Blue Voyage is the name of the time spent intertwined with the sea by discovering the most beautiful coasts and historical riches of Turkey. This concept was brought to the literature by three important names who lived in the middle of the 20th century: Halikarnas Balıkçısı, Azra Erhat and Sabahattin Eyüboğlu. Let's examine the history of the blue voyage and how this magical experience became popular.
The story of Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı that will be the subject of movies
To tell the history of the blue voyage, we must first tell about Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı. Cevat Şakir, also known as Halicarnassus Fisherman, is a writer, novelist and storyteller who has made a special place for himself in Turkish literature. He was born on April 17, 1890 in Crete, which was then Ottoman territory, as the second child of a family of 6 children.
His uncle is Ahmet Cevad Pasha, who was the grand vizier of Abdülhamit II. His father, known as Kabaağaçlızade Mehmed Şakir Pasha, is a historian and statesman who also served as the Governor of Athens. Cevat Şakir spent his childhood in Greece, and when he reached school age, he was in Büyükada. He attends high school at Robert College. It was here that he met the world of writing, he made translations, and his first articles were published in newspapers. He studies at the University of Oxford. He is in love with history, philosophy, literature, painting and fine arts. Then he studied painting at the academy of fine arts in Italy. Thus, in addition to Arabic, Persian, Spanish, French, English, Ancient Greek, he also learns Italian and Latin. He makes lots of pictures. His whole family is already very inclined to fine arts. His sisters Fahr-el Nisa and Aliye are very famous painters, while the other sister Ayşe is a pianist. The fourth sister's daughter, Füreyya, will become a world-renowned ceramic artist. In short, Cevat Şakir is a multi-talented adventurer. However, a tragedy changes the direction of this talented personality's life. As a result of an argument with his father, he causes his death and is sentenced to 15 years in prison. His imprisonment ends early due to health problems and he begins to make pictures and cartoons and write articles for newspapers in order to survive. As a result of a story he wrote, he was sentenced to 3 years of Kalebent (imprisonment of not leaving the castle) in Bodrum on the grounds that he alienated the people from military service. However, Bodrum castle is ruined and this punishment is experienced as a punishment of exile.
Blue exile before the blue voyage
Bodrum is an untouched land that nobody knew in 1925, without the slightest bit of information about it. Cevat Şakir is stunned the moment he sees Bodrum, this is the geography of the sea and nature that he has dreamed of for years. Its people are poor, it only sells agricultural products such as figs and tobacco, and makes sponges. Cevat Şakir begins to explore Bodrum and its surroundings. On the one hand, he continues to write articles. He starts working to beautify Bodrum and to contribute to the welfare of its people, first he learns about fishing. Then he became interested in agriculture. In those years, citrus fruits were not grown in Bodrum and its surroundings. He finds a variety of citrus seeds and brings palm and eucalyptus seedlings. He even brought grapefruit to Turkey first. What they do is also accepted by the people of Bodrum.
Cevat Şakir, who was prohibited from sailing during his sentence, first sails in a small boat when his sentence is over. Later, he takes the 7-meter-long boat he named Yatan. He starts to visit all the bays of Bodrum one by one. He learns the history of the region and the ancient settlements thoroughly. Since he already knows ancient Greek and Latin, it will not be difficult to learn them. He now begins to use the pen name Halikarnas Balıkçısı in his writings.
First blue voyage
In 1945, Cevat Şakir wrote a letter to his friend Sabahattin Eyüboğlu. Sabahattin Eyüboğlu was then the translation chief of the Ministry of National Education Classics Series in Ankara. In the letter, Cevat Şakir tells him to come to Bodrum with some of his friends to see what real beauty is. A team of Turkey's most distinguished intellectuals set out. The team includes names such as Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Sabahattin Eyüboğlu, Benya Rapaport, Erol Güney, Sabahattin Ali, Fuat Ömer Keskinoğlu, Necati Cumalı. In the summer of 1945, the first blue voyage was made with the sail of the octopus hunter Paluko and these names became the first blue passengers.
Then there is a break for 11 years, and after 1957, blue cruises are started every year. However, transportation to Bodrum is difficult. Moreover, tourism in the city has not developed at all. That's why a blue cruise is made only once a year. These blue cruises usually take place on the boats called Uçarı, Adventure and Karakuş. Food preparation and toilet issues, and the dangers experienced at sea are the most challenging factors for passengers. But every journey is full of art, history and mythological stories. In 1965, the 16-meter boat named Hürriyet came into operation. It also means cabin and toilet inside the boat, and this comfort means great comfort for the first voyages. The fisherman of Halicarnassus does not participate in the blue cruises because he is getting old, but he comes to the pier to bid farewell to the blue passengers who participated in the first cruise of Hürriyet.
Blue voyage becomes more and more popular in the cultural and artistic community of Istanbul and Ankara. Turkiye's most important writers, painters, scientists, in short, artists and intellectuals experience the blue voyage. Who is not among these names! Azra Erhat, Vedat Günyol, Sabahattin Eyüboğlu, Melih Cevdet Anday, Yaşar Kemal, Can Yücel, Güler Yücel, Oktay Rifat, Doğan Avcıoğlu, Mina Urgan, Cevat Capan, Müntekim Ökten, Melek Ulagay, Ali Sirmen, Haluk-Rena Gerger, Gençay Gürsoy , Şadi Çalık, Günnur Savran Türkan Saylan, Örsan Taha-Jale Parla, Öymen, Selçuk-Sabahattin Batur, Turgut Kazan, Güngör Dilmen, Murat Belge, Aydın Engin, Selim İleri, Gündüz Vassaf, Nail Satlıgan, Yücel Sayman, Oya Baydar, Cengiz Dozens of names such as Bektaş, Bülent Tanör, Doğan Aksel embrace the sea, nature, history and culture on these voyages.
The name of the blue voyage is Sabahattin Eyüboğlu, who has participated in these trips several times, including the first trip. Azra Erhat is the author of the first blue voyage book.
Is there a difference between a blue cruise and a blue cruise?
Actually there is no difference. While the tourism companies were marketing the blue voyage, they started to call it blue voyage. But use it correctly as a "blue voyage", stay true to the original of this magical expression that Halikarnas Balıkçısı, Azra Erhat and Sabahattin Eyüboğlu brought to our Turkish.
The blue voyage tradition is one of Turkiye's most important tourist attractions. There is no other travel tradition of this kind in the world. There are no such unique routes and bays intertwined with history and nature. Experience the blue voyage, even for a few days, without wasting your time. Because our bays, which we take pride in being untouched today, may succumb to concrete or fire tomorrow.