Lets Go Turkey Go

THE COPPER AGE ANATOLIA

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:35:00 +0000

By the Copper Age(from about 5500 to 3000 BC), farming had become a way of life and people were raising crops and animals for a living.The increase in agricultural activity created a growing need for tools and implements.Methods for ore extraction and smelting were refined and passed on from father to son. Copper implements were widely used.Focal points of this period were Hacılar and Canhasan, both of which also manufactured fine pottery items,using advanced techniques.Their attractive clay vessels were decorated with distinctive multicoloured.The First Town Çatalhöyük.

THE FIRST TOWN - ÇATALHÖYÜK

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:09:00 +0000

Together with Hacılar, Çatalhöyük near Konya was possibly the world's first town.It had a population of around 5,000 people and is thought to have been the largest settlement at the time.Most of its inhabitants were farmers, but there was also brisk trade in obsidian(volcanic glass), brought into workshops from nearby volcanoes and used to fashion sharp cutting tools. Archaeologists have been able to determine with certainty that Çatalhöyük's houses were sturdy structures built of brick and timber.The architectural designs also reflect the demands of an advances culture that valued comfort.They typically feature separate living quarters and cooking areas, as well as several sheds and a number of store rooms. Cattle seem to have played a rather important part in this ancient culture of Anatolia.This is evident from the fact that many of the rooms that were excavated at Çatalhöyük were decorated with elaborate wall paintings depicting cows,as well as clay painting depicting cows, as well as clay heads with real horns moulded in relief onto the walls.Since Çatalhöyük's people had animistic beliefs, it has been suggested that the murals and bull's head emblems could point to the practice of ritual or cult activities.Similarly, small terracotta figurines of a voluptuous female deity(the mother goddess)

Seated goddess on a throne flanked by two lionesses

THE FERTILE CRESCENT TURKEY

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 10:38:00 +0000

The earliest permanent settlers were the prehistoric farming communities of Mesopotamia, living in the well-watered stretch of land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now northern Syria and Iraq.
Around 10,000 BC groups of people began to settle in Anatolia, where they raised crops of wheat and barley.They also kept domestic animals such as sheep,goats and cattle, and used dogs to venture beyond the boundaries of the Fertile Crescent,establishing communities along the Mediterranean and Red Sea, as well as around the Persian Gulf. Here, the archaeological remains of Neolithic villages date back to 8000 BC, and by 7000 BC countless thriving settlements had sprung up.
It was during this period that people discovered how to smelt metal and work with it.They developed methods of extracting and casting various useful objects such as weapons, as well as ornamental items.The earliest items cast from copper were made in Anatolia around 5000 BC.

PREHISTORIC TURKEY PREHISTORIC TURKEY PREHISTORIC TURKEY

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:15:00 +0000

Stone tools as well as various other crude artifacts, animal bones and food fossils from the Old Stone Age that were found near Burdur north of Antalya, prove that people have lived in Turkey since 20,000 BC. The earliest inhabitants were nomadic hunter-gatherers who migrated in response to changing weather patterns and seaons. They followed the wild animal herds they depended upon for their sustenance, clothing ,tools and weapons.

THE HISTORY OF TURKEY

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:01:00 +0000

THE HISTORY OF TURKEY

The history of Turkey is as afall of many great and advanced cincient as that of humankind.Known as anatolia and previously as Asia Minor, this land has witnessed the rise and civiheritage lizations, from the early Hittites to the Persians, Lydians,Greeks,Romans,Byzantines and Ottomans.A singular heritage of splendid art and architecture bears the mark of an often tumultuous past.
Long before great empires such as the Persian Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman began to exploit the strategic position of Asia Minor, important ancient civilizations flourished in the fertile river valleys, on the windswept, arid interior plains and along the southern coastline of Anatolia.The early communities were replaced by successive waves of migration that saw the rise and fall of new cultures, each of which left reminders of its dominance and glory and contributed to the astoundingly varied cultural tapestry that forms the basis of today's proud,modern republic.

Istanbul’s Little Giants

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:44:00 +0000

ARE YOU AWARE OF ISTANBUL’S LITTLE KNOWN BUT FASCINATING MINI FESTIVALS?

