November 2007, heavy snowy day. Normal people stay at home and they don’t want to take risks driving a car at snowy day. But our friend Sami who can’t stay somewhere more then 5 minutes prepared the minibus and we were persuaded him to go to Adapazarı-Taraklı direction. We seven photographers were on the way.

Taraklı,is cute district at south end of Sakarya province. To go to Tarakli, leave from Adapazari TEM turn and follow the way to Geyve is required. It is 70 km to Adapazari, the road is new and very good. Especially for those who wants to take a photo views on the way very enjoyable. If you go at snowy way, when you past from the forest at the top of it snow and a bit down green trees at the same frame. This views are very nice to watch and the take photos also.

If we take a look briefly to history of Tarakli, at the homes 19th century Ottoman architecture style can be seen. In the streets when you walk sometimes feel like you can in an open-air museum. Some of the wooden houses have built in round form called as cihannunma, this is very aesthetic covered terraces available to watch. Meaning of the cihannuma word to see the world. This is why cihannuma built to highest part of the house. There are 120 historical houses in Tarakli, each of them were decorated different then other. To protect damage of architecture this area were announced as protected area. Initially, it was as a small town of Geyve in 1987 June it be came a district.

Tarakli taken the name, made from wooden combs and spoons which are produce here. But today as every handcraft run out production of comb in Tarakli has reduced. Unfortunately, except for domestic small manufacturing respectable do not have a workshop. However, if you still want to buy a wooden comb or spoon you have to go to school in to Tarakli square school use today as a museum. School building is very beautiful over looking to market allows you to capture photos.

While you walk between of wooden houses and smell of the history, a path will take you to the Hidirlik hill. You watch from here to Tarakli bird’s-eye look, and if the beautiful clouds in the air, you can take panoramic photos. When you start going down you will meet Yunus Pasa mosque which is built in the time of Yavuz Sultan Selim. This mosque has square plan, single-dome is a work made by Mimar Sinan. I would encourage you to see in side.

There is stream passes, from in side of Tarakli, this stream comes by Goynuk. When you go to through Yusuf Bey district you can see stream and houses around the stream. It is sad to see some wooden houses in Yusuf Bey district, which are abandoned. You’ll see a old plane maybe it is there more then a century.  In this neighborhood you can find a fresh cheese and real butter from a existing dairy farm.

If you want to go back Tarakli square and eat something, I recommend you to go ladies cafe in the market who makes pancakes (at the corner of park). Of course before lunch you should definitely visit the bazaar. Everything is simple and plain as in the past. Small shops have been built from the wood, they look old, maybe you can find something to attract your attention. After lunch you can go to the coffee shop and sit down comfortably, you can chat with residents. At the small place that people can distinguish the foreigners immediately. From the moment they understand that you are foreigner, especially former residents of the district first questioning then start to tell the old Tarakli.