The Turkish Aegean is characterized by 2,808 kilometres of coastline and a variety of ancient sites. A history over 2000 years old awaits you here on the Turkish Aegean. Centrally located in this region is Izmir, Turkey's third largest city, which is also known as the "Pearl of the Aegean".
The ancient cities of Ephesus, Troy and Pergamum located here are world-famous. The cities of Marmaris and Bodrum are also located here with their beaches that invite you to relax.
The large city of Izmir, located directly on the coast, with the nearby seaside resorts of Cesme and Kusadasi is well known. The climate on the Turkish Aegean is significantly milder than on the Turkish Riviera. Popular travel months are May to October, and July is recommended for bathers.
Iztuzu Beach in Dalyan: Natural beauty. This jewel in Dalyan in the province of Mugla in the southern Aegean is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey and one of the most beautiful natural beaches in the world: it has already been officially named the most beautiful beach in Turkey.
The Blue Lagoon in Ölüdeniz is considered the place with the most beautiful beaches in Turkey. That's exactly why the seaside resort on the Lycian coast is probably one of the best travel destinations for sun-hungry tourists.
Most of the region's olive oil is produced in Ayvalık and Edremit. There are several sugar factories in Afyon, Kütahya and Uşak, although there is also a sulfur factory in Kütahya.
The city of Denizli is the region's main textile centre and exports most of its products abroad. Carpet weaving is particularly present in Demirci, Gördes, Kula, Simav and Uşak. There are significant deposits of marble in Afyon, so production facilities have been set up on site. Cotton weaving is widespread in Aydın, Denizli, İzmir, Nazilli and Uşak.
We met Didem Irmak, Hasip Özhan and Gizem Ayhan during our preparations for the XC Paragliding Competition in Mut. They needed to travel a long distance from Izmir to arrive in Mut just for the weekend.
Last spring, before we began our travel, we stopped over at the Guzelbahce camping site in Izmir and met Duygu. When we dropped by the same camping site again, we looked around for her and she was there! How nice : ) Now, Duygu is our neighbor in the camping site.
The former metropolis Ephesus was located in a valley between two mountain ridges, whose slopes today are still without firming forests because of the once densely constructions, so the ridges are still in motion.
Whoever has been driving through Izmir in certain years has certainly noticed the worsening traffic conditions in the growing Aegean metropolis. Since the beginning of the 1980s individual traffic on İzmir's roads has increased steadily.
Located in the Namazgah district of İzmir, the Agora is built in Roman times (2nd century AD) and was built three floors high near the center of the city called Smyrna according to the Roman city plan of Hippodamos.
The ruins of ancient Hierapolis follow the 1200 metre long and 6 metre wide road which is lined with columns all over the travertine terraces of Pamukkale from north to south.
As in several other towns in Turkey and other places in the Southeast of Europe, Kızılca has been touched by the bad influence of migration especially of the young population.
Pamukkale (Hierapolis) is both, a magical and spectacular natural site, unique in the world and with its ancient ruins it is perhaps the most attractive spot for tourists.
The founding of Laodicea probably dates back to King Antiochus II, who had built the new town between 261 and 253 BC on the old site of Diospolis and named it after his wife Laodicea.
Many of the ancient sites we visited in Turkey are closely related to the history of Christian development and are explicitly mentioned in the Bible in this respect, as it is the case with Laodicea.
Ayvalık, a district of Balıkesir, is a tourism center with beautiful coasts surrounded green olive grove, pure sea water and beaches, and contains historical and archeological values.
Balıkesir, with about 315.000 inhabitants, is situated between the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea, i. e. between the towns of Istanbul and Izmir in the province of Balıkesir. The town covers an area of 14,500 m² and, with its 1.5 million inhabitants, it is one of the 20 largest of the 81 provinces of Turkey.
Another quite popular destination is the Devil's Table, Seytan Sofrasi, which is halfway between Ayvalık and Sarimsakli.
A few kilometers south of Ayvalik, you will meet with the beach called "garlic beach" (Sarimsakli) next to the town of same name: Sarimsakli.
To expand their trading activities, Greek settlers from Miletus moved to many new regions, including the ancient Mysian landscape, which corresponds to the modern Balız near Erdek in the province of Balıkesir.
Aphrodisias was a town in Caria, Asia Minor. It is located near the modern village of Geyre, Aydın, Turkey. The ancient city of Aphrodisias is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Greek and Roman periods in Turkey.
The city of Aydın is situated 65 km east of Kuşadası and is surrounded by the Samsun Mountain. The city has a rich cultural history. The local museum displays artifacts from the different periods of ancient history. There are many ruins and historical sites around the city which bear witness to its history.
Bafa Lake is situated in southwest Turkey, part of it within the boundaries of Milas district of Muğla Province and the northern part within Aydın Province's Soke district, approx. 30 km from Didim.
- The Ancient City of Romantic Breeze
The ancient city of Nysa was a famous settlement in Western Anatolia in Roman-Byzantine times. The well known traveller Strabon of Amaseia described Nysa as a kind of double city as it was situated on either sides of a tributary stream.
Davutlar is a small town very close to Kuşadası in Aydın Province. It lies at the north of the Dilek Peninsula and to the south of Kuşadası.