We could call them Istanbul’s little giants. A number of very small festivals you’ve perhaps you’ve never even heard of, but that are trail blazers in their own fields, are held in Istanbul every year. Mounted on extremely modest budgets, they nevertheless succeed in drawing prominent Turkish and international guest speakers and artists. Held since 2007, amberFestival is Turkey’s first festival of electronic art. Organized around a specific theoretical concept every year, amberFestival has as this year’s theme, Next Ecology. For more information about this festival, November 4 to 13: www.amberfestival.org Making a big splash last year when it screened the award-winning film

Logorama, which captured the Oscar for Best Short Animation Film in 2010, the Istanbul Animation Festival is awaiting animated film buffs again November 22 to 27. For more information about this fun-filled festival: www.iafistanbul.com Another small festival that manages to attract participants from countries all over the world is the Istanbul Short Film Festival, which also includes an international competition. For more information about this festival that is welcoming short film buffs November 23 to 30: www.istanbulfilmfestival.com

The Last Three Summer Events in Side

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:44:00 +0000

The 11th Sşde International Culture and Arts Festival organized by the Municipality of Side began on July 23.All activites will take place in the Temple of Apollo and the Amphitheater of Side through September 17 and be free of charge.There are three events scheduled for september during the Side International Culture and Arts Festival, whic was accepted to be a member of European Festivals Union in 2010.These events are"Ten of the Best Trumpets" in the Temple pf Apollo on September 6, the Jazz-Ist Quartet cancert again in the Temple of Apollo on September 10,and finally the Gala Concert of the Antalya State Opera and Ballet in the Amphitheater on September 17,

Online Tracking
For details information on Side International Culture and Arts Festival visit,
www.sidefestival.com

Tourism Booming in Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Turkey is traditionally considered to be the country where eastern culture meets west. In terms of a tourist destination Turkey has almost everything a visitor could want –a warm climate (especially in the south), fantastic scenery, great beaches and very reasonable prices.
Turkey is outside the euro zone and to an extent has been buffeted from the recent financial chaos which has affected many southern European economies such as Greece, Spain and Portugal. In 2010 nearly 30 million visitors arrived in Turkey to explore a country which has over the past 10 years invested heavily in promoting tourism.
So where and when is the best time to visit Turkey? In the summer months prices are higher, and flight prices can be particularly high when compared against more traditional holiday destinations such as Spain and Portugal. For this reason spring and autumn are a good time to visit, especially if you are looking for something other than just a beach holiday.
The temperatures will generally be warm but not unbearably hot during spring and autumn in the southern resorts such as Antalya, Dalyan (near Dalaman) and Bodrum have climates similar to southern Spain, and are good destinations to visit even during the colder winter months where temperatures are typically 15-18 degrees maximum in the daytime. If you head inland in summer the temperatures are very hot, and in wintertime can be bitterly cold, especially in the east. If you decide to head inland and wish to hire a rental car, Blue Valley Car Hire compare car hire in Dalaman, Antalya, Bodrum and all major airports in Turkey.
Although the coastal areas of Turkey are geared up to tourism, hiring a car will allow you to travel away from the tourist bubbles and see some real Turkish culture.
If you are looking for a city break then Istanbul is an interesting option. Accessible from several of the London airports via Easyjet, Istanbul offers something different to the beach resorts of the south of the country. There are many historical buildings of interest such as the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace, museums such as the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum and the famous Grand bazaar which sells an array of Turkish produce. The city is also renowned for its coffee, which can be found at any number of bars and cafes that line busy streets of this bustling city.

