Blogs from Aegean, Turkey, Middle East - page 73

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Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Pamukkale April 27th 2007

Ephesus, described as the best-preserved classical city in the Eastern Mediterranean. I had high expectations, and I wasn’t disappointed. Ephesus was an ancient trading city, which feels like it’s been there since time began. It’s so old that it is referred to in the Bible many times, and is one of the seven churches of Asia referred to in the book of Revelations. So, a reputation not to be sneezed at. We walked through the old streets, where people would sell their wares, past the public toilets - which were very public indeed! , The temple of Hadrian, and down to the amazing Celsus Library. Past the gates of Augustus, the old Roman theatre still stands, big enough to told 44,000 people, possibly the largest outdoor theatre of the ancient world. This is the best example ... read more
Our Tour Group
Ephesus High Street
Celsus Library

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Bergama April 26th 2007

Acropolis. Simple concept: Acro = top, polis = city… yep it’s a city on a hill. But its not until you get there, that you realise Akropol, as its known here, is so much more than a mere city on a hill. This ancient city, once ruled by one of Alexander the Great’s generals, has a number of important artefacts and ruins, including the alter of Zeus (mostly sitting in a museum somewhere), the temple of Athena and the temple of Trajan which still has part of the marble columns standing. More remarkably, a massive 10,000 seat theatre was constructed in the steep hillside, and due to the geography they had to build the theatre to an impressive height, as they couldn’t build it any wider. As you walked down the stairs, you felt that one ... read more
Akropol
Akropol Theatre
Parchment Paper Tree

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Selçuk March 24th 2007

On the Road I am sitting on a bus travelling btween Canakkale and Istanbul and marvelling at the incredibly beautiful scenery, the fast efficient bus service here and the friendly hospitable Turkish people who have really touched our hearts. It has been a great week, a mixture of the really budget backpacker-style life in Istanbul (even a local agreed that we had negotiated a very good price for our accomodation) and a package tour that we organised in Istanbul to take us to Ephesus, Troy and Gallipoli! Bus Travel Our bus is following the coast on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the sun is shining and at 15 degrees it is the warmest day we have had since leaving Australia. We were told that this time last year Canakkale had snow! The local bus service here in Turkey ... read more
The Wooden Horse
Taking a boat across the Dardanelles
Lone Pine Cemetery

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Kusadasi March 14th 2007

Zoals vermeld in ons profiel willen we elk jaar met ons vieren de wereld verkennen, dit jaar op het programma Turkije. Voor Turkije heb je niet veel voorbereiding nodig, maar in onze situatie moesten we wel kinderpasjes met foto laten maken, maar dat zal voor ieder kindje wel nodig zijn als je wilt reizen. Uiteraard kan je niet op reis zonder je reis te boeken, wij deden dit bij Neckermann. Meer informatie volgt eenmaal we vetrokken zijn. ... read more

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Marmaris March 13th 2007

Marmaris - Fethiye Blue Voyage, "Footprints of the Kings in the Gardens of Lydia" DAY 1 MARMARIS Welcome on board in Marmaris. This is your chance to meet your fellow shipmates and to make yourself feel at home. DAY 2 MARMARIS - EKINCIK (CAUNOS) With an early start your gullet will be cruising towards Ekincik for an exciting day! Ekincik Bay, surrounded by forests and high hills, is one of most beautiful bays in the area and therefore a favorite stop for the Blue Voyagers. Today, at this fantastic bay, you also have the chance to take an optional trip to Dalyan and Caunos. Lunch will be served at Dalyan village. The riverboat will pick you up from the yacht and the cruise down the narrow waterways of the Dalyan River. View the amazing rock tombs, ... read more
Dalyan Iztuzu Beach
Gocek 12 Islands

