Perge & Aspendos

We did not want to join a tour so we decided to just get on a taxi to get to Perge and Aspendos. We paid Mustafa, the taxi driver, 100YTL to take us to these two attractions. It was 0930hrs when we started our 'own tour'. First stop was Perge, about 20km from Antalya. Entry was 10YTL per adult. The Hittites had settlements in this area around 1500BC and St Paul stopped here on one of his journeys during the time when Perge was an important city of ancient Pamphylia.

The stage of the theatre has a very nice marble relief work. On the outer wall is a three-sectioned memorial fountain. Some of the reliefs from the city are displayed in the stadium for easy viewing. Other ruins worth mentioning are the handsome city gate flanked by two lofty towers, a long collonnaded street that was once lined with shops and mosaic pavements, a large agora, and buildings that used to house the baths and gymnasium.

We spent about 3 hours walking around the vicinity and taking numerous photographs. And it helped that we bumped into Mehmet, who was our accidental guide. He brought us to some 'out of bounds to tourists' area. On the hill that we went to, we could see the entire settlement. It was a great 'tour'. Thanks Mehmet Abi.

Our next destination was the ancient city of Aspendos, a site which is dominated by the bes-preserved theater of antiquity with seating for 15,000. The galleries, stage decorations and acoustics all reflect the ability of the architect Zenon. Close to the theatre, basilica and agora lie the remains of an aqueduct, one of the largest in Anatolia. This theatre is also known for holding live classical concerts.

Entry fee was also 10YTL. A guide was not really necessary as information on each ruin was displayed everywhere. And also we took our time looking for nice spots for our photo taking sessions. No one to hurry us so we just took our time. One of the plus points of not joining a group.

Ajeeen

Travelogue - Turkey Antalya Perge Aspendos