KALKAN AND PATARA

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:42:00 +0000

Location:Kalkan is only 27 km apart from Kaş and has developed into a modern town during the last couple of years. Shortly after kalkan a sign points to joint road which leads to Patara 10 km away.
History:Nothing is known about the establihment of Patara, one of the most important harbour cities of Lykia. Except for a mythological statement which tells us that the city was founded by Pataros who was the son of apollon and the nymph Lykia. Once it was called Patara. Patara was not only of importance because of its location,but it also had a considerable religious influence; it had an Apollonsanctuary which stil could not be located:it competed with the delphic oracles(The oracle of Patara was supposably only here during the winter months and at other times on the Island Delos).
In the 1 st century A.D the sanctuary lost its importance. After an exciting century it was supported economically by Rhodiapolis and had its prime time again. Patara did not put up resistance against Alexander the Great, but had tos hare its fate with all Lykian cities after the deccease of this hero.Thereby two historic events should be mentioned.ın the 3rd century B.C which was the Ptolemaian age, the city was named Arsione like the wife of Philadelphos II, for a short time. The second event was in 42 B.C after the heavy blow in Xanthos, whereupon the population of Patara offered Brutus valuable jewels to avoid the spilling of blood. Patara which had three voices in the Lykian league, experienced its golden age in the Roman era. Not only legal transactions of the Roman governor were proceeded, but also most of the federal assemblies took place here, so that the Lykian federal archives was transferred to Patara. Patara was also an important centre fort he Christians. Apostle paul changed his ship here during his excursion from Ephesos to Tyros; the birthplace of Saint nikolaos was also here.
Gate edifice:The gate edifice from the 1 st century A.D. with its three portals, is located directly at the entrance of Patara, amid some Lykian sarcophagae, was financed by the Lykian-Pamphylian governor Mattius Modestus and built by the natives. The bust of the governor and his family stood on corberls on the two sides of the gate.
Bath-Basilica-Temple:On the way from the gate to the sea,the ruins of a small bath and an East Roman basilica can be seen. In this part the temple has remained in quite good condition.It was built in the Korinthian style and stands on a 13x16 m large platform.
Thermal springs:Underneath the temple one sees ruin of a typically Roman bath with five rooms:the apodyterium,caldarium and sudatorium,which were all joined by doors: it was donated by Vespasian(69 to 79 A.D.). Some openings in the walls show that the bath had been decorated with marble which could have also been done at a later point in time.
Theatre:The first theatre was probably Hellenian.Due to an inscription from the year 147 A.D it was rebuilt by Velius titianus and his daughter velia procla after a heavy eartquake. The small alluvial land plain has already enclosed the largest part of the theatre and the city with sand dunes and mud so that one knows nothing about the seat rows. One has estimated that 34 rows had been there originally. The cavea of the theatre is located on the slope and was divided into two areas by a diazoma.
Grenary:This is set on the west bank of the ancient port installation and was constructed to the honour of Emperor Hadrian. Patara had the same importance as Andriake in the grain transport to Rome.

Theimiussa (Üçağız)

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 19:10:00 +0000

Theimiussa(Üçağız): No history is known, except for an inscription of Lykian source. It proves that a settlement was alreadyset uphere in the 4th century B.C. In grave inscriptions the decceaseds are often mentioned as citizens of Myra. Since also fines had to be paid to this city on emay assume that Theimiussa belonged to the territory of Myra.The ruins of Theimiussa are in the east of thevillage where stil a few village houses stand. There are neither ruins of a city wall, nor remainders of large buildings. The wall in thesea resembles a canal and with the graves, they are all that has remained

Lykia Kekova

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Kekova:The most suited landing stage is in the large bay and called Tersane(shipyard) by the natives By this bay one immediately sees the apsis of a once dimensional basilica.besides the remainder of a Hellenian tower, all ruins of the sunken city are from the East Roman age(4th to 5th centuries A.D.). Many cisterns are also in Kekova where rain water was collected, as everywhere in the region. Even today the inhabitants of the village Kale gettheir water from these cisterns by motor boats.

SIMENA (KALE)

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:37:00 +0000

Location:Simena and Kekova only be reached by waterway. Coming from Kaş with a motor boat,one enjoys a very beautiful Iandspace. On the way one passes numerous small island with evenly hollowed-out, sharp reefs. Almost all of the islands are rock-falls from which gravestones in blocks have been made and brought to other areas by sea. Coming from Demre or Üçağız one sees caves where seals have lived and if one drives along the Asarli island and the sunk city infront of the east beach of Kekova island, one arrives in Simena.
Theimissacan also be reached by land. After 32 km on the Demre-Kaş route there is a road junction which leads to Üçağız 30 km further one reashes Üçağız.
Simena(Kale):Considering theLykian inscriptions found in connectian with Aperlai and the existing silver coins from Aperlai,the settlement was established inthe 4th century B.C Nevertheless,the existence of Simena is only known through its association with Aperlai. In the quite well preserved medieval fort of the interior castle, one can see the houses, ruins of the buildingsand some Stone blocks of a temple which had already beendiscovered by travellers in the 19th century. The seven seat rows of thetheatre which were made of naturalrock, are the most interesting objects in Simena. This was thesmallest lykian theatre and affered enough space for 300 people. One will see traces of three periods further west of the theatre. Abovethe Lykian rock graves, there are even blocks of the Roman wall, and some what higher, there is a fort wall with firing slits from a laterperiod. The nekropole is located outside of the fort wall, east of the akropolis. A decayed bath house can stil be seen out in the country. According to inscriptions the people of Aperlai and the city administration, together with the members of the league of cities donated it to Emperor Titus(79 to 81). A sarcophagus which is the landmark of Simena, a sunken landing stage and port installations can be seen in the ocean.

