Welcome to the Aegean coast of Turkey. The Aegean coast of Turkey is probably one of the most beatiful coastlines in the world. This region features two of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus, and the Mausoleum in the ancient city of Halicarnassos (today Halikarnassos is known as Bodrum). Also in this region are the ancient cities of Hierapolis, Mylasa, Afrodisias, Pergemum, Magnesia (Manisa), Symria, Caunos, Philadelphia, Assos, Didymma, Milet, Akrapol, Labranda, Priene, Knidos, and many others. The Aegean region of Turkey is probably the richest region as far as the historic sites are concerned. The sea, the sun, beautiful beaches, and all the history that you can ever want to see. This is The Aegean.
The area attractions include Bodrum (Turkey's one of top holiday destinations), city of Izmir, House of the Mother Mary, Pamukkale/Hierapolis National Park, ruins of Ephesus, Dalyan-Caunos Caretta-Caretta Beach, The Blue Voyage, and many many others. The center of attention on the Aegean is probably Bodrum, where we will spend quite some time. The following area attractions map show some of the above mentioned places.
We start our tour of the Aegean from my most favorite town in Turkey: Bodrum.
History? Visit the ruins of The Mausoleum which is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. The tomb was built by Quenn Artemisia for his beloved husband King Mausolus after his death. Unfortunately, little is left from what used to be a 170 ft. tall structure. Nevertheless, a true history lover is guarenteed to appreciate what is left.
No visit to Bodrum is complete unless you have seen the Bodrum Castle (shown below). Built by the St. John Knights in the 15 th century, it is one of the last and the finest examples of the Crusader architecture. The Bodrum Castle is also the home of the world's only Museum of Underwater Archaeology. One of the most famous items of the museum is the wreck of a ship which sank 32 (yes, you read it right, and it is not a typo; I can even put it in writing: thirty-two !!!) centruies ago. The museum displays hundreds of items that were found under the water, which belonged to early civilizations of the area.
There is much more for the history lovers in Bodrum, such as the antique amphi-theatre, and the ruins of early civilizations scattered through out the Bodrum peninsula. But what if your interests lie along the lines of " what is available at night time...?"
Crazy Nights of Bodrum welcome you to world class dance clubs and bars, equipped with the state-of-the-art sound and light systems. Spectacular dance shows and high-tech laser shows backed with 40000 watts of power of the latest European dance hits are guaranteed to increase your heart beat by a factor of two or so!!! You will never be able to go to a different place every night in this "little" town of over 500 bars and dance clubs. The rumour is, more alcoholic beverages are consumed in Bodrum than drinking water....Bodrum is also the home of the world's largest outdoors dance club, HALIKARNAS , drawing literally thousands of dance lovers (typically 3000-5000 every night) to its dance floor, not only from the Bodrum metro area, but also from the neighboring Greek islands as well. For proof, please refer to the following:
What is it ? Surfing ??? You want to know, if by any chance, there are any
wind-surfing facilities in Bodrum area??? Well, have we got a place for you!
Bodrum is surfer's paradise... There are over 30 bays around the Bodrum
peninsula, with varying degrees of wind power. Whether you are a surf-pro, or
a new beginner, Bodrum has excellent facilities to fulfill your "the ultimate
challenge against the wind" fantasies. Especially Bitez and Yalikavak are
THE most popular surfing sites, since they have a very regular wind pattern
everday: Quiet, little breeze in the morning for those who spent most of their
surfing time "in the water" rather then on the board...
and relatively strong winds for those who are "little" better than the rest of us....
And for those of you who think that the ultimate holiday experience is "under" the water, well think no more: Bodrum has number of internationally accreditted scuba diving schools for divers of all levels.
The quiet nature and you...(I personally hate these kind of cheesy romantic cliches, but nevertheless, the Blue Voyage is exactly what it is...!). If that is your idea of a perfect holiday, then you should try the Blue Voyage. The Blue Voyage is a 7-14 day yacht trip which takes you to exceptionally beatiful, quiet and untouched bays of the Gulf of Gokova. One of thousands of luxury Gullets (see below) is ready to take you to your dream destination...
