On his frequent trips to North Africa in the early 1920s, Horace Ashton often stopped in Europe. One country that he was eager to explore was Turkey, which had changed a great deal since The Great War (now known as World War I) ended. Toward the end of 1923, Ashton went to Turkey to visit with its president, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, and observe firsthand the many changes that had taken place since the country was no longer the center of the Ottoman Empire.
He explored this beautiful land by taking a trip up the Bosporus on one of those small boats that stop at all the landings as far as the Black Sea. The Bosporus is a very beautiful body of water, a strait, through which the water of the Black Sea flows into the Sea of Marmora and then into the Mediterranean. Along its shores are beautiful palaces with dreamlike gardens and luxurious villas.
Ashton’s friend Admiral Bristol arranged for him to travel by train into the interior province of Anatolia, where Kemal Pasha had established the new capital of Turkey, Ankara, which was the terminus of the railway. There were no hotels yet built, so he improvised lodgings for the night.
Provisions were limited, and the next morning Ashton walked through the street looking for a restaurant, but there were none.
Later that day he went to the residence of Kemal Pasha and presented his credentials as a photographer. Ashton was graciously received by Kemal Pasha, who later became known as Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. He insisted that Ashton stay with him.
Kemal was very kind to Ashton, posed for several pictures, and told him many interesting things about his life. At that time he passed laws abolishing the veil and giving Turkish women equal rights with men. Shortly after Ashton’s visit, Turkey became a secular society.
Purchase a copy of The Spirit of Villarosa to learn more about the adventures of Horace Dade Ashton.