Perge Aspendos Hierapolis Pamukkale
Trip Start
Oct 25, 2007
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9
13
Trip End
Nov 06, 2007
Aspendos, Turkey
Friday, November 2, 2007
I'm staring at the Mediterranean Sea.
We knew it was close to the hotel, but not this close. What really amazed me is the highrise condos. It's a building explosion. The condos line the beach areas, and continue inland , taking up every available inch of space.
We're told that this area is very popular in the summer and early fall months. England and Europe have discovered the pricing value in Turkey beach resorts. Many retired Germans and Scandinavians have moved to Antalya. The pricing a few years ago for condos was about 35,000 Turkish Lira. Bargain rates. Now that the world has found Antalya, the pricing has tripled
The grafitti wall.
. Down at breakfast we decide to take some "girls doing the unusual in the dining room" photos.Gotta swing, climb the library ladder and "write on the walls. Then outside to see what is actually there. A huge courtyard which we missed on the way in. And surrounding us are more high rise condos.
It's time to move out, so we're back on the bus, passing by the Med. More condos. I'm not a beach person, but this is one beach area I would come back to.
Antalya is the orange growing region in Turkey. Orange sculptures are on the highways. Pretty interesting..but the oranges all look alike. Maybe a smiley face on one would be nice. Grafitti hasn't made its mark here yet. So the orange sculptures are pure orange. Antalya also has an airport, which would make this area more convenient to fly into.
Our first stop is Perge, about a half hour from Antalya. Out of town it's not looking too impressive to me. We notice some ruins on the hillside. I'm thinking this is Perge? But Mufasta says no. Those are the ruins of the 2nd century stadium. Wow. And to think how many of our baseball/football stadiums from the 1940 -1960's have been torn down and rebuilt once or twice.
The aquaduct is in front of the stadium. We won't get to go here, because the days' schedule is tight, and we're going into "town." Which is a two minute walk from the bus.
The first notable structure is the walls of the town gate
Kim adds her name to the wall.
. Ok, I'm impressed again. But more impressed when just inside the town gate is the remains of the round Hellenistic gate towers. Mustafa tells us that Perge was founded by the Hittites around 1200 B.C. The city is inland, so it escaped the pirate attacks, which destroyed many coastal cities.
In 334 AD, Perge kept the town from being destroyed by making an agreement with Alexander the Great.
Our first area is the bath complex. These are more than impressive. It's acutally three areas. The frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium. And all made of marble, from floors to walls and even the "bathtubs." This would have been a monumental task, since marble was not quarried here. The marble came from across the Marmara Sea.
The town folk used the 42 by 65 foot marble pool as a huge bathtub after excercising. The pool was flanked by huge statues of Hercules, Hygiea, Nemesis, Asklepios and Genius.
It's ironic that the top of the Hercules statue now resides in the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, and the bottom half in the Antalya Museum. Sometimes I wonder how the "finders" get to be the "keepers." These two parts should be reunited in Antalya.
The bath's coolest pool area (temperature) is the frigidarium, although the water is not frigid. Bathers would wash their feet in the water of a shallow flowing channel before entering this pool. Mustafa says that stautes of the Muses graced this area
Elena and Julie.
.The next two rooms, the tepidarium and caldarium are connected. The arches beneath these floors are part of the heating system. A wood fired "furnace" would heat the stones, the warm air would circulate beneath the floor then rise thru the stone chimneys in the walls. This would heat the rooms.
Bathing was a "process". First,into the palaestra for some "body building." Then into the apodyterium (sort of a locker room) to remove your clothes. Followed by a dip in the pool to get rid of the body oder and dirt, or over to the caldarium for a hot bath.
Then to the tepidauium or the frigidarium for a chilly invigorating bath, and some gossip amoung friends. Pretty interesting. Almost sounds like today's spas.
Mustafa has us marching in double step over to the colonnaded street which runs north to south thru the old town, and under the triumphial arch of Demetrios - Apollonios.
We're at the intersection of another road running east to west.
Elena haning out.
Both sides of this eight hundred foot long street were once lined with shops. In the middle of the wide street is a water channel that originated at a fountain at the north end. Four columns are being pointed out. The first column depicts Apollo riding a chariot drawn by four hourses. The second is Artemis the huntress. Third is Calchas, one of the city's mythical founders. The last is the column of Tyche.
Julie is starting to "loose it." As in her eyes are straying to the crafts dealers setting up shop. A step back, then ooops, she's a goner. She's shopping!
