Turkey series 7 - Antalya

 ANTALYA

Well, well. How was the cotton castle? Did you feel to take a dip in the hot spring? I just felt to go back to the place, while I wrote about it. We are finally at the last stop in Turkey. Uff, long journey, isn't it? But it was worth the trip. Now, let's focus on this blog.

Antalya is a coastal city, facing the Mediterranean Sea, in the southern part of the country. It is the fifth largest city in Turkey. It is another popular resort city. This city more or less looks resembles any Europe city with its diverse food, culture and people. Antalya is the most visited resort city especially among the Germans and Russians. The region holds more resorts than Spain.

                                        

(Antalya)

    

(Map showing Antalya)

Antalya was founded by the Greek king Attalus and the city was named after him as Attalia. Later, it was renamed to Antalya in Turkish. Later, the city came under the Roman rule.

After the first World War, Italy took over Antalya and ruled over. However, under Ataturk, very soon this became a part of modern Turkey. To mark this landmark achievement, a statue has been erected in the memory. This place is called the Republic Square and is main square of the city. The statue shows Ataturk on a horse and a girl and a boy beneath the horse, which depicts the youth. This monument is also called the National Ascension Monument. Towards the west of the Republic Square is the old town, which I will explain further.

(Republic Square)

During the Roman rule, the city was developed. Earlier, the city was walled and now this part of the town is called Kaleci or the old town. One can see small streets, old houses and many architectural structures. Now the city has grown outside these walls and is far bigger. However, the old town is now famous for its pubs and a pretty good night life. Colorful pretty pubs and coffee shops are found here which provide great multi-cuisine food and musical nights.

(A street in old town, Kaleci)

(A coffee shop)

As I said, there are many architectural monuments in the old town. I will take you through some of them below.

Hadrian's Gate was built in the 2nd century by Romans in honor of Emperor Hadrian. This is three-way gate and one can pass through it to enter the old town. 

(Hadrian's gate)

(Hadrian's gate at night)

Another important monument is the Hidirlik tower. This served as a watch tower across the sea where the military could keep an eye of enemy and pirate attacks. Now, the place adjacent to the tower is a cool sightseeing place. One can sit here and enjoy the cool breeze blowing across the Mediterranean. There is also a garden you can see a lot of people taking a stroll here.

(Hidirlik tower)

(View from Hidirlik tower)

(Yivliminare Mosque - Notice the grooves on the minaret. 

present in the old town)

The old town ends along the Marina Bay. A lot of boats are available here which take you through day trips along the Riviera and the Konyatti beach.

(Marina bay at night)

(Boats on the bay)

Apart from the old town, Antalya has a lot of waterfalls. The most famous among them is the Duden waterfall. The water from the Duden river gushes down from the hilltop and falls into the Mediterranean Sea. The view is majestic as the sun beats down. There is a boat trip too from the Marina Bay to the falls. One can take a trip to this from the bay area.

(Duden waterfall)

(Duden river)

Antalya is well maintained with lots of gardens and park. There is a promenade along the bay where one can take stroll in the evenings with the cool breeze blowing across. There are a few places where one can just sit and watch the sunset. Also, as I mentioned, there a lot of cafes. One can sip a coffee or a drink whilst enjoying the views.

(Gardens and fountains in the city)

(View from one the sunset points)

(Turkish coffee)

(View from one of the cafes)

Antalya is a must visit place in Turkey and one of my favorites too. Since it is a coastal city, the temperature is humid and hotter than the other places in Turkey. There are a lot of European eateries here offering Italian, Greek and Turkish food. In the old town area, one can try Turkish coffee and Turkish ice creams. And not to forget the high number of pubs in the old town vicinity. I have mentioned a few restaurants below:

• Luna Garden
• Mermerli Restaurant
• Adana Kebab
• Boboli Garden
• Roberts Coffee

    

(Turkish pizza - must try in Turkey. 

Available in veg and non-veg)

Antalya is a resort town so there are a lot of resorts and hotels available. From a budget hotel to luxury, all types are available.

There is an airport here and it is the cheapest way to reach here from Istanbul, Ankara and Cappadocia. One can take a cab and go on a day tour to Pamukkale and Ephesus. Within the city, the tram is the best way to traverse. However, to reach other places, there are buses available. Also, one can book a cab via Uber too.