MYRA,DEMRE AND ANDRIAKE

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:33:00 +0000

Location: 30 km South west of Finike there is broad coastal plain in the delta area o Demre(Myros). The ancient place of Myra is close to the small town of Demre.
History:There are different theories about the time when Myra was founded, but due to Lykian inscriptions which have been found, one can assume that is was an important Lykian city in the 5th century B.C. It is astonishing that nothing important is mentioned inliterature about Myra before the 1st century B.C., although the city was one of the six largest cities of Lykia and had three voices in the Lykian league. Myra was of suborinate importance like many other cities of the Mediterrenian coast during the 1st century A.D. two important events of this period should be mentioned:firstly,the visit of Germabicus and his wife Agrippina were the occasion to set up statues of the imperial family: Secondly, apostle Paul and his disciples continued their journey by ship from here to Rome in the year 60 A.D. Myra reached its golden age after an earthquake destroyed the largest parts of the city in 14 A.D. Not only the Romans,but also the rich Lykians, likes Licinius Langus from Oinianda,Jason from Kyaneai and Opramoas from Rhodiapolis wre involved in the reconstruction of te city.
In the 4th century A.D. the legendary Nikolaos of the children lingered here. During his time of hard work he was ppointed bishop and also died here.His grave and church, together with the Lykian Stone nekropole and the Roman theatre are most beautiful sights of Myra.
Theatre:The theatre is very elegant, as if the Romans would have crowned Myra with this impressive building. Different from other Roman theatres, it was not built on barrel-vaults, but constructed on a slope as the Ancient Greeks did; the middle part of the auditorium is set on rock and the sides are supported by vaults. These vaults functioned as the entrances and exits. The cavea is more than semi-circular and is divided into two ranks by a diazoma. The upper rank is in bad condition compared to the lower rank. It had nine seat rows(the most upper three have slipped). The lower rank has 29 rows. Themost beautiful element of the theatre is the stage building,it has been preserved up to the second flor. On the first flor it was decorated with theatre masks.(A piece of this frieze with three masks is placed in front of the theatre today.)
Nekropole:The Lykian people believed in a life after death and therefore they showed particular care when building a grave. They constructed these places generally as houses in the cemeteries and sometimes even in their cities. The Lykian graves which were trimmed with friezes, are a work of art for themselves.The main theme of the reliefs was the lifeof the deceased and their heroic deeds if they had done any. From an earlier period only Lykian motives can be seen, but later Persian, Ancient Greek an deven Roman,influences can be noticed. An other important feature is the inscriptions. The main theme again is the life of the deccased.
Especially interesting are the curses and threats for grave plunderers as well as the punishments for robbery and desecration of graves.These inscriptions are very important as they give refereces and information about the Lykian history. Many6 of themgive details about the wars led, restorations in a city an deven about their establishment. The graves were guarded and taken care of by a committee af relatives at first later it was the task of the state. The Lykians neither burned their dead people, nor buried them. Quite on the contrary- they changed the grave architecture and the quiet rooms of the deccased were on quite a high level after a while a while. Generally there are rock graves,grave houses, grave temples, sarcophagae and double graves. The rock graves have remained in the best condition. The most beautiful examples of rock graves are without any doubt in Myra. Two nekropoles are close to the theatre. More 100 graves are in these sea and rivernekropoles,which are pushed closely together an done beside the other. These graves were constructed according to themodels of wood houses which are made of rock, and show old Anatolian elements with their flat roofs.As already mentioned, almost all these graves have impressive friezes. One grave house in the seanekropole is an example of this.Therre motives from the life of the deccased were used decorate thegrave. On the left there is an armour scene;in the middle one sees the warriors and on the right the family with friends at the feastfor the dead.The second largest nekropole is to the east of the theatre,it is the so-called river nekropole. The lion grave on the nekropole is also very interesting. Its facade resembles the Ionic Periteral temple, where a bull is shown killing a lion. The relief over the lintel displays the master of the grave with his family.
Only traces of blue colour can stil be seen of the panitings which once decorated the lobby. A canalthe river nekropole. The drinking water of Myra was led through this canal into fountain house South of the river nekropole.
St.Nicholas Church: In the4th century A.D. bishop Nicholas who was from Patara, lived in Myra. He was later, patron Saint of the sailors, merchants, bakers virgins and children from all over the world, as well as the patron saint of Russia. After a short while he was known everywhere outside of Myra,because of his helpfulness and his miraculous work.A Grave and probably also a church about which nothing is known, were built to honour the Saint after his death.Myra became an important palace for Christian pilgrims. After a devastating eartquake in the 6thcentury, a small church was constructed instead of the grave, from which two chapels South of the bema and five yokes of the nothern gallery, have remained unchanged. The church fell into decay at different times and was always restored and extended. In the year 1087, the ıtalian merchantscoming back from Antiocheia brought the bones of St.Nicholas toBari, where the San Nicola basilicawas built over theose relics. In the 19th century the Russian czar Nikolaus had the greatly delapidated church restored once more and it received its present style. Unfortunately an architecturally unsuitable cross degree vault instead of the original doma was built.The building does not have a Standard type of style, sincethe different reconstructions,extensions andrestorations of many ages are included.
Andriake:The harbour of Myra,which is called Andriake, is located on the river mouth of the Andrakos.It is not known when the harbour was founded, but it was expanded,as it became the second mostimportant trade harbor of Lykia, under Emperor Hadrian. Some of the buildings have been kept in good condition until today.On theway to the centre one sees a water mill above the river, a church a hanging nekropole and at last the quite decayed North city with another church directly at the mouth. The more important buildings are found in the southern city . In the centre there a few warchouses, in front of the cornerbuildings there is also another warchouse complex. In the forefront the residential area was set up, in front which the agora and the monumental grainary arebuilt.The agora was surrounded by shops and market halls on three sides.
The most important building was unquestionaldy the grainary, which had been constructed during the time of Emperor Hadrian(approx.130A.D.) It consisted of eight stories in which the grain from the region was stored and then shiped to Rome. It was the largest grain storage in Lykia, together with the grainary in Patara. The storages kept their importance function also during the East Roman empire, only that the grain was then sent to Istanbul(old Konstantinopel). The cistern in the North of the agora as well as the two churches and sarcophagusae were once characteristic of the harbour.

