Turkey2007

Turkey October 2007
It's exactly twenty years since I went to Turkey (Altinkum) for the first time and although I have been to other parts of Turkey over the years it was good to return to this part of the country and retrace some of my footsteps twenty years on. This time staying in Kusadasi, I revisited the ancient Greek/Roman city of Ephesus. There are a number of ancient sites in this area of Turkey and if you were determined to visit them all it would easy to become overdosed with the many historical sites but if you only wanted to visit one Ephesus provides essential viewing.

Kusadasi 1	Kusadasi 2	Kusadasi 3	Kusadasi 4
Kusadasi is situated on Turkey’s west coast about sixty miles south of Izmir. Located in a small bay the town gets it’s name from the small island - bird/pigeon island (photo: Kusadasi 4) which is now connected to the mainland by a causeway. At one end of the town (photo: Kusadasi 1) is the port, which takes in many cruise ships every day allowing passengers visit near by Ephesus and at the other end (photo: Kusadasi 2) is a small marina. Although Kusadasi is no Monte Carlo, with it's varied international tourists and indigenous population, it does have a cosmopolitan feel about it. Close to the port is the old quarter with it's narrow streets made up of bars and shops and if you can make your way through the sometimes-irritating vendors of T-shirts and leather goods it is well worth a look.

Ephesus 1	Ephesus 2	Ephesus 3	Ephesus 4
Ephesus’ history can be traced back to the 10th century BC and was originally established by the Greeks and was later inhabited by the Romans. The Celsius Library frontage, which was restored in the 1970’s, is probably the most popular image of Turkey outside Istanbul (photos: Ephesus 1 and Ephesus 2) and serves as a prime example of Roman architecture.

Ephesus 5	Ephesus 6	Ephesus 7	Ephesus 8


Priene 1	Priene2	Priene 3	Priene 4
Priene, an ancient Greek city, was formerly on the sea coast and was built overlooking the sea but after several centuries of changes in the landscape, today it is situated inland. It has a small amphitheatre which features front row VIP seats. Look who decided to seat himself in one. (photo: Priene 3 )

Altinkum	Lake Bafa	Euromos	St. John's Basilica
The first time I went to Turkey I stayed in Altinkum (photo: Altinkum ) and I returned there for the day to see how much it have changed. Twenty years ago it was little more than a small village with a few hotels and restaurants but today it is almost unrecognisable as the place has grown to become a busy resort with perhaps too many English bars/restaurants offering home from home food and drink and Sky Sports TV. However, if all you want is a holiday where all the amenities - hotels, restaurants and bars are all within easy reach of a nice beach, you won’t go far wrong. Between Kusadasi and Altinkum is the fresh water Lake Bafa (photo: Lake Bafa ) which is worth a look particularly if you want to get off the traditional tourist routes and just to the south of the lake is another small ancient site of Euromos. (photo: Euromos ). Close to Ephesus is the town of Selcuk which houses St. John's Basilica (photo: St. John's Basilica ). This is said to be the final resting place of John the apostle.

Samos 1	Samos 2	Samos 3	Samos 4
Just off the coast of Turkey, close to Kusadasi is the Greek island of Samos. During the tourist season there are daily ferry trips to the island from Kusadasi to Samos Town (photo: Samos 2 & Samos 3 & Samos 4 ) On the south-east coast of the island is the small town of Pythagorio which is set in a small horseshoe harbour with a marina and a number of restaurants and I think would be an ideal place for a quiet get-away-from-it-all style holiday. (photo: Samos 1)

Ephesus Video Clip