Hunting down the ancient spots of Turkey – (part 1)

After my short detour via the Greek Islands it was nice to be back in Turkey again. With just over a week left in Turkey, it was time to hunt down and visit some ancient ruins. After all, I had my beach time in Antalya and Kas already. So what is there to see? Turkey has lots of amazing history and on my list were the ‘Temple of Apollo in Didim, Miletus and ancient city Ephesus of course. And who knows what else I will find along the way.

To be able to cover it all in my own time I needed a car. So I hired a basic Citroën for 5 days. I was ready to drive in Turkey once again!

But don’t worry. Although there is a lot of history I could write about, I will keep the words to a minimum and let the photos do the talking.
Because there is a lot of them.

Bodrum

Surrounded by big resorts, Bodrum seems to be the hub for tourist shopping and dining. I liked Bodrum. It had a great and relaxed feel about it, with pretty streets and cute decorated buildings. The restaurants along the beach in the old town created a different dining experience. Locals as well as tourist seemed to enjoy it, which added to the great atmosphere.

Sitting in the middle of Bodrum city is the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, another of the ‘seven wonders of the ancient world’. The Bodrum castle was actually built by the stones from the original Mausoleum. So the castle was clearly visible, the Mausoleum not. Funny that. I could only imagine the grand size of the Mausoleum.

Bodrum Castle

It was now time for my road trip!

Temple of Apollo

Exploring a country with a car is always a little bit different than by bus, because you can create your own stops and time frame. So, after leaving Bodrum, the Temple of Apollo in Didim (Didyma) was my first stop. (The Ancient City Ephesus had to wait).

I was very glad I went to see the Temple. Although the city didn’t have much to offer, this amazingly grand landmark was definitely worth the stop. Put it on your must see list. I felt very small next to the towering pillars.

Ancient City Miletus

The Temple of Apollo in Didim used to be connected via a long paved road to the ancient city Miletus so I stopped there next. Miletus might not be a well known tourist attraction but I found the Amphitheater was one of the grandest I have seen so far.

Usually the amphitheaters are carved into a mountain, so to see the actual massive foundation and structure was quite unique. I enjoyed climbing all those stairs. (Great workout!)

Ancient City Ephesus

Finally it was time for the ancient city Ephesus, near the city Selçuk.

If you have read up on Turkey I am sure you have heard about Ephesus. One of the most well preserved ancient cities, it still shows some grand monuments of the Roman Imperial period. And the Library of Celsus was one of the most amazing ancient monuments I have seen. The details carved into the stone are just unbelievable. I could not stop taking photos. And the sun rise created the perfect lighting for me.

It was a great morning exploring the ancient city. That said, although I have read that the amphitheater is quite grand as well, I find the amphitheater in Miletus seemed somehow grander. Maybe because I could walk around it more freely? Either way, if you have time, go and see all the above ruins. They are all different and unique in their stunning way. And given how close they are to each other, you can easily do it all in one day. Especially if you hire a car.

Temple of Artemis

After The Temple of Apollo in Didim and the Ancient City Ephesus, I had to go and see the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the “Seven Wonders of the World”. There was not much left of the original temple so my visit was only brief, but one that I had to do. Because now, I have been to five, out of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Amazing!

And there is more… part 2 of ancient Turkey coming soon! xx

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