THE AEGEAN EXPERIENCE IN TURKEY

I had an early departure from Cappadocia to take the Turkish Airlines flight leaving at 0930 hours from Kayseri and arriving at Izmir at 1100 hours to explore the Aegean coast of Turkey. The Aegean shores undoubtedly boasts of the loveliest landscapes in the country - from coastlines with crystal clear water to pristine beaches and some amazing historic sites. I was looking forward to the last leg of my trip to Turkey.

On arrival at Izmir airport, I was quite excited to head to Kusadasi which is a famous port of call for luxury cruise liners, besides well known for its beaches, restaurants and night life as well. Kusadasi which means "Bird Island" derives it name from an islet known as Pigeon Island. Located around 90 minutes on the south of Izmir, you can also visit Greece as the island of Samos which is just 30 minutes by boat from Kusadasi.

There are several day trips which are organized from Kusadasi into Greece and it is important that you have a visa for Greece as well as a multiple entry visa for Turkey in case you plan taking the day cruise to Samos Island. Kusadasi has grown to be a popular tourist destination as it is close to many important sites across the Aegean region such as Pammukale which is 3 hours away, Bodrum - the party capital of Turkey which is 2 hours from Kusadasi and Ephesus or Efes which is one of the most popular sites and well known for the best preserved ancient ruins in the world. Ephesus is near Selçuk which is a mere 30 minutes away from Kusadasi.

En route from Izmir to Kusadasi you will also find two Aqua Parks - Aqua Fantasy and Adaland. On the coach I had a couple - the man was from Scotland and the lady from New Zealand and the lady was making her 18th trip to Turkey as she has been visiting Turkey almost every year when she set her foot first on this country nearly 20 years ago and they were to spend a week chilling out at Aqua Fantasy which is one of the biggest water parks in the world. I could gauge the size of the park as you could see some of the gigantic water slides as the coach halted at the park for the passengers to alight at Aqua Fantasy. One can stay at the Aqua Fantasy Club Hotel, a four star resort property which has its own private beach and is just 4 kilometres from Kusadasi.

Alternatively you can stay in Kusadasi and make a day trip to any of the waterparks. The other water park en route is Adaland which is the biggest Aquapark in Europe and comprises of a wide range of activities with over 20 fantastic rides spread around 67 acres.

After having crossed the Aqua parks we were approaching the scenic town of Kusadasi with it crystal clear waters. I checked in at the Kayhanbey Hotel, a four star property which is located along the harbour and I could see one of the cruise liners which was docked from the balcony of my hotel room. The hotel comprises of 72 rooms and is in the heart of the city centre and an ideal place to stay. You have quite a few restaurants in the vicinity and as it was nearing lunch time, I stopped for lunch at King's Palace which is a café restaurant and serves a wide variety of cuisine ranging from Turkish, Italian, Indian and Mexican. So for the Indian travellers who are particular either for vegetarian or Indian meals you would love Kusadasi as it offers lots of options as far as cuisine is concerned.

Later that afternoon, I explored the city centre starting with the port area which has all the leading shopping brands at great value. The city of Kusadasi to a great extent reminded me of Phuket, Thailand as it is having not only beautiful beaches, but a town bustling with activity and is a delightful place to be in whether you are going on a honeymoon or a family holiday or even if you are a party animal. The town itself boasts of some lovely beaches and enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year - a typical Mediterranean climate with long summers and mild winters. One of the popular beach is known as the Ladies Beach or Kadinlar Denizi and is located around 5 kilometres from the city centre.

No motor vehicle is allowed in the ladies beach area and there is a regular shuttle which runs from the town centre to the ladies beach. You can also experience various water sports activities here - whether it is windsurfing, water skiing, sailing or beach volleyball, Kusadasi is one of the popular destinations to relax by the beach side and at the same time visit some of the historic sites around the region. What better way to spend your evening after a day of activity than try out a Turkish Hamam or the famous Turkish Bath.

That evening, I went to Adasaray Hamami which is a few kilometers away from the town to try out the Turkish Bath as Kusadasi is one of the best places to try the traditional Turkish bath experience. The tradition of Turkish bath dates back to the time even before the Turks had reached Anatolia. When the Turks arrived in Anatolia, they brought with them a bathing tradition and were confronted with the bathing tradition of the Romans and Byzantines and soon the traditions of bathing merged and with the addition of the Moslem concern for cleanliness; there arose a new concept of bathing known as the Hamam or the Turkish bath.

Soon the popularity of Hamam grew and besides become a place to cleanse the skin, it became a ritual for the locals to frequent the Hamam and today it has become one of the major attractions for those who visit Turkey. So what exactly is the Hamam experience - You first enter a chamber what is called a dream room to leave your clothes and wrap yourself with a towel and then you can go to the sauna room for 15 to 20 minutes. Thereafter, you go the the main bathing area where there is a centralized platform also known as the main parlour area.

The Turkish Bath or Gobek Tasi in Turkish which is translated as belly stone in English is where you lie down for about 10 to 15 minutes and a professional masseur will use loofas to cleanse your skin in order to open the pores of your skin along with foamy layers of soap. After that you have a choice of either taking a typical Turkish massage followed by shower or skip the massage and immediately after the bath leave the main room and go to the lounge area wrapped around in your bathing robe and enjoy a warm drink which is preferably the traditional Turkish tea.

The entire experience is extremely rejuvenating and those who haven't tried a Turkish bath, I would strongly recommend them to do so when in Turkey and preferably in Kusadasi especially after having spent a long day at the beach side soaking in the sun and trying out some active water sports along the beach. There are separate bathing areas for men and women and the best way to know how you feel is to experience it.

