from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6  7-9pm at the Centenniel Recreation Center. Space is limited so RSVP to (650) 678 – 8237 or email [email protected].

Peter Anderson is a Morgan Hill resident who has had a long career as a geologist.