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Kusadasi Shore Excursions |
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Ephesus Ancient City Your private driver & guide will pick you up from either Izmir or Kusadasi ports. Your first stop on this fascinating tour is at the House of the Virgin Mary, a Christian shrine in the vicinity of Ephesus. Some Christians & Muslims believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint John following the crucifixion of Jesus. Roman Catholics believe that she lived there until her assumption into Heaven; other denominations of Christians recognize this spot as her burial place. Now continue on to Ephesus, one of the most magnificent & best-preserved ancient sites in the world. Even those who usually find ruins boring will be captivated by this site. Ancient historians believed that Ephesus was founded by the Amazons, but now it is more commonly believed to have been the Hittite city of Apasa. The Virgin Mary is believed to have visited the site between 37 & 45 A.D. With your guide, you will see the Odeion, where the advisory council held its meetings, the Market Basilica, Curetes Street, Bath, Celsus Library, whose facade has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces, Marble Street, & the Great Theatre with a seating capacity of 25,000 people. After lunch visit the Basilica of St. John & see the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, which Alexander the Great visited while it was being constructed in 335 B.C. Priene, Miletos & Didyma Ancient Cities Your private driver & guide will pick you up from either Izmir or Kusadasi ports. Driving further south we head to Priene first. The ancient harbor city of Priene was laid out on a Hippodamian system of grid plans at the foot of a spectacular cliff on mount Mycale. Next visit Miletus, an ancient city located near the present Akkoy at the mouth of the Buyuk Menderes (Meander) River. Miletus, one of the largest cities in Anatolia, owed its importance to its position on the trade routes. Highly prosperous, it founded many colonies & was the home of the ancient philosophers Anaximander, Anaximenes & Thales, the town planner Hippodamus & architect Isidorus. Due to its prominent position, Miletus became the most important port in this area & it was the most active member of the twelve cities of the Ionian Confederation. From the 7th century B.C. the city has been controlled in turn by the Persians, Roman & Seljuk Turks. Your last stop will be Didyma. The word Didyma, meaning "twins," was associated by some as being the meeting place of Zeus & Leto to have their twins Apollo & Artemis. Didyma was famed as a prophecy center dedicated to Apollo, which served a similar purpose as the Delphi of Anatolia. It was not a city but a sanctuary linked to Miletus by Milesians by a 12-mile sacred road. Ephesus & Surrounding Villages Ephesus, the best preserved of the Greek/Roman cities in Anatolia, will come alive to you as you explore the ancient ruins of this magnificent site. You will see the beautiful Celsus Library, restored & reconstructed according to its original form. You will also see the Grand Theater, the most spectacular building of Ephesus, built during the Hellenistic age to hold 24,000 spectators. It is there that St. Paul preached. Opposite the Temple of Hadrian are the Hill Houses, homes of Ephesus' wealthy citizens. The city was also the hometown of great philosopher Heraclitus. After a visit to the Temple of Artemis (one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient World), you will arrive at Sirince Village. This old Orthodox Village, 5 miles from Kusadasi, was once named "Cirkince" (ugly). Indeed, its inhabitants gave this name so as to discourage foreigners from visiting, because they did not want to share the beauty of their village. Still, after several years, visitors understood that it was not ugly & re-named it 'Sirince' (pretty). Today the village is a perfect synthesis of Turkish-Greek culture as of the 1920's; after the Turkish Independence War, cultural exchange between Greek & Turks occurred & all those typical Greek houses, although they kept their original outside characteristics, have received the local layout inside. After lunch, you may be able to enjoy a cup of traditional Turkish coffee. Our last stop will be the Archaeological Museum of Ephesus. Established in 1929, it displays very interesting & valuable finds from Ephesus. |
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The Turquoise Coast |
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Divanyolu Caddesi No:34 Sultanahmet - Istanbul /
TURKEY 34122 |
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Association of Turkish Travel Agencies TURSAB Member No: A1855 |
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