Mustafa must realize that history will keep us interested for a certain time period, but shopping somehow wins out at times like these.
Back on the bus and headed for the Antalya Archeological Museum. This is what we gave up seeing Aspendos for. I guess I'm a little pouty and so is Elena. We're trying to be brave troopers, but experiencing Aspendos or seeing another museum...hmmm no brainer. We want the theatre!
Inside, after five minutes,we apologize to Mustafa. This Greco Roman museum is the one that you MUST visit. The amount of statues is amazing. The burial "caskets" will have your eyes scanning every inch of these masterpieces. And the artifacts are just unbelievable. This is truly a must see. We're thrilled to have had this opportunity. And we apologize to Art, for not believing him and his library of Turkish sightseeing books
Julie at the "library" wall.
.Art asks if we saw Pedro. "Where?" I ask him. "Near the museum" he says. Oh gosh, I missed him again.
Next we're driving thru more mountains and farmland for two and a half hours before stopping at one of our favorite places for lunch. Willow Restaurant. The restaurant is a huge thatched hut. The fireplace's metal chimney is hammered brass, with reliefs of the whirling dervishes.
It's a huge buffet and tooo much to eat. We wonder around the complex and find a lake with ducks and a relaxing sitting area. There is a hotel on the property, and I wouldn't mind staying here for a while.
But it's a a two and a half hour drive to Pamukkale, so we're following the leader, and getting back on the bus.
Hierapolis is more than I expected, which only reminds me again that before I travel, I really should do more extensive research on these areas.
This was a thermal resort founded by the Pergamene King in 190 BC. Then the Romans came and conquered, and liked the thermal waters so much, that they expanded and built a city.
We're scrambling off the bus and hiking up the hill to the theatre. Being on the bus this week has got me a little lazy, and this, we all decide is definetly a hike
Kim at the Library wall.
. Straight up. At least my legs are getting a work out on this one. When we finally get to the top we leave out a huge breath, then loose our breath in amazement. This is one kick butt Roman theatre, built on the top of the hillside and the views are amazing. Even more amazing is the inside of the theatre.
We're told the stairs are too steep to go down. Hmm. A guy telling us "No." OK. We agree. They are steep. So we're going down.
The stage area is so much more photographic from here. Everyone is leaving for the hike down to the Cotton Castle, Pamukkale. We're hiking up the theatre stairs. Julie spots a security officer, and yep, she's convinced him to come down and help her up the steep stairs. Then down thru the ruins, past pieces of history that you wish you could take home, but photograph instead.
We caught up to everyone at the thermal springs pool.
To buy a swim suit or not? Mine is in my suitcase in the bus. Roman ruins are laying in a thermal pool. The pool is man made. The thermal water and the ruins are original. It's a no to today's shopping question. We are just going down to the cascades and walking in the thermal water barefooted. There is a wooden deck where you drop your shoes and walk down thru the pools.
It's a little tricky, and hard on the balancing act. First is the algie, which is darn slippery. Second is the surface which at times can be abrasive to the bottom of your feet
More info.
. Third, is everyone is trying not to walk too far, so the nearest pool is where everyone wants to be. Elaine, Julie and I hold hands like school children as we cross the pool areas. We're happy with the abreviated tour, but would love to come here for a half day and pool hop the cascades.Due to tourists (there are just too many of them) many of the cascades have had their water diverted to other areas. Many of the pools are very shallow, ankle depth. There are some that you can actually sit in. Those are at the oposite end. Turn left as you are approaching the cascades and walk. This is where you want to be if you have a swim suit. Since we didn't, and it's time to leave, we're scampering up thru the pools, and make it back to the bus.
Our hotel, Colossea in Pamukkale is just down the road, About a five minute drive.
The hotel has it's own thermal hot springs, as do many of the hotels in this area.
I never imagined the area to be this built up with hotels. Tonight we're chilling out. I think the long days are finally catching up with us. A walk around the hotel, then some down time on the outside patio before dinner
The "door" to Perge
. Someone from our group spots us from the room above and invites us up for wine. We agree.Then we sit a little more enjoying the fresh air, and then decide to go to the dining room. Are we fickle or just too chilled out?
After dinner, we hit the hotels' touristy shop. Knock-off name brands cheap. We're passing on those.
Tomorrow is another day for shopping opportunities, and tomorrow is going to be here too quickly. So we decide to call it an evening.
