APHRODISIAS

Aphrodisians built a temple, dedicated to Aphrodite, which the Romans called Venus. In the early days of the Roman Empire, several prominent Romans claimed to be descendants of Venus. This connection brought a privileged status from Rome. Sulla, in Anatolia fighting Mithridates, claimed to be under special protection of Venus. Later, Julius Caesar claimed to descentant from the goddess, which special status was passed on to his adopted son Octavian. As Augustus, Emperor of Rome, Octavian aided the city in it’s building programes. Thus, having the benefaction of important personages, as well as their donations, and also a nearby marble quarry, Aphrodisias became the center of a school of sculpture. The city rapidly became a city of marble, and remains can still be seen of a theater, stadium, and an odeum. An inscribed wall within the theater complex relates to the status of the city in the 3rd century CE.

The city was also called Ninoe, after Ninos, a semi-legendary Babylonian ruler, and an ancient goddess of Mesopotamia. Greeks identified the local deity with their Aphrodite, hence Aphrodisias. The Romans then identified the goddess with their Venus. Geyre is probably a corruption of Caria, the ancient name for the area.

• City Wall

  Two miles of the wall surrounding the ancient city can still be followed. This wall was constructed in c.260 BCE, long before the Romans supplied aid.

• Theater

  Aphrodisia’s theatre was built in c.1 BCE, and dedicated to the Julio-Claudian family, or the Roman Emperors of the time. An interior wall was used to record important events and documents concerning the city. It records privileges granted the the Romans as well as treaties with nearby countries. Sort of like the town courthouse. Marcus Aurelius remodeled and restored the theater, deepening the ochrestra section.

• Odeon

  The Odeon, a small theater, was constructed in 2 CE, the floor of the circular orchestra section being covered with mosaics. Inside and out, were many statues and magnificent sculptures, produced by the school which was located next door.

• Temple of Aphrodite

  The heart of the city’s religious life was the Temple of Aphrodite, built and rebuilt between 41 BCE and 130 CE. There are 13 columns on the long side, with 8 on the short side with the cult statue inside. The local sculptors decorated the building in Ionian style, with reliefs and statues. The school for sculpture was next to the Temple, and part of the temple. Many unfinished statues were found in the area between the temple and the theater. Along with many sculpting tools, the evidence for a school is overwhelming. Apparently the school was open to the air and nothing of the building survived.

• Miscellaneous

  Throughout the area, marble fragments attest to building about which we now have little information. The Agora has been located, and an open field has been identified as a market. An area with a pool is tenatively identified as a gymnasium. Other monuments, gates, etc. have been found, indicating the city had a prolific statuary output. As many highly decorated sarcophagi were found, this must have been a speciality of the school. Even a stadium has been identified, which according to the ground plan of 860 x 200 feet, must have held about 30,000 people.

CLEOPATRA’S ISLAND

PAMUKKALE (Hierapolis)

Located 20 kilometers from the town of Denizli in the Aegean region of Turkey, Pamukkale is one of the most interesting places in the world, justly famous not only for the entrancing beauty of its unique geological formations but also for its historical remains. The calcium oxide-rich waters flowing down the southern slope of Caldag located north of the ruins have, over the millennia, built up deposits of white travertine on the plateau thus fully justifying both the site's ancient name of Hierapolis (Holy City) and its modern one of Pamukkale (Cotton Castle).

CAUNOS (Dalyan)

Founded around the 9th century BC, Caunos became an important Carian city in 400 B.C. Right on the border with the Kingdom of Lycia, its culture reflected aspects of both Kingdoms. The tombs, for instance, are in Lycian style. When Maussolos of Halicarnassus was ruler of Caria, his Hellenistic influence reached the Caunians, who eagerly adopted the culture. This mixture of cultures in Caunos may be seen amongst the ruins of its various archaeological remains: the Carian city wall built by Maussolos, the Lycian and Carian tombs, the medieval walls on the acropolis, a Roman fountain dedicated to Vespasianus, a theater from the 2nd century BC, remains of 4 temples, massive Roman baths and a Byzantine basilica of 5th/8th centuries.

One of the most beautiful features of the site are the rock tombs sculpted in the form of the porticoes of small Ionic temples. These are among the most splendid examples of Lycian type funerary architecture in Turkey, although the builders were Carians. The original occupants of the tombs are obscure but are assumed to have been Caunian noblemen and rulers; in most cases they were vacanted and reused in Roman times. The largest one is unfinished, providing a curious glimpse of the method of construction.

The border between the sea and the internal marsh is a long narrow beach called "the Turtle’s Beach." This beach is one of the few remaining locations in the Mediterranean sea that has the right conditions for the Giant Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta Caretta) to reproduce. The Giant Loggerhead Turtles have used this beach as a laying ground since time immemorial, especially in June. The females lay their eggs by night in the soft sand, in clutches of about 100.

PRIENE, MILETUS AND DIDYMA

Less than a two-hour drive north of Bodrum, these three Ionian cities are close enough together to visit all in one day. Priene lies in a spectacular setting, perched on a cliff above the Meander River. Miletus still has an impressive theatre, and Didyma's Temple of Apollo still inspires awe.

Priene, although estimated to have had no more than 3,000 residents around 300 BC was nevertheless important as a site for Ionian congresses and festivals. The Meander River wound through the plain below, eventually depositing enough silt to close up the harbor. Because of this the Romans refrained from building here when they conquered the area, so what remains are unusually Hellenistic (Greek) ruins.

