Any idea for Turkey

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Since I've always had fine recommendations from the members I decided to once more call upon your collective knowledge.

 

I intend to spend one or two weeks in Turkey, a country which is rather cheap and which I'd visit off season, being on vacation from October 29 to November 13.

 

Yet I've never been to Turkey and would like to make the trip worthwile, with of course a focus on the Ancient world.

 

I know the climate will probably prevent me from going to the elder places like Catal Hoyuk or G

[caesar novus]

I might look into the apparently rich roman archeology that is just under the sea surface. Not the scuba depth stuff but snorkle, and if that is too cold simply standing on the edge of the water at an ancient harbor. I have seen many shown, but they don't like to advertise since don't want to attract looters. Maybe some of those little coastal overnight excursion boats has a captain who would be able to focus on that.

 

Lots of stuff you can google on Turkey underwater archeology http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=turkey+underwater+archeology&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 but it tends to be scuba. Just as an example, note the (Roman?) harbors marked at http://www.acoustics.org/press/155th/akalfig2.jpg . Here are some interesting Turkey travelogues http://www.intltravelnews.com/search/node/turkey

[Medusa]

I made a round trip through Turkey in 2005 and we stayed at the following places:

 

Selcuk(Ephesos) - In Selcuk itself is an interesting museum, but also Roman remains as such of an aquaeduct. Ephesos is only 3 km away, so it's possible to walk there from Selcuk.

 

Dalyan (Kaunos) - Greek tombs in the mountains right across the river. Roman city of Kaunos with many remains.

 

Antalya - visits to Perge and Aspendos (guided tour though).

[ummidia quadratilla]

I went on a tour in 2010 along the west coast of Turkey, zigzaging to Greek Islands. These are the sites we visited in Turkey that I would recommend:

 

Bergama - the ruins of ancient Pergamum. There is a lot here including an Asclepion, the acropolis of the town with remains of a hillside theatre and temples (we didn't get to explore here much because we got there in the middle of a thunderstorm but I really would have liked to have seen more).

 

Ephesus - a must see of course. Hopefully there won't be three cruise ships worth of people visiting when you go like there was the morning I was there. Pay the extra money and go into the House of the Slopes if you like mosaics.

 

Between Kusadasi and Bodrum - Miletus, Priene and Didyma. I enjoyed all three and they were very different from each other. Lots to see.

 

If you don't mind taking a ferry over to Kos from Bodrum, it is worth a day trip at least. There is the huge Asclepion, a Roman town, a Greek agora, an Odeion and the Plane Tree of Hippocrates.

[Corax]

I went on a tour in 2010 along the west coast of Turkey, zigzaging to Greek Islands. These are the sites we visited in Turkey that I would recommend:

 

Bergama - the ruins of ancient Pergamum. There is a lot here including an Asclepion, the acropolis of the town with remains of a hillside theatre and temples (we didn't get to explore here much because we got there in the middle of a thunderstorm but I really would have liked to have seen more).

 

Ephesus - a must see of course. Hopefully there won't be three cruise ships worth of people visiting when you go like there was the morning I was there. Pay the extra money and go into the House of the Slopes if you like mosaics.

 

Between Kusadasi and Bodrum - Miletus, Priene and Didyma. I enjoyed all three and they were very different from each other. Lots to see.

 

If you don't mind taking a ferry over to Kos from Bodrum, it is worth a day trip at least. There is the huge Asclepion, a Roman town, a Greek agora, an Odeion and the Plane Tree of Hippocrates.

 

Ideas for Turkey

 

I am lucky enough just to have come back from there.

 

I agree that Ephesus is a must, but it can be very hot and crowded. But it is worth it to see the Library of Celsus. We were told that the cruise people usually visit in the morning, so we went in the afternoon which was a bit hotter but less crowded.

 

I would definitely recommend Ephesus Museum. It is not very big but the items they have are outstanding: two superb statues of the goddess Diana; a beautiful statue of Apollo plus a frieze from the Temple of Hadrian, for starters. I have been there twice and would willingly go back!

 

I also agree that Pergamon and the Asklepion are worth including. They are several miles apart. Pergamon is at the top of a hill and is now accessible by a type of ski lift. This takes you as far as the souvenir shops and there is bit more walking (uphill) from there.

 

A lot of the large finds from Pergamon are in Berlin, but for me it was worthwhile to see the Temple of Trajan and the site of the altar of Zeus and see where the library used to be.

 

For me, the Asklepion is probably one of my favourite sites. It has a small theatre, a sacred way and an underground tunnel which takes you to the site of the treatment rooms. There are also some interesting inscriptions which are (I think) dedicated to some of the doctors who used to work there. Apparently healing was done through dreams and there are still meetings of modern psychologists held there.

 

If you are in Istanbul do try to visit the Archaeological Museum. It is in the grounds of the Topkapi Palace. There is some outstanding Greek and Roman sculpture of emperors and gods. My favourites were the head of Alexander the Great, a lovely Apollo and a beautiful plaque of Asklepius and Hygieia feeding the sacred snakes.

 

There is also the Hippodrome, famous for chariot races. At one end is the Serpent

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Thanks for those advises.

 

While swiming was not planned (time, period of the year, need to take more bagages are all factors discoraging me), Pergamenon and Ephesus are definitively on my to-do list if I can get enough money for the "roaming wild" trip option

 

I must precise that I don't have any driving licence and must thus travel using public transports (and I don't like organized tours...).

 

Keep listing your suggestions, so that I may have as many ideas as possible.

[Kosmo]

I must precise that I don't have any driving licence and must thus travel using public transports (and I don't like organized tours...).

 

That's not a problem, Turkey has an amazing network of private buses that go in all directions.

If you want a chance at sunny weather go on the south coast - Marmaris or Antalya

Clearly the biggest historical destination in Turkey is Istanbul

Can't wait to see your pictures

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm begining to have a plan for my trip :

 

 

unrv.xls

 

Since I'll have to go to Copenhague a bit later in the month I'll have to cut my trip short, I would have loved to add one week for the Bodrum to Ismir part of the coast (and yes that would have meant leaving Aphrodisias and Sagalassos and Pamukkale/Hierapolis.

 

What I have to check is wheter or not I'll have to take a connection in Istanbul (in which case I might take 3 days to visit the city too, and a night bus to Antalya to save one hotel night).

 

What do you think ?

Edited September 18, 2011 by Bryaxis Hecatee

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

Cash issue finaly meant that the large trip shall be done in the spring with two friends who can drive (and share the costs of the car), thus after thinking long and hard about going to either an European city (Vienna was in my list) or another place, I decided for a week in Istanbul to keep Turkish. At 411