Ephesus is the best preserved Roman city in mediterranean region

Ephesus is the best-preserved Roman city in the Mediterranean region, and Turkey's top sight after Istanbul, but the Ephesus archeological site is not the only reason to visit this region.

You can easily spend two, three or four nights in this area, staying overnight in the beautiful hill town of Şirince, the town of Selçuk or the Aegean resort of Kuşadası, visiting the ancient cities of Priene, Miletus and Didyma on a day excursion, or Aphrodisias on an overnight excursion to the hot mineral water spa of Pamukkale, shopping in the large weekly market at Tire, going windsurfing or just relaxing in charming Alaçatı, taking a day-trip or overnight excursion via Euromos to Bodrum, and even getting in some beach time at Pamucak or Altınkum.

Selçuk, the town 3 km (2 miles) east of the Ephesus archeological site, lies at the foot of Ayasoluk Hill, topped by a Byzantine-Ottoman fortress. On the slope are the St John Basilica and İsa Bey Mosque, both worth a visit.

Ankara- Capital of the Turkey Republic

Ankara, Turkey's capital city, is important to diplomats and bureaucrats, and has a few significant sights for visitors.

Formerly Angora, the town had a thriving trade in fine, soft Angora goat hair and the garments made from it. Today this city at an altitude of 848 meters (2782 feet) is a sprawling metropolis of five million people, many of them employed in government ministries and embassies, in universities and schools, in hospitals and medical centres, and some in light industry on the outskirts.

Before the Turkish War of Independence brought Kemal Atatürk and his generals to Ankara as a wartime command post, Ankara was a small town with a Roman citadel on a high hill and a brisk trade in Angora wool, the long, fine hair of the Angora goat.

Pamukkale (Hierapolis), Turkey Video

Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.

The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.

Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid-20th century, hotels were built over the ruins of Heropolis, causing considerable damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels were demolished and the road removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits.


Pamukkale (Hierapolis), Turkey rassyid

Information About Antalya Turkey

The city of Antalya is one of he most important tourist centers in Turkey. During the excavations, artifacts dating far back to the Paleolithic Age were found in the Karain cave to the northwest of the town. The area was ruled by the Hittites between 1900 and 1200 B.C. The independent city states of Pamphilla, Lycia and Cilicia were sovereign till the Phrygians. Dominated by the Lydians for a while the province was invaded by the Persians in the 6th century B.C.

The Persian domination came to an end with the arrival of Alexander the Great and after his death, his generals ruled the area. Antalya, named after the Pergamum King Attalos II. became a district of the Roman Empire in 67 B.C. The city was conqered by the Seldjuk Turks in 1805. After a short interval of Byzantine rule, Antalya became an Ottoman province in 1426. Between   1919 and 1921, the city was under Italian occupation.  During the crusades the knights set sail from Antalya on their way to Palestine. As the new city of Antalya extends over the ancient site, there is not much left of the ancient Attaleia. The Kocaali Park, Yivli Minare, Hadrian’s Gate and the outstanding Museum of Archeology as well as Kaleici or the inner citadel are the greater attractions in the town.

Pamukkale Hierapolis

The site is located a half hour drive from Denizli, the provincial capital. The ancient city of Hierapolis is part of the setting, orginally known as Pamukkale.
The Ancient site has been severely damaged as a result of the recurrent earthquakes, and unfortunately only a few structures remain standing.
The ancient site is most famous with the impressive of incredible size. The extremely well preserved Theater with perfect marble reliefs and the monumental gate with round towers on either side, built in the honor of emperor Hadrian and the colonnaded road behind it are a few of the attractions in the site.

Information About Cistern Basilica

The great Byzantine cistern, located across from Hagia Sophia was used to supply the necessary water to the city during the barbarian attacks and when  the city was under siege.336 colums wit Doric and Corinthian capitals, were bought from various locations in Asia minor for the construction of the cistern. A monumental aqueduct, built by emperor Valens and still a major attraction of the city provided water to the cistern.

Suleymaniye Mosque

The Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificient, located in the center of a large religions complex, stands as the most important work of Architect Sinan, one of the greatest architectsin the world history. Built in the mid 16th century, in the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificient, the Mosque represents the summit of the Ottoman Empire.