Tour Duration :
6 - 6,5 hours
Min.# of guests :
2 guests
Max.# of guests :
150 guests
Meals :
Yes
Refreshments :
No
Walking Level :
Difficult - This tour
involves steep climbs on
loose gravel pathways.
Available for physically fit
guests.
Dress Code :
Comfortable
walking shoes with rubber
sole and a hat with
sunshade are
reccommended. |
|
This tour is designed especially for those guests who have been to Kusadasi (Ephesus) before and who wish to further explore the beauties of the surrounding area.
The first stop will be the antique city of Priene. As the guests travel South from Kusadasi, they reach a large plain, irrigated by the Meander (Menderes) River. Known as the Latmos Bay in the past. The area was silted in with alluvial soil carried by the river throughout the centuries. On a hillside to the north of the plain, there are the ruins of the ancient city of Priene, one of the most exciting sites whose history goes back to archaic times. The site displays the very best application of the grid plan (all streets intersect at right angle)., put forward by the city planner, Hippodamos.
The city was entirely deserted in the second half of the 12th century, due to problems in transportation as a result of silting and the malaria disease. As the guests walk up the hill, they will be most amazed by the extraordinary masonry of the city walls, the Hellenistic Theater and the Temple of Athena. The Ionian style temple is a masterwork of Ptheos, the architect of the famous Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Further, down they can see the Sacred Portico, the Agora and the ruins of the houses on either side of the road, which leads to the ancient port.
Following the visit of Priene, the guests will continue to south. As they leave the plain behind, they will see splendid theater building on the left; the road that leads to Miletus, is one of the most attractive sites in the region; Miletus is the city, where the historian Hecataeus, Thales and Anaximenes and Anaximender, the nature philosophers were born and raised.
The theater building is the most significant part of the ruins, and admired by all visitors, even those, who do not have a deep interest in archaeology. Built in the 2nd C AD, the building was kept in a good state of preservation. Through the theater building and the nearby Faustina Bath, the guests will continue on to the actual site. As the guests tour the ancient site, they will also see the wheat silos, the monumental gate of Agora, the town hall, the gymnasium and the sacred Delphinion among the other ruins.
After visiting the Miletus Antique Site, leave for Didyma. The largest “dipterous” (surrounded with a double row of columns) style temple of the ancient times; Didymaion or the Temple of Apollo. An ancient temple, built over a sacred spring, measures one hundred by fifty meters. The construction of the temple started in the Hellenistic Age over the ruins of archaic sanctuary of Apollo and the oracle center, dedicated to the cult, and it was never completed, as Christianity became the official religion. At Didyma, the guests will enjoy a sumptuous lunch featuring local specialty dishes and wine in a nearby Turkish restaurant.
If the time allows, the guests will have free time for shopping in Kusadasi. |