Vacation with Enterprise

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:19:00 +0000

For the latest vacation to Umbria, we decided it might be best if all of us rented a car during the day. Using the price of accommodations car directly mirroring what we should have put in relation to tolls for the bus in conjunction with the ease of hiring a car during the day so we're able to depend on our very own plan, we went with Enterprise for the hiring needs.
The first booking with Enterprise noleggio auto is made via internet. We'd reserved probably the most affordable design and decided that people might consider cost over luxury for that eventually we expected the vehicle. On the other hand, whenever we discovered in the leasing desk how the car we chosen would be a Chevy Aveo, essentially how big a Matchbox car, all of us decided to take Enterprise on the advancement they agreed to us.

The automobile that people received would be a completely new Toyota Camry 2008. The automobile was handed to all of us in perfect condition there were just a few thousands of miles about the vehicle whenever we required it over during the daytime.
The Enterprise expertise started in the particular curbside in Airport terminal where I was acquired through an Enterprise shuttle service bus. The actual wait around time for that shuttle wasn't more than 5 minutes and that we were delivered to the Enterprise spot that was in regards to 10 minute drive from the airport terminal. The leasing agency is found in an extremely industrial area and it is situated behind expensive hotels. It's not the simplest spot to locate had we not really already been driven there through the shuttle service.

The whole employees appeared to be dressed in shirts along with ties, a few in suits there would be a considerable presence how the employees was effectively skilled as well as professional within their coping with customers. The entire leasing experiences at Enterprise has been really good and also amazed me to definitely think about using Enterprise later on again. Whilst they are usually not costlier when compared with any other car rental service. I'd definitely think about Enterprise whenever I’m planning for vacation.

A new Car Hire

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:09:00 +0000

For any recent day at Paris we decided that the car rental was absolutely likely to be required. When looking into the different possibilities, probably the most sensible on airport hire facility to pick from seemed to be an agent with which we now have never formerly carried out business along with for the services. Since we reserved our car rental with the http://www.locationdevoiture.net/ companies, the standard main named renters such as Enterprise, Hertz and then Avis counseled me available however the cost of Alamo, which on its own are a wide name renter, too, was probably the well priced and for that reason we went with Alamo.

