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 Touristic Guide for Turkish Cities - 4 Beauty & Health Beauty, health, fitness. |
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 Olympos and the Fires of ChimaeraThe ancient site of Olympos dates back to Hellenistic times when it was an important Lycian city and became famous as a place of worship honouring Hephaestos or Vulcan, the God of Fire. Located on a beautiful sandy bay, the ruins are spread out on either side of the Ulupinar River and include a Byzantine bathhouse with mosaic floors, a marble temple entrance, a theatre, and some excavated tombs. The shoreline is also a major protected nesting site for sea turtles.
On the rocky slopes above the ancient city are a series of eternal flames issuing from cracks in the rock, caused by the combustion of natural gas seeping out of the mountain. It is possible to extinguish them briefly, but they will always re-ignite and are most impressive in the dark when at their most visible. The fire that comes out of the ground is said to be coming from the mouth of Chimaera, a mythical fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and a snake’s tail, who was slain by the Lydian hero, Bellerophon on his winged horse, Pegasus.
Kas
Delightfully situated among towering vertical cliffs, Kas is the region’s second major resort, and although lacking in idyllic stretches of beach, the dramatic rocky coastline creates easy access to clear and unpolluted Mediterranean waters; and an abundance of outdoor activities, and a lively nightlife have maintained its reputation as a satisfying holiday destination.
It is the centre for glass-bottomed boat trips to the sunken cities around Kekova Island from where remains of mysterious civilisations can be viewed just below the surface of the water, and visits can be arranged to the surrounding archaeological sites at Demre, Myra and the Xanthos Valley. The town is built around the remains of ancient Antiphellos, and there are ruins of a Hellenistic theatre, the monumental Lion Tomb, and some hillside rock tombs in and around the town. Despite the tourist development of what was once a simple fishing village, Kas still preserves its small-town charm, with narrow cobbled streets and novel boutique shops.
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TURKEYKusadasi
Kusadasi is one of the most swollen resort towns on the southern Aegean Coast, overflowing with shiploads of tourists in summer who enlarge the year-round population several times over. Once a small fishing village, today the busy town is packed with curios and carpet shops; its proximity to the ruins of Ephesus making it an ideal base for Aegean cruise ships.
Despite the frenzied tourism, Kusadasi is situated amid splendid coastal scenery and several significant archaeological sites, including the three well-preserved Ionian settlements of Miletus, Priene and Didyma. There are plenty of good hotels and restaurants, and ferries link it with the nearby Greek islands of Samos and Mykonos.
EphesusEphesus is the biggest and best-preserved ancient city in the country and is one of the world’s spectacular historical sites. The city was established with a harbour on the mouth of the Cayster River, and in the 2nd century BC it became the most important port and commercial trading centre in Anatolia, from Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic period to capital of Roman Asia under Augustus in 133 BC. The city went into final decline during the Byzantine era with the silting up of the harbour and by 527 AD it was deserted. The city is also important as the early seat of Christianity, visited by St Paul, whose letters to the Ephesians are recorded in the New Testament.
he site needs little imagination to see what a functioning Roman city would have looked like, but guides are available and can offer a rich insight into the history and architecture of the ruins. Among the amphitheatres, murals and mosaics, baths, fountains, brothels and columns, the chariot-worn streets lead to some of the highlights, including the enormous Library of Celsus, the impressive Temple of Hadrian, a row of public latrines and the Grand Theatre where Paul preached to the Ephesians. The city was originally dedicated to the goddess Artemis and her once-magnificent temple was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Marmaris
One of the larger vacation resorts, Marmaris is probably the most European of the Turkish resort towns on the Mediterranean coast, and a bustling tourist centre in the summer months. Built around an extensive natural bay at the foot of forested mountain slopes, the town is the best base for some of the finest sailing on the Mediterranean, with a modern marina catering for private yachts set and the Blue Voyage cruise business. According to legend the town got its name when, not finding the castle he had commissioned on the hill to his liking, Süleyman the Magnificent muttered ‘Mimari as’ (‘Hang the architect!’).
Oludeniz and Hisaronu
The Mediterranean resort of Oludeniz is situated just a few minutes drive from Fethiye and has an astonishing crystal-clear lagoon and a beautiful beach that adorns almost every Turkish travel brochure. Despite being developed with many hotels and apartment blocks, the scenery here is spectacular and the town is a lively place to spend a holiday. Perched on the mountain plateau overlooking Oludeniz, the small resort of Hisaronu caters almost exclusively for British holidaymakers and is packed with bars, nightclubs, gift shops and restaurants.
With their beautiful, rugged surrounds, both Oludeniz and Hisaronu are fast becoming realised for their potential as an outdoor activity destination: the beach at Oludeniz offers a huge variety of watersports, there is paragliding from Babadag Mountain onto the beach below, and a selection of boat trips depart regularly from Oludeniz or Fethiye for a day exploring the scenic coastline. The numerous paths which wind their way along the hillsides offer spectacular views and sights, including the fascinating 'Greek Village', which was evacuated during the Turkish-Greek war of 1919-1923.
Side
Situated on a peninsula and flanked by two stretches of golden beach, the pretty resort town of Side is a jumble of old and new, with an extensive range of tourist accommodation, shops, late-night bars and restaurants mixed in among the ruins of the ancient city. In the centre of town is the magnificent 2nd-century theatre with beautiful views towards the sea, and the remains of the Roman Baths houses an impressive collection of artefacts. Busy streets that lead down to the sea are lined with souvenir shops selling typical Turkish handicrafts like carpets, jewellery and leather goods.
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