Bodrum is the starting point of this well known "Blue Voyage", and The Cleopatra Beach is only one of the bays you will visit in this unforgettable journey. The Bodrum made yachts, also known as Gullets, of various sizes offer various alternatives. This is not like those Cruise Liners where they pack literally thousands of people into one huge ship... This is like your own private cruise liner. There are yachts as small as for couples (what a terrific honeymoon...), and there are yachts as big as for an entire classroom full of students (hey, if you can convince your principle, there is no "field trip" experience like this). You decide on the number of days, on which bays to visit or how long to stay at a particular bay.
The chances are pretty good that at least some of the bays that you will visit
will be unvisited by previous Blue Voyagers...
A word of warning here is in order. This dream vacation where you rent a fully
equipped yacht (with its entire crew of course), can be significantly costly.
I suggest that you refer to your travel agent
to get an estimate. Do NOT book your Blue Voyage by your travel agent, however,
since you can get a "much" better deal in Bodrum (and I put the word "much"
in quotes).
Ask any sailor with a little experience of sailing in the Aegean and Mediteranean region about the best time to sail in this area, and the answer will be May or October, prefereably, October. This is when the sea is warm, there is enough wind to fill the sails, and marvelous coves are not crowded by daily boat tours. It is then, in late October, when a magical event happens in Bodrum: The Bodrum Cup International Wooden Yacht Regatta.
I have mentioned earlier that Bitez, this little town of Bodrum, is famous with its excellent wind surf facilities. About 10 years ago, there was absolutely nothing in Bitez, except a couple houses. In the last decade it developed tremendously with the expanding Bodrum. Fifteen years ago when Bodrum was not known by the international and domestic travel agencies, we were living in Bodrum. At those times my folks bought a piece of land in Bitez, on which they have built an small apart hotel, named Kontes Villa. I usually spent at least a couple weeks every year in Bitez, and that is the time I am looking forward to during the rest of the year. For more information, please check the KONTES VILLA web page.
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Belly Dancing??? Heck, Yes ! What is holiday like without watching the gorgeous belly dancers??? Loud dance music is not the only entertainment that Bodrum's night life has to offer...
Well, pictures are nice, but you have to see yourself to belive. You have to visit Bodrum to enjoy what she has to offer. With its new international airport, Bodrum is more accessible than ever. But let me warn you... Bodrum is an odd place. It is estimated that 60 % of tourists who visited Bodrum in the last 10 years, visited more than once. It is believed that it has a magical atmospehre that attracts people over and over again. We are talking about being a-d-d-i-c-t-i-v-e!
Pamukkale, "The Cotton Castle", is a shimmering white cascade, formed by limestone-laden hot springs, which have formed "the magical fairy steps". The water is reputed to be beneficial to the eyes and skin and to alleviate the ills of rheumatism, asthma, and dermatitis.
The ancient city of Hierapolis, or today's Pamukkale, is not only the home of the remarkable hot spring waters, but also the center of an ancient civilization. If you happen to visit this area, make sure to spend some time at the splendid ruins of the Hierapolis. The ruins spread over a mile from the city. Some hotels at Pamukkale, have even their own private pools, as one seen above, complete with the ruins remained from the Roman times. These pools are actually natural lakes/ponds, the ruins in which you see are genuine ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis. Just dream, for a second, how would it feel like to swim through the thousands-of-years-old columns of this ancient city???
And there is the Ancient City of Ephesus, yet another one of the seven wonders of the world to be found in Turkey. Famous throughout history for its Temple of Artemis (which actually is "the" one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), this great and sacred city was largely forgotten until the early 20th century. Now it is one of the most extensive archaeological sites in the world, and needless to say, one of Turkey's top historical resources.
Here is another view of Ephesus; "Main Street, 400 BC" (!!!)
The Asia Minor, or the Anatolian Peninsula, has been the center of Christianity for thousands of years. However, many people know little about this fact. It is very unfortunate that few people know that the house and the tomb of the Virgin Mary is located in the hills of Ephesus, about 3 miles from the ruins. This house/chapel named as "Meryem Ana" in Turkish (literally meaning "Mother Mary" was discovered by a German lady , for years confined to her bed, and who had never set a foot in Turkey, let alone Ephesus. She described its exact location as revealed to her in a vision, and a priest in Izmir (see below) read her description, and led a search party in 1891 to find the house. The house was founded at the exact location that was described. It is now a place of pilgrimage from all over the world, and received a papal visit in 1967 (From Fodor's Exploring Turkey).
