On July 7, 1914, two secondary school teachers from Pápa, Zsigmond Fejes and Imre Lakos, set out on a journey to explore the then largely unmapped regions of Cilicia. Their choice of destination was likely influenced by the Turanian movement’s fascination with the East, as well as by personal ambition.

With the help of their local guide, Hüseyin Arif—a Turkish student studying in Hungary—they traveled via Constantinople and Bursa, following the route of the then still under construction Berlin–Baghdad railway through Eskişehir, Afyonkarahisar, and Konya, reaching the passes of the Taurus Mountains. From there, after passing Adana and Mersin, they continued their journey with the help of a donkey caravan along the route Silifke–Ermenek–Alanya–Antalya.

Although their expedition was disrupted by the outbreak of World War I, the two adventurers returned home on August 30, having largely achieved their intended goals. Their safe return, as well as the preparation of the expedition, was greatly aided by their Freemason connections in Turkey (both Fejes and Lakos were Freemasons).

The expedition can be reconstructed partly from their later published Hungarian travel accounts, but even more so from the more than 440 photographs taken during the journey. These images captured major streets and buildings of Turkish cities, local authorities, as well as signs of modernization such as factories, machinery, and irrigation systems.

These photographs are of outstanding value for researchers studying social and urban changes in Turkey. Moreover, the Hungarian explorers documented important archaeological sites, some of which have unfortunately since been destroyed.

One hundred and ten years later, another photographer, Ahmet Sait Yıldız, retraced the same route taken by Fejes and his companions. This vividly illustrates how much this unique region of the world has changed over the course of a century. These changes are presented in a photo exhibition alongside Fejes’s original photographs. The exhibition was first shown in 2025 at the Hungarian Geographical Museum in Érd.

Documentary Film Premiere: “Journey to Cilicia – In the Footsteps of Fejes”

The documentary film Journey to Cilicia – In the Footsteps of Fejes was presented as part of a joint project by the HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities – Institute of History – Turkology Research Group, the Hungarian-Turkish Friendship Society, the Gül Baba Heritage Foundation, and the Hungarian Geographical Museum in Érd.

The film was selected among the best documentaries at the 2024 Ankara International Film Festival, included in the official catalogue prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey for the Berlinale International Film Festival, and a photo exhibition based on the images featured in the documentary is also planned in Hungary.

The documentary, which presents the 1914 Cilician expedition of the two Hungarian travelers, received great appreciation from audiences at Turkish festivals and continues to be selected for the official competition programs of international film festivals. Following its premiere, Hungarian audiences had the opportunity to watch it at the Hungarian Geographical Museum.

The documentary will be presented by:
Dr. Zehra Yiğit, film director