KUSADASI  
Kusadasi was called '' Monte Carlo of Turkey'' in 1980-90s...Today is also one of the most important touristic resorts in Turkey. And in recent years the largest cruise ships are calling in to Kusadasi which is only 20 km away from the world wide famous ancient city Ephesus...Kusadasi originally means ''Pigeon Island'' Read more at About Kusadasi Section!
EPHESUS  
Ephesus was established 3000 years ago. But some excavations have shown that the settlement here was made by the Micenaians 5000 years ago...The city today is the largest one in Turkey, called ''Open Air Museum''....
VIRGIN MARY HOUSE
 
Virgin Mary came together with St. John to Ephesus and spent her last days in the small house seen above...Millions of people of different religions visit the house year round. The House was visited by Benedict the 16th on November 29, 2006 ( see pictures at About Kusadasi section). TERRACE HOUSES  
The Terrace Houses are one of the most important and interesting points in Ephesus. They bring those old days ALIVE! The most wealthy dwellers of the ancient city used them... EPHESUS MUSEUM  
Mythological God Priapos was the symbol of FERTILITY so as was the Goddes Artemis of Ephesus.....One of The Seven Wonders of ancient World, was built for her in Ephesus! ISA BEY MOSQUE  
Isa Bey Mosque is one of the best examples of early Seljuk architecture. The mosque is one of the unique ones in Turkey. Built in 1375 and still in use with its wonderful relaxing atmosphere! POLLIO AQUEDUCT& SEVEN SLEEPERS CAVE  
Pollio Aqueduct which was built 2000 years ago after some restorations today is seen in such beauty as was in the past. The Ephesians used it to bring water from far distances. The total lenght of all the aqueducts in Ephesus area was 40 km. The next picture is of Seven Sleepers, in Ephesus.... SIRINCE VILLAGE  
8 km. from Selçuk, Sirince village is a regional tourist center for day trips. The village dates back to the 5th century.
PRIENE MILETOS DIDYMA
 
Priene is only 40 km away from Kusadasi. And the city is set at the mountain of Mycale( today Samsun). The city is called ''Pompei of Anatolia'' it is becuse once the city was full of very beautiful and well decorated houses. There was a special house for Alexander the Great as well. Priene was the first city where the grid plan was used for city planning. Hippodamos used it for the first time in Priene and then Miletos and other cities followed them to use this system. Bias one of the Seven Sages of ancient times lived in Priene...Priene is most beautiful in spring season when the trees are blossoming and all the flowers are welcoming you to the ancient city..  
Miletos- is a city where philosophers developed deep conversations among themselves. Thales, Anaximandros, Anaximenes, Pisagor was also close to Miletos on the island Samos, Isidoros one of the two architects of St. Sophia in Istanbul was from Miletos. Aspasia the ''girl friend'' od Perikles was from Miletos as well.  
Dydima- is a place where the 3rd largets temple of ancient times was built. It was the Temple of Apollon. The largest temple was the temple of Artemis in Ephesus, the second was on Samos for Hera called Heraion and the third was in Dydima for Apollon- the Oracle. Today the temple is very well preserved. You may see Medusa- Gorgona which is seen above as well...Do not miss to visit the third largest Temple of ancient world..
IZMIR CITY  
Izmir is the 3rd largest city in Turkey and it is known as the ''pearl of the Aegean Sea''. The ancient name was Smyrna which was established app. 4000 years ago. Today the site is called Bayrakli. Izmir has lots of things to see Kadifekale Castle set by Alexander the Great, The Agora(old market), lots of Synagogues, lots of old Ottoman houses dating from 17-18-19 centuries. The archeological museums are also ''a must'' to see. I am certified Izmir city tour specialist. If you come to Izmir do not leave it without having a beer at the seaside of Alsancak an of course feeling the brezeze of the Aegean Sea...
PERGAMON Some 100 km from Izmir. Famous for its hospital called Asklepion- where at the entrance was written '' On behalf of the Gods, death is banned to enter the hospital'', The altar of Zeus was also here in Acropolis of the city. The steepest theatre of ancient times was here, its hight was some 80 m. The second largest libraray of ancient times was also here in Pergamon.
ISTANBUL  
Istanbuls, itself, is an object to be seen. It is a center of accumulated culture, starting with Byzas, Constantine and finally Fatih Sultan Mehmet. Istanbul was the capital of Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. That is why the city must be seen, otherwise the words are not enough to describe the beauties of it...Some main sites are: Topkapi Palace- which was the main place of the Ottoman Sultans, The Blue Mosque, St. Sophia, The Archeological Museum, The Carie(Chora) Museum, Yerebatan Cistern, The Cistern of 1001 Columns, The Hippodrom.
WESTERN TURKEY
 
Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Assos, Pergamon, Smyrna(Izmir), Ephesus, Tralleis, Nysa, Pamaukkale, Piene, Miletos, Dydima, Euromos, Bodrum...a tour can be shaped among those sites listed above and can be performed at any time proper. And for the western Turkey one of the main tours is made to Seven Churches which are: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. ANKARA AND CAPPADOCIA  
As the capital of the country Ankara is a political, cultural and economic center. The old name was ANGORA. In Ankara Ataturk's Maousoleum is a must to see. Ankara Museum for Anatolian Civilisations is another unique place which must be seen when in Ankara. In the city of Corum Hattusa- the capital of Hittite Empire can be visited and also the Open Air Temple of the 12 Gods.As for Cappadocia.......come see yourself what it is like!!
BLACK SEA REGION  
The main attracting thing in this region is its nature. Beautiful forests, endemeic flowers and so many different animals and plants can be found here. St. Sophia Monastery in Trabzon and Sumela Monastery in Macka are musts to see in the region.
EASTERN AND SOUTH-EASTERN TURKEY  
As the other parts of the country, Eaest Anatolia also has its beauties. Some sites to be visited can be listed as: Erzurum- The Tombs, the Medrese(old school) with two minarets, Clock Tower. The city Kars has its own city design, in 40 km far from Kars there is old city Ani, the city is one of the unique ones in Turkey. The highest mountain in Turkey Ararat (5.136m) is also in this region. It is widely believed that the Noah's Arch landed on Ararat. In Van you may visit the island Akdamar where a church which was built in the 9th century AD. The waterfall Muradiye, Hoşap Castle are some other places that must be visited during a Eastern Turkey Tour
ANTALYA  
Today Antalya is the ''capital'' of Turkish tourism. It is one of the most visited destination in Turkey. But many people go there to spend their holidays. In Antalya: Yivli Minare(Fluted Minaret), Carain cave, Termessos, Kurshunlu Waterfall, Phaselis, Simena, St. Nicholas Church in Myra, Myra rock tombs, Xantos, Aspendos Theatre, Side Theatre are only some of the sites that are also a must to be seen. DALYAN & KAUNOS  
Kaunos or Kaunus (Lycian: Khbide; also Peraea, Latin: Peræa Rhodiorum) is an ancient city of Caria, Anatolia, currently a few km west of the modern town of Dalyan, Muğla Province, Turkey. Kaunos was said to have been founded by Kaunos, son of Miletos and Kyane, on the southern coast of Caria, opposite Rhodes, and was known as Rhodian Peraea, at the foot of Mount Tarbelos. Its acropolis was called Imbros. It exported, chiefly to Rome, highly prized figs. It was the home of the painter Protogenes. As Peræa Rhodiorum, it was a member of the Chrysaorian League.
Kaunos was Christianized early, and bishops are known beginning from the fourth century. Four bishops are mentioned by Lequien (I, 981): Basil, who attended the Council of Seleucia in 359; Antipater, who attended the Council of Chalcedon in 451; Nicolaus, who subscribed the letter to Emperor Leo in 458; and Stephanus, who attended the Council of Nicaea in 787. The Synecdemus of Hierocles and most Notitiae Episcopatuum, as late as the twelfth or thirteenth century, place it in Lycia, as a suffragan of Myra.
BODRUM TOUR  
One of the best resorts of Turkey where sea and history meet each other. Besides the sun, sea and beautiful beaches, Bodrum is rich for historical sites as well. One of the Seven Wonders of ancient world was here- The tomb of the Carian king Mauosollos- Mausolleion. It was one of the unique seven buildings that humankind ever built. St. Peter's castle is also atracting millions of visitors and at the same time it houses the only underwater archeological museum of Turkey where you may see the oldest shipwreck ever found that sunk in 1315 BC in Kaş. HIERAPOLIS (PAMUKKALE)  
It's about 20 km north of Denizli. It is called a Holy City in Archeological literature, because there were many temples and religious buildings in Hierapolis. The ancient city is situated between several historical areas. According to the ancient geographers, Strabon and Ptolemaios, Hierapolis was very close to Laodicea and Tripolis which was in Kario's Border. That's why it was a Phrygian City. There is no information about Hierapolis' history before the Hellenistic Era, but we know there was a city there before then. It's called Hierapolis because of its Mother goddess Cult. Information about Hierapolis is limited. It is known that the king of Pergamum, Eumenes II, founded the city in 190 BC. It was named Hierapolis after the Amazon's Queen Hiera, the wife of Telephos, the founder of Pergamum. (Pergamum is also called Pergamon or Pergamos). APHRODISIAS 
The ancient city of Aphrodisias is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Greek and Roman periods in Turkey. Aphrodisias lies in the Maeander River basin, in a fertile valley 100 miles southeast of the port of Izmir. Famous for its sanctuary of Aphrodite, the city's patron goddess, Aphrodisias enjoyed a long and prosperous existence from the first century B.C. through the sixth century A.D. Today, many of the city's ancient monuments remain standing, and EXCAVATIONS have unearthed numerous fine marble statues and other artifacts. The great beauty and extraordinary preservation of this site combine to bring the civic culture of the Graeco-Roman world vividly to life.
NYSA
Nysa was an ancient Greek city of Anatolia, whose remnants are now in the Sultanhisar district of Aydın Province of Turkey 50 km East of the Ionian city of Ephesus. The geographer and historian Strabo, born in Amasiya started his life of study in Nysa, which was an important center of learning in the first century B.C.. The city had been dedicated to Dionysus when it was founded by Antiochus I Soter in the third century B.C. and it was still famous as a city of scholars in the second century A.D.. For about a thousand years after that the city had its ups and downs. It suffered from the depredations of the Christians, the Muslims and the Turks as they came in and out of the place, and it was finally abandoned after being sacked by Tamerlane in 1402.  
The ancient city is located by the modern city of AYDIN. It is estimated that an Amazon called TRALLE founded the city that is why the city is called TRALLEİS. Mainly the buildings of Roman times can be seen there. Ruins of huge roman bath comlex, arsenals very well preserved can be seen as well...One of the two arcitects of St. Sophia in Istanbul was from Tralleis, he was Antemious. Above you may see the remains from the huge Roman Bath and on the right the 6 floor Artillery Galleries, which is unique in Anatolia!!! Tour Category: |