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Aphrodisias March 11th 2007

11. mars Ünye-Karsiköy På søndag var det grått oppholdsvær og medvind. Formiddagsetappen førte oss tıl Çarşamba i ganske godt tempo på god vei. Underveis passerte vi flere av områdets typiske hasselplantasjer (nøtter og kirsebær er blant de viktigste jordbruksproduktene herfra). Både hassel, gullbusk og enkelte modige kirsebærtrær blomstrer allerede, halvannen måned før artsfrendene hjemme. Etter en temmelig god kebab (hei til Pondus!) snudde vi ryggen mot Svartehavet og fulgte et regulert vassdrag innover i landet. Veien ble merkbart dårligere vedlikeholdt og mindre sykkelbar. En kjapp stopp i Ayvacik for å fylle vannlagrene ble litt mindre kjapp enn planlagt, siden vi ble vennlig beordret innendørs for å drikke te og varme oss på en sinnrik varmluftsvedovn som hevet inneklimaet til badstulignende forhold. Veien videre mot Amasya, som vi håpet å rekke neste dag, to... read more

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Selçuk March 8th 2007

the great and mighty Ephesus! Capital city of Asia during the Roman period, sometime home to St Paul and St John, rumored burial place of St Mary. But the most awesome part of staying in Selcuk (so close to the ruins and at various times in history the location of the city) is the millenia of history unfolding before us. The great greek temple of Artemis, one of the original 7 wonders of the world (correction from Pergamon entry) is now a pond, a sunken field, and one lonely column, but I could imagine it as grander than the Parthenon. The temple was located on top of an earlier (we are talking maybe 1000 BC) temple to the then mother goddess Cybele. Flash to the Roman Ephesus city ruins, built (of course) on top of the ... read more
Celsus library
terrace houses
Nike, goddess of victory

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Selçuk March 7th 2007

Today we traveled from Selcuk on Turkey's western, Aegean shore to the ancient city of Pergamon, at one point THE major city in all of what is now western Turkey. I'm fuzzy on the details, but one of the Macedonian Alexander the Great's generals founded the city and the dynasty at a place that already had an acropolis, temple and town. One of the 7 classical wonders of the world, a colossal Greek temple was here. Seeing the layers of history was fascinating. There are 3 temples, to Zeus, Athena and a Roman diety, as well as a theatre. The Greek city was on the hill below the royal palace and temples, and the Roman city is largelly under modern Bergama. ... read more
Pergamon temple
Roman temple foundations
sheep grazing

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Fethiye March 6th 2007

The night bus from Cappadocia to Fethye took 14 hours but Turkey's bus system is impressive, comfortable, clean and on time. Greyhound could make a study tour. They even serve tea and snacks, have fold down tables and movies on Mercedes ·Benz made buses. Southern Turkey as you near the coast is mountainous, major passes and mountains with snow, deep valleys with orchards, vegetales, grennhouse tomatoes, a very rich area resource wise. Fethye must be a mad house starting in April, with a harbor full of cruise sailboats and working fishing boats, b ut in winter it is refreshing. We climbed to a nearby abandoned Greek village, one of many that were deserted during the exchange of Greek and Turkish folk earlier in the 20th century. WQe then hiked over a ridge and down to the ... read more
turquoise coast
ready for summer cruising
it really is turquoise

Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Selçuk October 17th 2006

We are now a bıt further north and just ınland ın Selçuk and ıt ıs really cold! I don't know what has happened to the weather. It ıs freezıng - I have got 2 jumpers and a coat on! Yesterday we left Fethıye and headed to Selçuk stoppıng ın Pamukkale. Pamukkale ıs famous for ıt's pools. Warm water flows over the clıffs and deposıts calcuım leavıng lots of whıte pools fılled wıth very blue water. It really looked stunnıng. It ıs only a small fractıon of ıts former self as there used to be hundreds of pools that covered the hıll sıde. Due to hotels beıng buılt very close to them and dısruptıng the water there are less of them now. It ıs stıll really ımpressıve though. Just next to the pools ıs the Roman sıte ... read more
The pools




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