The first rate that people located in at internet was €16.00 daily which may have provided us having a compact two or four door automated vehicle filled with ac. Since earlier rental experience indicates me which improving is definitely an option once in the hire facility, I made a decision that securing in the €16.00 daily rate was what you want.

After we reached Manchester international in Paris, we rapidly located the primary car rental service which presented various desks each effortlessly the accessible hire agencies listed. The Alamo desk discussed space with National, since the agencies are the main same team. There have been two representatives offered at the counter that may have helped either individual with National bookings or Alamo bookings. When I was alone in line at that time, I was instantly assisted through the pleasant and beneficial customer support representative.

Everything was required to mention my booking was my final name so that as suspected upgrading was offered by the desk. For the next €10.00 daily I was upgraded towards the advanced stage getting our overall pre-tax every day rental to €26.00 daily for that advanced stage which actually is very reasonable and much more price-friendly than competitors' costing.
A choice to pre-pay out for gas was provided but was rejected. Curiously sufficient, the pre-buy gas cost was precisely in-line using what might be found for any cost per gallon price outside the airport.

Maiden's Tower - Kız Kulesi

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 09:34:00 +0000

The city's silent keeper

Go to Salacak and sit on a bank and watch her.She has a proud stance as if she carries the weight of a longhistory on her shoulders.Look behind her, to theright and left when watchng her;everything is full of life.Ferries,motorboats and skiffs sail by.You want to take a picture of her but is possible to catch her without anything being behind her in the bosom of istanbul? You have to wait until she calms down a little.She watches around in silence, calmness and inactievenss wşthout tiring of being the symbol of this view for 2,500 years, and maybe in a little sadness in all this commotion.Just think about all the things she has witnessed in the centuries that have passed.

ADAPTING TO THE TIMES.
The first information to be obtained about the Maiden's Tower dates as far back as 410 BC. In order to control the movements in the Bosphorus strail, Athenian general Alcibiades draws a chain from Sarayburnu to this small island.Afterwards in 341 BC, the Athenian general Charis who was responsible for protecting Byzantium against the Macedonian King Philip loses his beloved wife Damalys, and has a mausoleum built on this small island.It'suncertain what went on in the 1,500 years that passed.The Byzantium Emperror Manuel Komnenos has a small fortress built on the island in 1110 AC and it takes on the name Arcia.After Istanbul was conquered, the island was used for various things and in fact, it's even said that the Janissary Band performed here.

The fortress was severely damaged here. the fortress was severely damaged in the very powerful earthquake in 1509.The new structure that replaced it was made up pf a tower and a fortress separately and cistern was added to the courtlard.However, when this structure burnt down with the flame of lighthouse in 1719, it was restored in stone.During this time,it was both a place of exile and quarantine due to cholera outbreak that had taken over the city.This strucrure that experienced all sorts of disasters for centuries in the middle of the was converted into a defense tower in 1832 and an inscription carrying Sultan Mahmut II's signature was placed on the door; and of course also had a flag post by that time.It was later handed over military being converted into a radar station.It's suffering dowsn't en and it even becomes used as cyanide depot. The Maides's Tower today howered operates as a stylish restaurant and many people benefit from this beautiful structure.

24 HOURS OF THE MAIDEN'S TOWER

The Miden's tower looks at us differently at leach hpur of the day.Becoming visible at sunrise, It shows off it's early evening lights accompanied by seagulls... At night however,It's magnificent beauty becomes even more distinct.

Chimaira (Yanartaş)

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:53:00 +0000

The place with the eternal fire "Yanartaş" (flint) is found on the mountain slope north west of Olympos.It was called Chimaira by the ancient authors since the 4th century B.C.

From Olympos it will will be reached after a 1 1/2 hour walk. The fire burns at about a height of 250 metres up in the mountains.It is gas which comes from the earth and becomes inflamed in the air.