Later that evening, I headed to the city centre where one finds shops open late in the evening and at times till the wee hours of the morning. It is in the evening that the city comes to life and the restaurants serve some of the local Aegean speciality including fresh seafood. You can then burn your calories dancing away at any of the bars or discotheques which are open till the early hours of dawn. The following morning, I joined the tour to Efes or Ephesus which is one of the best preserved ancient city on the Eastern side of the Mediterranean. The day long tour comprised of visiting the ruins as well as the House of Virgin Mary where it is believed that Virgin Mary spent her last few years here at the Bulbul Mountains, Selçuk which is a few kilometers away from Ephesus.

Ephesus was our first stop and here you find several acres of carefully excavated ruins which present an unparalleled recreation of ancient splendour. Ephesus once had over 250000 inhabitants and to appreciate the magnificent ruins you need one entire day. There are some fine sites which stand out in the city of Ephesus and this includes the Celsus Library and the Grand Roman amphitheatre where till date you have concerts being performed during the annual Efes festival. The city of Ephesus itself was founded around 3000 BC by the Amazons and it was around 1000 BC that it became a Greek Colony.

The foundation of Ephesus was initiated by Androclos, son of Kodros (King of Athens). Androcolos and his companions established the new city and lived here for 44 years. The city became famous for its science, technology and wealth and its popularity spread in the surrounding area extending to the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Alexander the Great entered Ephesus in 334 BC and this period was known as the Golden Age of Ephesus. After Alexander's death, the city was ruled by one of his Generals and later in 130 BC, the city was annexed to the Roman Empire under the reign of Emperor Augustus and most of the remains seen today belong to the Roman Empire. Only 30% of the city has been excavated and as we were soaking in the history narrated to us by our guide, we could see some of the areas which were cordoned off as the excavation of the city continues to take place. The excavation of this city was started around 130 years ago.

As one enters the city of Ephesus, the first place we come across is the Agora or the Market place. Then there is the smaller amphitheatre known as Odeon which was used for concerts, later we moved on to the site of the Celsus Library which is one of the well preserved monuments of the city. The façade is two-storeyed and its interior consists of a single large hall. There are four pairs of columns and between them there are three entrance doors and between the doors there are four female statues which symbolizes virtue, knowledge, destiny and intelligence.

The statues here in Ephesus are copies as the originals were taken to Austria. Across the library used to be a brothel of which there is very little remains today. Only two of the floors covering mosaics symbolizing the four seasons are in a well preserved condition. It was said that the people used to leave their homes with the excuse of going to the library and they would instead go across to the brothel.

Moving further down the Celsus Library there is a Triumphal Arch in Greek Roman Style which is the south east gate of the Commercial Agora or Market place and is supposed to have been built in the 4th or 3rd Century BC. To the north of the Agora is the Harbour Gate and the road alongside the Agora is known as the Marble Road as during the 5th Century it was believed to have been paved with white marble slabs and you find the remains of the road even today. The road leads to the Grand Theatre which is the most impressive structure of Ephesus and has a seating capacity of 24000 spectators.

It was also the most important meeting place in the social and cultural life of the city. The original theatre was built during the Hellenistic age and was enlarged during 41-54 A.D. The theatre was used as a meeting place for ordinary citizens to discuss important matters involving the city. During the Roman Age, it also became a venue for gladiator fights involving wild animals. The renovated Grand Theatre of Ephesus is being used recently especially during the annual Efes Festival to stage various theatrical performances.

The other highlights of Ephesus include the Trajan Fountain, Memmius Monument, Hadrian Temple, Houses of the Slopes, Hercules Gate, Domitian Temple and the Pollio Fountain. After the city of Ephesus, we stopped next at the location of the Artemis Temple which was one of the wonders of the ancient world. The foundation stone of the temple was laid around 7th Century BC. It was built in honor of the Greek goddess of hunting, wild nature, and fertility and was in fact the most beautiful structure on earth and therefore included amongst the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Referred to as the great marble temple, or temple D, it was sponsored by the Lydian king Croesus and was designed by the Greek architect Chersiphron. The temple served as both a marketplace and a religious institution. For years, the sanctuary was visited by merchants, tourists, artisans, and kings who paid homage to the goddess by sharing their profits with her. Recent archeological excavations at the site revealed gifts from pilgrims including statuettes of Artemis made of gold and ivory, ornaments comprising of earrings, bracelets, and necklaces as well as artifacts from Persia as well as India. On the night of 21 July 356 BC, a man named Herostratus burned the temple to ground in an attempt to immortalize his name.

On the same night itself, Alexander the Great was born. Later, when Alexander the Great conquered Asia Minor, he offered to rebuild the destroyed temple, but the Temple was not restored until after his death in 323 BC. The temple was eventually restored and was labeled "Temple E" by archeologists. The temple was again destroyed by the Goths in AD 262. Although the Ephesians vowed to rebuild. by the fourth century AD, most Ephesians had converted to Christianity and the temple lost its religious glamour.

The final chapter came when in AD 401 the Temple of Artemis was torn down by St John Chrysostom. Ephesus was later deserted, and only in the late nineteenth century has the site been excavated. The digging revealed the temple's foundation and the road to the now swampy site. Attempts were recently made to rebuilt the temple, but only a few columns have been re-erected.After the Artemis Temple our next stop was at the House of Virgin Mary which will be featured in the next edition of Opportunities Today.

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