There are a few national parks around Antalya. One can go for activities like hiking, rafting, zip-lining etc. These are a little far away from the city so it is better to make arrangements with any tour operators. One can also do scuba diving as it is a coastal city but it is not well known for marine life.

(Tram in Antalya)

One can do a self-planned trip in Turkey too. Book flights wherever applicable. One can also rent a car and cover the Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale and Ephesus and then fly back to Istanbul. But be careful with the lane discipline and the speed limit. Also, it is a right-handed drive so mind that. Budget hotels and airbnbs are available. Food can be a problem for vegetarians as most Turkish food is non-vegetarian. However, breads are soft and fresh, and a lot of fresh fruits are available here. I have also mentioned Indian restaurants wherever possible. Also, one should be careful while shopping especially in Istanbul. There can be racial spurts, but it is better to ignore them.

The total cost of my trip was 1,50,000/- rupees. This is including the airfares, accommodation, food, internal transfers, hot air balloon and shopping. If you self-plan a trip, the cost can get a little cheaper. The best time to visit Turkey is April to May and September to October. June is the hottest month so avoid that. From November end, the temperature starts to dip so be careful to carry thermals. In January, some parts of Turkey experience heavy snowfall. Some places offer skiing as an activity during this time. Do a good research on the activities before leaving as some may get closed like the hot air balloon. It is better to book the activities at the venue rather than advance booking.

This blog brings the curtains down on the Turkey series. I enjoyed the Turkey trip a lot. This was one of my dream destinations and I am happy to have ticked it off my bucket list. I enjoyed writing this series too as it took me back to the happy memories. If you get a chance, then don't miss Turkey. You can contact me if you need to plan a trip here. I hope I made the blogs interesting, and you had fun. Keep filling in with your comments and feedback. Until next blog, bye bye!

In case you missed my previous blogs in this series, here are the links:

Pamukkale

Troy

Ephesus

Istanbul

Hot Air Balloon

Cappadocia

Turkey series 6 - Pamukkale

 PAMUKKALE

Welcome back. How were the history lessons? Boring, was it? Ok, this is the last history blog of this series. Of course, this has a twist too. So, read on and wait for the twist.

We now go around 200 kms from Kusadasi to a small town called Pamukkale. Another historical city beckons here. However, before that I would want to tell a few things about Pamukkale.

As I said, Pamukkale is a small town, however, is important for mainly two reasons. Firstly, this town brims with hot springs. Secondly, this town is famous for its cotton cultivation. I will let you know later why I had to bring up cotton here. First let's talk about hot springs.

Now, what are hot springs? Hot spring is a spring of heated underground water that emerges on the surface of the earth. The heating takes place either by molten magma or through circulation of water along hot rocks deep in the earth's crust. This water often contains different minerals and useful for relaxation and healing.

Due to the presence of hot springs, a lot of thermal plants can be seen around the area.

(A hot spring at Pamukkale)

(A hot spring at a hotel in Pamukkale)

(Hot spring on a road)

(Map showing Pamukkale)

Apart from the hot springs, there is an ancient city - Hierapolis. This is the third ancient city in Turkey after Troy and Ephesus. Hierapolis or the Holy City was a Greek city built in the 2nd century BC. Due to the presence of hot springs, this place was also used as a healing center. The Greeks built many temples here dedicated to Goddess Cybele. It was also believed that this was gateway to hell due to the presence of gases and minerals, which can be fatal at times.

Although the city of Hierapolis is under ruins, some structures have retained its own glory. One such structure is the theater. This is similar to the one we saw in Ephesus; however, the capacity is smaller than that. This theater could hold a capacity of 10000 people. Again, the place was used as a venue for entertainment like drama and music and also for combats. The pillars on the stage are more pronounced than the ones we saw at Ephesus.

(Theater at Hierapolis)

(The city of Hierapolis)

(Ruins at the ancient city)

A few other structures like the Gateway to hell, great baths, necropolis (tombs), temple of Apollo. Among them a popular bath is the Cleopatra pool. The name comes from the fact that Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen, visited this place and took a bath in the hot spring here. The dip in this pooled is said to have healed many skin diseases. Even now one can take a dip here by paying 125 Turkish Lira.