This natural pheomenon engaged the authors in the antique for two reasons. Firstly it was probably the reason that the cult of the Persian light god Mithras amd the fire god Hephaistos was kept up in this region.Secondly this is one of the 20 mountains, which was famous under the name Olympos iin antiquity. As mentioned, this place was called Chimaira.however, according to homer,Chimaira was a fire-spitting monster, a lion from whose back a goat head grew and a snake formed the tail.(Once the young hero

Belerophon was accused by the wife of King Proitos from Argos whereupon he was brought to Ilobates who was the King residing in Xanthos, to be killed there.ıllobates let him to fight against the monster and the hero was able to defeat and kill it).

yanartas has only a few ruins.Northing has only a few ruins.Nothing has been excavated apart from the statue bases of the richer citizens.

Olympos

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:41:00 +0000

In the beginning of the 1st century B.C. Olympos fell into the hands of the pirates. The

cult of the Persian light god Mithras, became popular, and this cult spreaded from here to

Europe under the influence of the pirates.During the Roman period under Hadrian(117 to 138

A.D.) Olympos reoched its last peak.The fire god Hephaistos, the Roman Vulcanos, was

honered by the people as the main divinity.

As the years went by Olympos lost its importance and the number of inhabitants

decreased.It was finally deserted in the 15th century.

Very little has remained of the city situated on two sides of a small brook.The ruins of a

gate constructed in the 2nd century A.D. a bridge which joined the northern to the

southern part of the akropolis, the Roman theatre and a warehouse can be recogranized.Since Olympos has still not been excavated properly, the largest parts of the old buildings are buried under the earth.

Göcek

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:34:00 +0000

Near the pass of the same name, and just south of the main D400 road, Göcek is now a major yachting centre. Popularized by Prince Charles and former Turkish president, Turgut Özal, the town has a remarkable concentration of up-market facilities, including a luxury hotel and several striling waterside housing developments.The public marias have berths for about350 boats, with a futher 200 berths available in a secluded private marina.Near the tip of the peninsula can be seen the ruins of the Roman town of Lydae,with two mausolea and a fort.

23 km E of Dalaman

1 km from town centre

Dalyan

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sun, 23 May 2010 14:53:00 +0000

This bustling resort takes its name from the Dalyan River, meaning "fishing weir", which flows through the town.

Although the town is a fast-growing tourist centre, fishing has local been the mainstay of the local economy. Over the years, the town replaced ancient Caunos as a fishery when the latter's harbour became choked by silt.

a new weir built on the river, together with a fishprocessing plant, means that you can enjoy the delicouslocal red roe caviar, which comes in a pot sealed with beeswax. Local fish is available at waterside eateries.

The threatenedloggerhead turtle has become a symbol of Dalyan, drawing increasing numbers of visitors to the area.This came about in 1986, when conservationists managed to persuade civic authorities to protect the turtles breeding ground

from development. Since then, local people have adopted the loggerhead turtle as a motif for the town. The Turtle Statue on Cumhuriyet Meydanı is a tangiblesymbol of dalyan's new passion for conservation.

On the eastern bank of the Dalyan River are two rows of tombs cut into the cliffs.Constructed for the citizens of Caunos, the tombs are mainly of the house type and date from the 4th century BC, with Ionic columns and triangular pediments.

Most have a small chamber with three stone benches to accommodate the dead. The surviving inscriptions are mainly in Latin,

for the tombs were reused during Roman times. They are fenced off and must be viewed from some distance away. The rock tombs can be reached by river-boat tours,which depart from the Dalyan Sea Cooperative.

Enviors:A short distance upriver from Dalyan(about 10 minutes by boat) lie the mud baths of Ilıca.With a constant temperature 40C they are reputed to be beneficial for rheumatism and gynaecological disorders, and are certainly relaxing. Beyond Ilıca ,

at Sultaniye Kaplıcaları, on the shores of Lake Köyceğiz, a domed building lined with marble surrounds a natural pool where water wells up at 39-41C.

Locals report that, after the Adana earthquake of 1998,the water at the bathhouse gave off a plume of sulphur gas and that the water changed colour and appeared gassy.

Turtle Beach which partly bars the mouth of the Dalyan River, has for centuries been a refuge for breeding loggerhead turtles and is now a protected area.Until recently, the significance of this endangered species was poorly understood.

The beach is now closed to tourists at night so that the young turtles are not attracted by the bright lights,which would lead them away from the lfe-giving sea.

Staying on the beach after dark is forbidden, so you are unlikely to crabs. The best way to get to the beach is to take a boat from the river bank near the centre of Dalyan. There are full-day tours to the beach that take in both Caunos and the mud baths at Ilıca.

