I am back on the road! After two quiet years and little traveling (we all know the main reason), I was very excited to be exploring the world again. And Turkey was first on my list. I always liked it here. Whether it is the mediterranean food, the people or the history, Turkey is full of unique places and history. Especially ruins. I have seen a few on my last trip in 2019 (read here), but there is so much more of the ancient ruins of Turkey to see. Did you hear of Sardis or Tripolis? Or how about Aphrodisias named after Aphrodite, the goddess of love?
So, for this trip my route was, more or less set. It would be one month of history, ruins, beach time, the wonders of Cappadocia (can’t wait) and the big city Istanbul. All subject to changes of course.
So lets start with some ruins…
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Izmir to Sardis
Izmir seemed like a good starting point as many of the ancient ruins are within a 150 km radius. North, South, East. So, for the first week of my Turkey trip, I rented a car and was ready to go. I was heading towards the city Denizli (near Pamukkale) and Sardis was first my first stop.
The drive from Izmir was quite simple and the landscape pretty to look at. Surprisingly there were lots of wine grapes around and the mountains in the background were as high as 2300m. The villages are quite simple with locals doing their thing, and you can always find a guy making his very own ‘Lahmacun’ (Turkish pizza) in his wood fired oven. Delicious!
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Sardis and the Temple of Artemis
The ruins of Sardis, the capital of ancient Lydia, is located just over 100km inland from Izmir, in the Manisa province. It was a nice start into the ancient ruins of Turkey. The big columns, the detailed craftsmanship in the rocks and the grand designs are just stunning to see in person. Especially on a nice and sunny day and with no other tourists around. I certainly had some fun!
It is a small area to cover, however just further up the road you find the Temple of Artemis.
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The Temple of Artemis
As with many of the ruins, when you approach the archeological site, it seems very small. Until you get closer and closer. How grand and magnificent the buildings must have been. The grand columns are one of my favourites to see and I feel so little standing next to it. And the mountains in the background create the perfect scenery! It was certainly a great morning for some fun photos.
In general, I won’t write too much about the history of the ruins but instead add a link. I really do love the scenery and backdrops they provide for my photos. Not to mention the walking I do while exploring the sites. For me it’s a great way to learn a little bit more each time.
So, read more about the history about Sardis here and enjoy the photos. They tell the best story, as always.
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Tripolis
The ruins of Tripolis are located only 20km from Pamukkale (remember my trip in 2019?) and I decided to make a spontaneous stop after noticing a sign. Due to only recent excavation and discovery works, Tripolis is one of the least known ancient ruins of Turkey, but it might change sometime soon. Especially after more excavation work.
Nevertheless some of the early Byzantine Fortification Walls are standing and part of the roman road is exposed. The theatre is still uncovered, however it was interesting to see it ‘before’ the excavation work, hiding beneath. Don’t you agree?
I am glad I stopped. It was only 4km off the road and it created the perfect finale for the day. Read the full history here.
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Well, I certainly had my share of the ancient ruins of Turkey on my first day here. It was time to find my hotel in Denizli and have a good night rest. Tomorrow is a new day. But let’s eat some delicious local food first. Let’s see what ruins the next day will bring. Little did I know that I would see something amazing… !!
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