(Hot spring in Cleopatra pool)

Another most popular tourist place is the 'Cotton Castle'. The name Pamukkale actually means cotton castle. The name comes from the huge limestone deposits which is white in color, and this covers the whole mountain. The limestone in turn is formed from the minerals from the hot springs. And since this area is known for its cotton cultivation (I mentioned this earlier), this place got the name as Cotton Castle or Pamukkale. This spot is a well-known tourist place. The Bollywood song 'Tu Jaane na' from the movie 'Ajab Prem ki Ghajab Kahani' was shot here. 

The hot water from the springs settles down here on what are called as terraces. These terraces form a step-like structure giving it a unique scenery. On top of that, the white limestone deposit is like a cherry on the cake, thus, making the place very attractive. One can go down the terraces. The hot water keeps flowing down and ends up in a pool at the base of the hill. The pool is surrounded by a garden and can be visited from the town side. 

(Cotton terraces at Pamukkale)

(Panoramic view of the terraces and the pool)

(Hot water gushing down the drain beside the terrace)

(Water stored on the limestone deposits)

(Water gushing down as a waterfall)

(The city view of Pamukkale)

Pamukkale is a must visit place in Turkey, due to its natural hot spring and the cotton castle. Since it is just about 250kms from Kusadasi or Antalya, one can do a day trip from either of the places. However, it is recommended to stay here for a couple more days. There are a lot of hotels which house hot springs in them. A dip in these pools is very relaxing and healthy. Hot air balloons are conducted in Pamukkale too. So, in case, due to weather conditions you missed hot air balloon in Cappadocia, you can always do it in Pamukkale.

By road, as a I mentioned, one can take a cab from Antalya or Kusadasi to reach here. Pamukkale is 15kms from the city of Denzili, which holds a small airport. Many flights ply here from Istanbul and Ankara. So, that is another way to reach this place. Since cotton is famous, the textile industry is a bloom in this region especially around Pamukkale and Denzili. One can shop for clothes, towels, bedsheets etc here.

The best way is to book a hotel with hot spring (Pam Thermal Hotel - one such hotel), take a bath there, visit the cotton castle and then move on to other places. If you love the song 'Tu Jaane Na', then don't miss this place. As I said, this is the end of history in Turkey. I just have one more place to cover and that will be the end of Turkey series. Hope you all had fun reading this. Cya soon.

If you haven't read my previous blogs, here are the link for you:

Ephesus

Troy

Hot Air Balloon

Cappadocia

Istanbul

Turkey series 5 - Kusadasi and Ephesus

KUSADASI AND EPHESUS

Hello friends! Happy new year 2023. Welcome back to the next part in the Turkey series. Did you enjoy Troy? Or was it boring? C'mon, let me know in the comments. For now, let's move on. From the north-western part of Turkey, we now move to the western part, along the coast of Aegean Sea, to a city known as Kusadasi. Let's dive in.

Kusadasi, as I said, is a resort town on the Aegean Sea. It is a popular tourist spot, especially for the Europeans. Largely, people from Italy, Greece, Croatia etc come over to Kusadasi for holidays.

(The town of Kusadasi)

A lot of cruise ships anchor here in Kusadasi parrying passengers from Europe. The town also has a good number of pubs, casinos and resorts. It also has a very good night life, so parties keep happening here.

(Map showing Kusadasi and Ephesus)

Kusadasi is about 100 km from Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey. There are a lot of flights to Izmir and one can catch a cab or bus to Kusadasi from here. There is also a small airport in Kusadasi but very few flights ply here. This being a resort town has no dearth for accommodation. Since the town attracts Europeans, European food is quite familiar here. Oranges and Tangerines are very famous here. One can see oranges grown on medians on streets. Also, another famous product here is the leather. Leather products are exported from here and major brands like Gucci, Michael Kors etc use Turkish leather, manufactured in this region. Now, why is Kusadasi important that I had to bring it up here? The main reason is Ephesus. Let's now see what Ephesus is.