Termessos

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:40:00 +0000

Termessos was built by the Solymians in a strategic position on the shipping route to the Aegean. The Greek historian Arrian said of the locatiıb that " the two cliffs make a sort of natural gateway so that quite a small force can, by holding the high ground, prevent an enemy from getting through" The city's formidable natural defences conviced Alexander the Great not to attempt to take the city during the 4th century BC.

The main building visible today are a theatre, the defensive walls below the gymnasium, the gymnasşum itself, the temples of Hadrian and Zeus , an odeon (for musical perdormances), cisterns in the agora, the stoas (convered walk) of Attalos and Osbaros, and the temple Artesmis. A large necropolis extends upwards as far as a modern fire-watch tower on the hill.You can walk from the gymnasium down to sea level along the old road, ending in a gorge.

Termessos lies in Güllük Dağ National Park,which includes an area for breding wild goats and deer, and may be the last refuge of the Anatolian lynx.The area is also known for its butterflies.

Antalya Yacht Harbour

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sun, 16 May 2010 16:14:00 +0000

In the 1990s,Antalya builts a new harbour 10 km(6 miles) west of the city to replace its historic old harbour, which had become overcrowded due to the surge in tourism.The new harbour is also the site of Antalya's fish market. The picturesque old harbour is now used mainly for gulet tours to Rat island ıd the waterfakks at Lara. The waterfront is lined with restaurant and is a pleasant place to stroll or people watch. Antalya's harbour won an award some years ago for its attractive setting, plan and use of resources.

Anamur and Anemurium

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sun, 16 May 2010 12:13:00 +0000

The town of Anamur is bisected by the D400 coastal road, with the town centre to the north and the harbour to the sourh. There are good beaches and important turtle nestling sites here, and more to see at ancient Anemurium, located on a coastal headland the southermmost tip of Turkey -west of the modern town.

Anemurium ("place of the winds"), first noted by the classical geographer Strabo (63 BC-AD23) was founded in the 1st century AD, and thrived under the Byzantines. It was bettered by an earth-quake in around 580, and after the Arabs took Cyrus in 649, the city became vulnerable and was abandoned.It was never resettled, so many of the old Roman and Byzantine houses and tombs remain in good condition,particulary the mosaics and frescoes.

Environs

On the coast road 2 km (1 mile) east of Anamur lies.

Mamure Castle

Built over a Byzantine fort, the castle was occupied by the Crusaders.Rebuilt by Alaeddin Keykubad I,it was used by the Karamanoğlu dynasty and garrisoned by the Ottomans.Today, the fortress is often used as a film set.

Köycegiz

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Sat, 15 May 2010 18:35:00 +0000

Independent Menteşe clans governed this area even after this beginning of Ottoman rule in 1424. By the late 1830s, when the English archaelogist Charles Fellows visited the area, the power of the family had declined, however. Currently, the family konak ( manor house ) is under restoration.Another manor,once the centre of a cotton estate belonging to the khedive ( viceroy) of Egypt, is now the Dalaman state farm. many people Köyceğiz village are disant descendants of African slaves brought here to work on cotton plantations. Aplantation of liquidambar orientalis, the tree used to produce church incense survives as a reminder of a once-important local industry.

The reed -fringed lake of köyceğiz, 10 km (33 ft) deep in places, is home to many water birds, including the rare Smyra kingfisher.

30 km North of Dalyan.

Great Palace Mosaic Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Turkey Go) — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:11:00 +0000

When archaelogist from the of Ankara and Scotland's St Andrews University dug at the back of the Blue Mosque in the mid-1950's, they found a mosaic pavement dating from early Byzantine times.Covered with wonderful hunting and mythological scenes and emperors portraits,The pacement was part of a triumphal way that led from the Byzantine emperor's Great palace (which stood where the Blue Mosque now stands) down to the harbour of Bucoleon to the south.It is now displayed in situ in the Great Palace Mosic Museum .ehere there are informative panels documenting the floor'rescue and renovation.

other 5th-century mosaics were saved when Sultan Ahmet I hadan arasta (row of shops) built on top of them The Arasta Bazaar now houses numerous carpet and ceramic shops that provide rental revenue for the upkeep of the Blue Mosque.
Enter the Great palace Mosaic Museum from

Torun Sokak behind the mosque and the Arasta Bazaar.