Aegean and Mediterranean
Aegean and Mediterranean
From the Turkish Aegean to the blue Mediterranean, the shores are scattered with ruins of ancient civilizations. The Aegean region reveals towns of classical literature: Troy, Ephesus, Pergamum, Sardis, and Halicarnassus. Sail along the Turquoise Coast aboard a traditional Turkish gulet.
Türkiye's Mediterranean coastline, nearly 1600 km long, features sandy beaches and classical city ruins. Discover Lycian rock tombs, sunken cities, waterfalls, theaters, and preserved temples. The Lycian Way stretches 500 km from Fethiye to Antalya, offering stunning scenery and breathtaking views over the Mediterranean Sea.
Highlights
Peel back the layers of history to discover the ruins of the legendary city of Troy, featured in Homer's Iliad.
Pergamum, perched on a steep acropolis, ruled half of Asia Minor for a century. This region, once the cultural epicenter of the Greek world under Roman rule, offers an unsurpassed legacy of history, culture, and beautiful ruins.
Ephesus boasts the largest collection of Roman ruins in the eastern Mediterranean. Only 15% has been excavated. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Pamukkale’s dazzling white travertine terraces are formed by mineral-rich thermal waters. Nearby Hierapolis features Greco-Roman remains, including baths, temples, a monumental arch, a nymphaeum, a necropolis, and a theater.
Aspendos, an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya, has a 2nd-century theater built during Marcus Aurelius’ reign. It is one of the best-preserved examples of Roman theater architecture.
Side’s Greco-Roman ruins include a 2nd-century theater seating up to 15,000 and the Hellenistic Temple of Athena by the harbor.
Perge, an important city of ancient Pamphylia, boasts colonnaded streets, city walls, Hellenistic and Roman gates, an ancient theater, auditorium, stadium, and a nymphaeum.
Aphrodisias is a well-preserved example of a Greco-Roman city in inland Asia Minor, with monumental marble buildings showcasing unique architectural designs.