EPHESUS

Ephesus is an ancient Greek city and an UNESCO protected site. It is located in the Selcuk region about 20kms from Kusadasi. As I mentioned in my previous blog, there are 3 ancient cities in Turkey and Ephesus being one, Troy and Hierapolis the other two. Ephesus was considered as one the seven wonders of ancient world. Ephesus was found in the 10th century BC by the Greeks. It is believed to have founded by Greek prince Androklos. However, some historians believe that the Ephesus was found by Ephos, the queen of Amazons (yes, the same Amazons as Wonder Woman). 

Ephesus was also an important center in Christianity. It is said that Mother Mary, the mother of Jesus, last stayed in Ephesus. The House of the Virgin Mary here in Selcuk, is considered to be her last home. It is an important pilgrimage center for Roman Catholics. Also, there are ruins of Basilica of St.John in the Ayasuluk Castle. There are a lot of monuments/structures here. I will take you through some of them along with pictures.
 

Temple of Artemis:

The temple of Artemis was dedicated to the Greek Goddess Artemis and the great Anatolian Goddess Kybele. This temple was one of the largest structures during the time and was considered one of the seven wonders of the world. However, due to climatic changes over the years, only a pillar can be seen now. This is located about 5kms from the main Ephesus city.

(The ruins of temple of Artemis- the Ayasuluk castle in the backdrop)

(Pathway to temple of Artemis)

(The pillar of the temple of Artemis)

As we enter the Ephesus city, one can notice the ruins. We start with the streets of the city before moving in. For any major city to be constructed, there are 3 main features required - a drinking water source, mountains around for protection, a port for trade and commerce. All three were readily available here in Ephesus. It is said that there was a river flowing here and one can see the canals dug up here. The port, which is now in Kusadasi, was believed to be near Ephesus. There are surrounding mountains which provided natural protection.

(Ruins are Ephesus - This is said to be homes of ministers/privileged)

(A street view - notice the hill on the left side)

(Once upon a time a jail)

Ephesus has given us a lot of symbols that we see even today. Below is the symbol of medical science. This logo was used to denote that medicines were administered here.

And below is the carving of Greek Goddess Nike. Doesn't the name sound too familiar? Yes, it is same as the shoe brand Nike. Carefully observe that even the Nike logo (the tick mark) can be derived from this carving.

(Pillars found at the ruins)

(Parliament like structure)

From the entrance, as we pass the streets, we reach a structure where parliamentary affairs were discussed. It looks like a small amphitheatre, similar to the one we saw in Troy (pic above).

(The elevation of the city of Ephesus)

A popular tradition among the Greeks were that the kings were considered Gods. And thus, there were temples built to honor their kings. 

(The pillars were the temple of Androklos - their first king)

(Temple of Hadrian)

(A water fountain)

However, the major attraction here is the Library of Celsus. This was built in the Roman period in the memory of Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, who was a governor of the region. The structure was mostly built by his son Julius Aquila. Celsus was buried here beneath this structure.

The library once held 12,000 scrolls and was one of the largest libraries in the world in those times. Now, only the façade remains and behind there are just ruins. Although, the structure seems two-floored, it is a single storied building.  One can see this façade on the back of the 20 Lira note.

(Library of Celsus)

(Pillar ruins along the library)

Another major structure is the huge open amphitheatre. It was the biggest theatre at the time with a capacity of 25,000 people. This number means that the theatre was a place not only for its residents but also travellers and traders. Initially, this place was used for entertainment where dramas and musical shows were conducted. Later, gladiator wars were also staged here.

(The amphitheatre)

Ephesus is also famous for its cats. They are colorful and one can see lots of them around the area. Can you guess the name of the most famous Ephesus cat? Clue: we have known it from our childhood in the form of comics. Yes, it is Garfield.

(Ephesus cats)

Ephesus is a very important place in Greek as well as Turkish history. Religiously and culturally, Ephesus, and Selcuk, has grown into a prominent tourist spot. If you are a history person, Ephesus is a place to visit. This place has structure that are not seen elsewhere. So, don't miss Ephesus when in Turkey. I loved this place. Ok then enough of history. Let's move on to something interesting in my next blog. Keep waiting for that. Until then signing off.

If you haven't read my previous blogs, here are the link for you:

Troy
Cappadocia
Istanbul
Hot Air Balloon