The streets of Priene were laid out in a deliberate grid, a precursor to modern city design. Priene's ruins are among the most attractive on Turkey's west coast. Conspicuous by their absence is the immense Roman structures so familiar at other sites. Priene's buildings are small and intimate, a feeling, which pervades the entire setting. The ruins include the once exquisite Temple of Athena, destroyed by an earthquake in the middle ages. Only the foundation and five reconstructed columns remain of these textbook example of temple design. The Temple was in fact the model for a book on design by its architect Pytheos. His book was still a classic in Roman times. Attractive smaller buildings at the site include the council house, complete with altar used for sacrifices before each city council meeting, and the Sanctuary of Demeter, the Earth Mother, and her daughter, Core, where sacrifices were made to the gods of the underworld.

Once the greatest of the Ionian cities, Miletus also lost its harbor to silt. The site is now nearly eight kilometers from the sea, which still retreats at the rate of six meters a year. Its large harbor was a great commerce center of the Greek Empire, figuring predominantly in Roman times as well. Famous sons of Miletus include the sage Thales, whose dictum 'Know thyself was inscribed on the Temple at Delphi, Anaximenes, who discovered in air, ether, the supposed substance of the universe and Anaximander, who produced the first map of the world. Today Miletus' most notable feature is its Graeco-Roman theatre. Originally built by Greeks to seat 5,300, its capacity was nearly tripled by the Romans. The fortification has enabled the theatre to remain nearly intact. While most visitors see only the theatre before moving on, the rest of Miletus is well worth investigating. A climb up the hillside above the theatre provides a spectacular view of the fertile plain which once was sea. Visible from here are two pieces of white rock about 1150 meters apart. These were once marble lions guarding the entrance to the harbor.

he city's ruins include a harbor monument adorned with carvings of marine life on one side and a half-man, half-fish triton on the other. Also uncovered are the remarkably well-preserved Baths of Faustina, erected by the wife of Marcus Aurelius, which include a headless but otherwise exquisite reclining statue. Ancient Didyma was not a city, but rather the home of the God Apollo. Only priests were allowed entry here to consult the oracle in the great Temple of Apollo. The site served as a divine sanctuary at least as early as the 10th Century B.C Priestesses of Delphic origin fasted here for three days, then inhaled sulfur fumes until they entered a supposed state of divine inspiration. Their ramblings were then translated by priests into prophecies. The site continued to issue predictions via pries throughout several centuries. In 300 B.C construction began on the Temple of Apollo and continued for the next 500 years. Of the temple's original 120 columns 103 have been set up again. Some remain unadorned, evidence that the temple was never completed. Didyma and other oracles eventually fell victim to Christianity's scorn for pagan prophecies. The final assault at Didyma was the erection of a Christian chapel in the holiest part of the Temple of Apollo.

This temple impresses visitors today with its size and the painstaking reconstruction by French and German teams. A sacred road, used for religious processions, leading to the temple was once lined with statues, but Sir Charles Newton sent these to the British Museum in 1858. The temple has an elaborate bust of Medusa. The nearby remains of Greek and Roman houses and a stadium have also been uncovered.

EPHESUS

During its long history, which extends back into the third millenium before Christ, Ephesus, one of the most important centers of antiquity, has always played a significant role in the sciences, in culture, and in the arts. The harbor city Ephesus, which acts as a gateway between east and west, was the point of departure for the famous royal highway that led through Sardis into Lydia. Because of its location, Ephesus developed into an important political and economic center, and became the capital city of the Roman province of Asia. Its status as an economic metropolis and capital city was not the only reason, however, for the prominent role of Ephesus in the ancient world; the largest temple of the cult of Artemis, which developed out of the traditions of the Anatolian mother goddess Kybele, is also located in Ephesus. This temple numbers among the seven wonders of the world.

The House Of Virgin Mery The resolutions of the Council of 431 held that the Virgin Mary came to Ephesus.According to them, she came here together with Saint John,four to six years after the death of Christ. After the proclamation of Pope Paul VI in 1967,Pope John Paul II came to Ephesus and declared the House of Mary to be a place of pilgrimage for Christians.The house on top of Bulbuldagi is believed to be the last home of the Virgin Mary. It is a world-famous place of pilgrimage. The structure is a church that dates to the seventh century, and was restored in 1951. The church was supposedly built on top of the house in which the Virin Mary lived. The structure is cruciform, and has a domed roof. The nave and ts apse are accessible from the vestibule.

BOAT TRIP

Turkey has a reputation as one of the world’s sailing paradise and deservedly so. The glorious deep azure and aquamarine coloured waters around the coast are an integral part of most visitors holidays and you cannot say that you have truly experienced the delights of the Turkish coast until you have been on a boat cruise.It’s a treasure chest of coves, inlets, bays and beaches and there is no better way to relax and unwind – the ultimate tonic.

Ilos travels Boat Trip visits quiet coves and beaches and you can soak up the sun or cool down by leaping off the boat into the clean, refreshing crystal-clear waters of the Aegean. Once on board lunch and refreshments are served at one of the many beautiful bays. Then its more of the same sun, sea and fun before returning to the resort.

It is also possible to book a full day Gulet Cruise. Gulets are the traditional Turkish motor-yacht, beautifully hand-crafted from wood with gleaming brass fittings.

Whichever you choose we’re sure you’ll agree it’s the perfect way to spend the day!

TURKISH NIGHT

Dinner with small bottle of wine or two domestic drinks included, watching spectacular floorshow of famous belly-dancers, typical Anatolian folklore groups featuring popular musical instruments and Turkish singer.