CRADLE OF ANCIENT CIVILISATION
The Aegean seaboard of Asia Minor was a birthplace of ancient civilisation. The ruins of Troy, Ephesus, Pergamum and Aphrodisias bear witness to the glories of that early epoch. The fertile land produces olives, grapes, figs and cotton, supporting prosperous small towns with colourful weekly markets. Many quaint villages and small towns bear the mark of the Greeks who lived here alongside the Turks until early this century
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AEGEAN REGION
Assos - Assos Harbour & Assos Ruins
Ancient Assos flourished in the 4th century BC under the tyrant Hermias, a friend and protector of Aristotle's. The doric temple of Athena commands a breathtaking panorama of the sea from a height of 150m. An archaic and fascinating village, Behramkale lies among the ruins of the acropolis. Peasant women in traditional garb sell needlework, homemade soap and wild herbs. A picturesque harbour stands on a narrow ledge at the bottom of the cliff. The buildings here, now converted into hotels and restaurants, were once the warehouses of Greek fishermen from the island of Lesvos
Canakkale - Gallipoli & Troy
The area of the Straits holds these attractions: The town of Canakkale, a fast growing agricultural centre on the south-east shore; the fortifications, ancient and modern, which guarded the straits; the battle fields of Gallipoli on the north-west side of the straits; and the excavated ruins of ancient Troy
Ayvalik
Ayvalik was formerly inhabited by Greeks, who obtained a charter of self-government from the sultan in 1789. Many of the town's mosques are housed in splendid old Greek churches. The town, a center of Turkey's olive oil industry, retains its historic character. The island of Cunda, connected to the mainland by a causeway, has a beautiful old village with a deserted church and many fish restaurants. A spectacular view of the archipelago is obtained from the lookout point called Seytan Sofrasi (Devil's Table)
Pergamum
There has been a town here since Trojan times, but Pergamum's heyday was during the period after Alexander the Great and before the Roman domination of all Asia Minor. At that time, Pergamum was one of the richest and most powerful small kingdoms in the Middle East. The Pergamum of Eumenes II is remembered most of all for its library. Said to have held more than 200,000 volumes, it was a symbol of Pergamum's social and cultural climb. It was at Pergamum that parchment was invented after the Egyptians cut off the supply of papyrus. Pergamum was also the center of medicine. Asclepion, initially dedicated to Aesclepios, the God of medicine, was not an average medical clinic but the first health spa in history
Ephesus
Ephesus is the best-preserved classical city on the Mediterranean, and perhaps the best place in the world to get the feeling for what life was like in Roman times. As a strategic coastal gateway to the Eastern World, this Ionian refuge grew to be the second largest city in the Roman Empire, the site of a Christian shrine, and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary, accompanied by St. Paul, came to Ephesus at the end of her life, circa 37-45 AD. Renaissance church historians mentioned the trip, and it is said that local Christians venerated a small house near Ephesus as Mary's. In 1967 Pope Paul VI. visited the site, where a chapel now stands, and confirmed the authenticity of the legend. Also the Basilica of St. John is located near Ephesus. St. John is said to have lived the last years of his life here and after his death, a shrine was located over his grave .
Sirince
8 km east of Selcuk up in the hills, in the midst of grapevines, peach and apple orchards, lies Sirince. The old-fashioned stone and stucco houses have red-tile roofs, and the villagers, who were moved here from Salonica and its vicinity during the exchange of populations (1924) after WWI, are ardent fruit farmers. Most households in Sirince make and sell wine. Two former church-relics of Sirince's Greek past have been renovated in recent years by private sponsors.
Pirene, Miletus and Didyma
South of Kusadasi lie the ruins of three very ancient and important settlements. Pirene occupies a dramatic position overlooking the plain of the River Menderes. Miletus preserves a great theatre and Didyma's temple of Apollo is among the world's most impressive religious structures
Pamukkale
Pamukkale, or the "Cotton Castle" is a shimmering white cascade, formed by limestone-laden hot springs, which have formed stalactites, potholes and magical fairy-tables. The water is reputed to be beneficial to the eyes and skin and to alleviate the ills of rheumatism, asthma and dermatitis. Wading in the little pools on the plateau is possible or you could take a plunge in the pool of the Hotel Pamukkale which is right on the site of the Sacred Pool. It's exhilirating to paddle through what feels like heated Schweppes's water while gazing at the ancient fragments of columns below the water's surface
Aphrodisias
This city was named after the goddess Aphrodite, whose cult-like status became synonymous with the celebration of sensual love and exquisite femininity. The ancient city of Aphrodisias became renowned throughout Asia Minor as a center of medicine and philosophy, and above all, for sculpture and the arts
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