Turkey, the Cradle of Civilization

In addition to traveling through Central Europe, one of my great interests was to see Turkey.  After spending just a short 10 days in the country, I can see why so many refer to Anatolia as the cradle of civilization.

My journey started in Istanbul (Marmara Region) down the Aegean Coast to Troy, Ephesus and Pamukkale then inland down to the Mediterranean Sea and Antalya.

Turkey (Anatolia) is over 10 thousand years old and is the point where Europe meets Asia and therefore has been the center of many migrations, conquests and conflicts.  From pre-historic era settlements to the Roman and Byzantine periods to the Ottoman Empire to its establishment as the Republic of Turkey, Anatolia which makes up 97% of Turkey's land mass, remains geo-political and of socio-economic importance.

In this post I will combine my previous posts on Istanbul and Ephesus and have included information and pictures from Pamukkale, Hierapolis and Antalya.

Istanbul, Turkey's Largest and Most Magnificent City

Ephesus, One of the World's Best Protected Civilizations

Pamukkale

Pamukkale (Cotton Castle)

Pamukkale means Cotton Castle and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.  Terraces of white rock with thermal pools dot the mountainside some 400 meters above sea level. The natural spring is approximately 35 degree Celsius and the terraces are spread over a 4 km area.  I walked out onto the terraces but it is strictly forbidden to wear any shoes.  It was quite slippery and I almost took a tumble into one of the pools (what a klutz)! As you can imagine Pamukkale is quite a tourist area and although I was visiting pre-season, there were several people enjoying the water. 

The area around the terraces are filled with beautiful flower beds and walkways with benches to sit and enjoy the scenic view.

High Flyer over Pamukkale

Hierapolis

Directly behind Pamukkale is the ancient city of Hierapolis.  The city was named after Telephos' (founder of Pergamon) wife Hiera and was annexed into the Roman Empire in 133 BC. Most of the cities remains can be traced to the 1st and 2nd centuries.  The Roman Bath, built in the 2nd century is now a museum.

Roman Bath 2nd Century now a museum

The theatre in Hierapolis had a seating capacity of 10,000 and was build in the 2nd century AD. In the back of the photo (circled in red) is the memorial grave to Philip, one of the martyred apostles. 

One of the most interesting sites in Hierapolis is the necropolis, with thousands of graves and tombs. I found it quite eerie walking down the long path through the excavated ruins.  The photo below is one of the tomb houses in the necropolis.

Antalya

Our final day was in Antalya, a lovely city located on the Mediterranean Sea.  Our hotel was the nicest so far.  Unfortunately, the tour company takes the bus load of "guests" to carpet, leather and jewelry manufacturers.  We spent about 7 hours at these places and really lost one full day of the trip.  Not my idea of fun which is why I've never taken a tour before and most likely will not again.  I only had one morning to walk the city and visit the Archaeological Museum and was well-worth the time.

Ruins in Antalya date back 2M years to the Palaeolithic Age, the Mesolithic Age, the Neolithic Age, the Chalkolithic Age and the Bronze Age.  Now, Antalya is a tourist city with numerous markets, white beaches and waterfalls. 

In my next life I'd like to be an archeologist. It seems to me all of Turkey is one giant dig. The museum boasts some of the oldest and most precious artifacts in the world.

The last night in Antalya we were taken to dinner and treated to special Turkish dancers.  The belly dancers (both men and women) were one of the highlights of the trip.