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Aegean Coast Travel Guide

Aegean Coast
Library of Celsus, Ephesus © Judith Duk
The Aegean Coast possesses some of the most spectacular and significant of Turkey's archaeological sites with a rich cultural legacy from early Greek, Roman and Ottoman civilisations. The ancient cities of Ephesus and Troy are permeated with the past, where amphitheatres, chariot-rutted streets and columns reek of historical importance. It was here that St Paul laid the foundations for the beginnings of Christianity, and where the face of legendary beauty, Helen of Troy, 'launched a thousand ships'.

Besides historical attractions, the Aegean is known for its magnificent coastal scenery and long stretches of sandy beaches, where pine trees and olive groves clad the hills surrounding popular resorts like Bodrum and Kusadasi. Inland, the calcium-rich mineral springs that surge over the edge of a mountain plateau at Pamukkale form Turkey's leading mineral spa and is one of the most celebrated natural attractions in the area. The city of Izmir, once famous for its figs, is today the modern capital of the region, and a major port and busy commercial centre, with good hotels and restaurants.



Resorts

See our separate guides to the following Aegean Coast holiday resorts: Gumbet, Bodrum, Kusadasi, Altinkum and Izmir


Excursions

Ancient Troy

For about 3,000 years the fascinating story involving the destruction of the prosperous city of Troy in a long war fought over the legendary beauty, Helen, was thought to be fiction. The story, told by Homer in the Iliad, was regarded as just... see full details


Ephesus

Ephesus 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... see full details


Pamukkale

Calcium-rich mineral springs surging over the edge of a mountain plateau for thousands of years has resulted in an intriguing natural masterpiece. The rock formations of Pamukkale (‘Cotton Castle’) are a series of natural shelves and ridges, terraces that have been turned white from the solidified chalky... see full details