According to Loverists, Turkey has many interesting areas, such as the Aegean Sea, Eastern Anatolia, Southern Anatolia, Thrace, etc. to offer.
The Aegean Sea is an absolute must for tourists not only because of the deep blue sea and the wonderful climate. In the Aegean Sea one can find a large number of differentAttractionsview.
The St. John’s Basilica in Selcuk should not be missed. It is one of the largest Byzantine churches.
Unfortunately, the St. John’s Basilica is no longer completely preserved. Only the ruins of the church can be seen.
According to the stories of the locals, the grave of the Evangelist John is supposed to be located here.
The basilica was converted into a mosque by the Seljuks in 1330.
The highlight of Bodrum is the Bodrum Kalesi, a former fort. It was built by the Crusaders in the fifteenth century. The towers of the famous fort are named after the origin of the residents of that time. There is a French, a Spanish, an Italian and a German tower to visit. Today the Bodrum Kalesi houses a museum which houses a collection of sculptures, archaeological finds and a department for underwater archeology.
The ruins of Assos in the Gulf of Edremit are also worth seeing. Here you can see the remains of the once magnificent city from the fourth century.
The excavation site of the former Greco-Roman metropolis Ephesus near Selcuk is also worth a visit. The excavation site covers a huge area on which one can visit the ruins of several buildings.
Some of these are still partially preserved, such as the Great Theater (built in the first century), a columned hall street with columned hall, the show facade of the Celcus library, several temples and thermal baths. More than twelve thousand manuscripts have been found in the Celcus Library.
Both archaeological museums, the one in Selcuk and Izmir, are certainly interesting. In the museum in Selcuk, exhibits from finds near Ephesus and the surrounding area are shown. In the archaeological museum in Izmir you can see finds from ancient Smyrna and other important ancient sites.
The ruins of Miletus are an absolute highlight. Here you can see the remains of the once important Ionian port city from the seventh century. The city experienced a heyday especially in the seventh century, but was forgotten for centuries thereafter.
Excavations only started here in 1950. The best preserved building found is the theater. The imposing structure could accommodate up to twenty-five thousand people.
Other buildings that can be seen in Miletus are the ruins of a Byzantine fort, several temples, the remains of a port gate, thermal baths, city walls, etc. A visit to Miletus will certainly not be boring, as there is a lot to see here.
The ruins of the Temple of Apollo in Didyma near Miletus are an absolute pearl. In its heyday it was the most important and powerful temple in all of Asia Minor. The temple was also one of the largest in the ancient world. The year of construction of the temple can no longer be determined one hundred percent, as it was built for over five hundred years.
The temple was destroyed to the ground by the Persians in 494 BC. However, rebuilt over a hundred years later.
The most interesting ruins of Turkey can be seen in the ancient city of Pergamon. The city had its heyday in the fifth century BC. The most valuable pieces are the Pergamon Altar and the frieze of the Temple of Zeus. Both are no longer in Turkey, but were brought to Berlin by their discoverer Carl Humann. The two exhibits can be viewed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Other interesting ruins are the former Hellenistic city of Priene and the city of Troy, known for the Illlias.
The alleged house of Mary, the mother of Jesus, can also be visited here. The house dates from the first century and is located in the vicinity of Ephesus.
It was restored in the Byzantine period and is still a well-known pilgrimage site today.
Nature lovers shouldn’t miss the Samsun Dagi National Park. It is located on the Dilek Peninsula and has a particularly diverse flora and fauna, such as numerous beaches and springs.