Welcome to the Port of Izmir, also known as the Pearl of the Aegean. Izmir, 600 km from Istanbul, 250 km from Bodrum, and only 60 km from Ephesus is Turkey's third largest city with a population of over 4 million.
The coasts around Izmir, which are worked by the mother nature like a lace, gave birth to the Ionian culture and cities, such as Ephesus and Halicarnassos (Bodrum), which were the foundations of the western civilizations. Founded around the 9th century BC, Izmir is at the center of this important position and it is known as the place of eternal spring and harmony. Izmir, above which a sun shines in every season, was one of the Ottoman cities where the "Sephardim" (Spanish Jews who were kicked out of Spain in 1492, and welcomed by the Turks) preferred to live in.
One of the cities most profound landmarks is this astonishing clocktower located in downtown Izmir. It is from the middle Ottoman times, and it is now the symbol of this beatiful city.
The main event of the city is by no doubt "The Annual Izmir International Festival", with international and Turkish artists, performing at various venues in the city and around the region, including the ancient amphi-theater at Ephesus. The Festival is also the home of the one of the major industrial fairs of the Eurosian (Europe and Asia) continent.
The surrounding towns along the Aegean coast, such as Cesme (a major wind- surf center), Kusadasi, and Pamukkale are all served by the Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport. Among these, Cesme is a unique place with its modern holiday resort centers, sandy beaches, crytal clear waters, wind-surf facilities, and the remarkable thermal springs that are actually in the sea. Swimmers are astounded while swimming when they come across an area in the cool sea that is heated by a natural thermal spring that is just under the surface . Neat huh?
We know go back to the Southern Aegean, where I would like to show you an amazing place called Dalyan-Caunos. Served by the Dalaman International Airport, Dalyan is an excellent base for vacations in the lower Aegean. It is within short driving distances from Bodrum (250 km) and Marmaris (60 km). Dalyan, set on the riverbanks at the mouth of the freshwater Lake Koycegiz, is the home of the Caretta-Caretta (turtles) beach, the ancient city of Caunos and the thermal baths of Ilica, where you can wallow in a muddy pool, the temparature of which reaches approximately 110 degrees F.
How about a boat trip in the water canals of the Lake Koycegiz? These boats operate between the city of Dalyan and the Caunos beach, where the Caretta Carettas lay their eggs every year. The beach is closed to public during egg-laying periods of the Caretta Carettas; who can blame the officials for doing so, when there are only a few of them are left of these endangered animals. All building projects also have been banned in the area.
Also in Dalyan are the astonishing rock thomes that are set in the cliffs, opposite to the city banks.
Didyma (Didim) is the site of the great Oracle Temple of Apollo, and it is an exceptionally pretty little town at sunset. The temple consists of 120 colossal columns, 103 of which still stand today. The most memorable site of temple is the huge, cracked head of Medusa (1 st century BC). It is said that Medusa is still watching the ancient Didyma...
This completes are tour of the Aegean Region. Of course, there are far more places to see inthis region than I can possibly include. So, if you happen to visit The Aegean, make sure to get a good guide. The two travel guides listed at the end of this page are two of the best guides available in the market.
Be assured that more will be added to this page in the future, so make sure to stop by in the near future. Our photographic journey continues to the other regions of Turkey; The Mediteranean Region, The Central Anatolian Region, The Eastern Turkey, and The Black Sea Region, and if you haven't already visited, Istanbul and The Marmara region.
The Mediteranean Region 
The Central Anatolian Region 
The Black Sea Region 
The Eastern Turkey 
Istanbul and The Marmara Region The author of this page greatly acknowledges the generous contributions of Mr. George Simpson through his professional photographs. More information about Mr. Simpson can be obtained from his web page at George Simpson .
WANTED: Your comments...
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I will appreciate any comments and/or questions. 
ROBI POLIKAR CYBERDOMAIN ROOT PAGE 
Some of the information and pictures on this page are taken from the following
sources:
Diana Darke, Fodor's Exploring Turkey, Fodor's, New York, NY, 1995
Hans Hofer, Turkey, APA-Houghton Miffilin Company, Boston , MA, 1994
Fascinating Istanbul, Tourist Guide, Republic Of Turkey, Ministry of Tourism,
Istanbul, 1991