| Ancient
Ruins Of The Turkish Northern Aegean Sea |
| Traveling
Through Ruins |
| By Jason Jones |
| Turkey
has a number of ‘must see’ attractions scattered throughout the country,
and many travelers try to see all these sites in a week or two.
They inevitably spend most of their time on busses just to see overcrowded,
and sometimes overrated, sites. Strangely enough, the most popular beaches
on the Mediterranean and the Southern Aegean Sea are not that great and
are usually packed as many package tourists choose to take their week or
two in the sun there.
In contrast,
the Northern Aegean Sea is more of a holiday destination for Turks than
for foreign tourists. |
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pristine and unspoiled, and since the region does not rely solely on tourism,
you can get a better feel of real life in Turkey. This area is not far
from Istanbul, but lies off the beaten tourist path.
The highlights
of the Aegean coast include archeological sites, beaches and small
intimate villages where time stands still in the sense of tradition, although
just about all modern conveniences are at your disposal; you won’t need
to worry about finding an ATM or any accommodations.
In the eight
days that we were in Turkey, we spent two in Istanbul and six traveling
along the Aegean coast. We didn’t see all the spots, instead we took our
time to enjoy a few places without being in a rush to ‘do this’ and ‘see
that.’ We took in Ephesus, Bozcaada, Troy, and Assos.
Troy
Our first stop
after Istanbul was a seven-hour trip to the ruins of Troy. |
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| Many tourists
start from the Mediterranean beach town of Antalya in the south and work
their way north. Consequently, most tourists do not reach Troy as
it is considerably further north than other tourist attractions. Because
of this, we enjoyed the atmosphere at Troy, as there were no salesmen hustling
us. Also, maps and information about the history and excavation of Troy
are posted throughout the site, making it very possible to explore the
ruins without hiring a guide. Most people do not stay at Troy, but
set up base in Canakkele, 15 km to the north. We however, chose to
stay on the nearby island of Bozcaada, which is a much more beautiful and
romantic place.
Assos
Located about
an hour south of Troy is the ancient city of Assos, which is perfect seaside
retreat amid ancient ruins. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| Clinging to
the rocky sea cliffs is the little fishing village of Behramkale, where
you can enjoy spectacular views of the ruins across the bay of Edrimit
to Lesbos. This site is popular with Turks, access to beaches is
good, and accommodations are not expensive. Assos’ claim to fame
is that Aristotle lived here.
Ephesus
Further south
is Ephesus, which is much more spectacular and well preserved than Troy
or Assos, but lacks the causal atmosphere. Additionally, there are
very few maps and information about the site posted, which basically forces
the uninformed visitor (like ourselves) to hire a guide. Despite
its drawbacks, anyone traveling the Aegean coast should make it to Ephesus
as these are arguably the best preserved Roman ruins of Asia Minor and
one of the most impressive examples of a classical city in the ancient
world.
The four
thousand year old city has both Greek and Roman buildings, and it is remarkable
how the architectural and ornamental detail of Ephesus has survived.
Ephesus’ main attraction is its large ancient theater that seated 25,000
people in its days. |
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| Almost adjacent
to the Ephesus theater is the medium-sized town of Selcuk, which makes
a good base to explore the site.
There are many
other archeological sites along the Northern Aegean coast that we did not
visit. One that we have heard is worth while is Pergamon. |
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