Our dear friend Mary who loves Turkey as much as we do arrived back in Bodrum in early October. She planned to stay for around six weeks meeting up with friends and traveling to various scenic and historical locations. We were delighted when she asked Mr.D and I to join her and her friend Alison on the second week of their travels. We packed our cases and were excited on that sunny Tuesday morning as we headed away from Bodrum heading inland towards Pamukkale ("cotton castle" in Turkish). We've been there before but love to go back. It is a natural site in Denizli. You can see it in the background of the photo below.
The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces on a nearby hillside.
It is a world heritage site. In order to preserve it and not to damage it one has to walk barefoot. Mr. D hadn't walked through it on our last trip but this time I managed to convince him to try it.
Some areas are very rough and sharp underfoot and Mr. D. had a few choice words to say when suddenly a very sharp rock cut his foot!
There are many photo opportunities in this stunningly beautiful place and there are enterprising photographers eager to capture yet another shot for a holiday advertisement.
I especially love the hot thermal pool and I could just stay there all day. The water is wonderful for aching backs and joint pain.
As the day came to an end, we reluctantly climbed out of the thermal pool, got dressed just in time to capture the sunset.
Time to book into one of the local hotels, get dressed up for dinner and head along the town to one of the small family run restaurants where we relaxed over yet another delicious meal.
It was wonderful as we traveled along the miles of smooth motorway, chatting and stopping here and there to take photographs and stretch our feet.
Mary had done all the research and always manages to find quaint, out of the way villages where we can wander and find such lovely places as Birgi. A town with a mixture of old and new.
We spent a whole day wandering around the streets. We chatted to the shop owners and bought some copper pans and some delicious fruit from a lovely lady at the market who was happy to pose for a photo!
We stayed overnight in a beautiful hotel which had been recently restored and looked like we had stepped back in time.
Breakfast here was also delicious.
We didn't eat again until dinner that evening!
Next morning after a leisurely breakfast we were on the road again. This time we headed for Ephesus.
During the first few centuries AD, Ephesus was one of the most populated and most affluent cities on our planet, with periods of great flourish especially in the 2nd and 5th centuries. This ancient Greek city was famous for its Temple of Artemis (near Selçuk), which was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. ... In 123 AD, the Library of Celsus (third largest library in the ancient world, after Alexandria and Pergamon) was constructed at Ephesus.
Many years ago before I ever went to Turkey I worked on a painting of this library. Months went by and I couldn't complete it. I was stuck! Every time I painted the columns I was not happy with the colour. I wasn't sure from the little photo which I worked from, how close I was or was not to the original. Then we went to Turkey! We went on a two day bus tour to Ephesus. I was so happy to walk all around this ancient city, to stand and touch these columns. I now knew the colours. I could go home and complete my painting.
Ephesus terrace houses, show us how rich families lived during the Roman period.
There are six residential units on three terraces at the lower end of the slope of the Bulbul Mountain. The oldest building dates back into the 1C BC and continued in use as residence until the 7C AD.
Ephesus terrace houses are covered with protective roofing which resembles Roman houses. Most striking is the breathtaking variety and beauty of the decorations embellishing many of the rooms. The mosaics on the floor and the frescos have been consolidated and two houses have recently been opened to the public as a museum. We were excited to finally see these and while we were there we could see the archeologists still working.
There are many photo opportunities in this stunningly beautiful place and there are enterprising photographers eager to capture yet another shot for a holiday advertisement.
I especially love the hot thermal pool and I could just stay there all day. The water is wonderful for aching backs and joint pain.
As the day came to an end, we reluctantly climbed out of the thermal pool, got dressed just in time to capture the sunset.
Time to book into one of the local hotels, get dressed up for dinner and head along the town to one of the small family run restaurants where we relaxed over yet another delicious meal.
It was wonderful as we traveled along the miles of smooth motorway, chatting and stopping here and there to take photographs and stretch our feet.
We spent a whole day wandering around the streets. We chatted to the shop owners and bought some copper pans and some delicious fruit from a lovely lady at the market who was happy to pose for a photo!
Breakfast here was also delicious.
We didn't eat again until dinner that evening!
Next morning after a leisurely breakfast we were on the road again. This time we headed for Ephesus.
During the first few centuries AD, Ephesus was one of the most populated and most affluent cities on our planet, with periods of great flourish especially in the 2nd and 5th centuries. This ancient Greek city was famous for its Temple of Artemis (near Selçuk), which was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. ... In 123 AD, the Library of Celsus (third largest library in the ancient world, after Alexandria and Pergamon) was constructed at Ephesus.
Ephesus terrace houses, show us how rich families lived during the Roman period.
There are six residential units on three terraces at the lower end of the slope of the Bulbul Mountain. The oldest building dates back into the 1C BC and continued in use as residence until the 7C AD.
Ephesus terrace houses are covered with protective roofing which resembles Roman houses. Most striking is the breathtaking variety and beauty of the decorations embellishing many of the rooms. The mosaics on the floor and the frescos have been consolidated and two houses have recently been opened to the public as a museum. We were excited to finally see these and while we were there we could see the archeologists still working.
No comments:
Post a Comment