A group of private residences inhabited from the 1st to 6 th centuries AD, the Terrace Houses were brought to light in excavations carried out since the 1980s. Along with those in Pompeii, they constitute some of the most vivid examples of Roman domestic architecture to survive to the present. Routine tourism isnot allowed, but the houses can be visited by permission of the Director of Ephesus Museum. Household items and artwork found at the Terrace Houses are on display in Hall I of the same museum.

This small village 7km through the hills from Selcuk is attractive for its setting among fruit orchards, old-fashioned stone houses with red tiled roofs, and narrow streets. It is also famous for its home-made wine, and lace made by the local women. Once known as Kirkince, the village was built the Greeks around 800 years ago and since the population exchange in 1924 has since been inhabited by Muslims from Salonica. The village has a few guest-houses and restaurants, and is popular with foreign and Turkish tourists to experience a taste of traditional village life in a peaceful environment.

The village of Camlik, around 10km from Selcuk, is the location of this museum, which exhibits over 20 steam locomotives in a 160-acre site that was the sidings of a train works. Ataturk had his headquarters here and kept his special white train at this station during Aegean manoeuvres, controlling them by being in close proximity to the coast. Most of the engines, some dating back to pre World War I, are German made (it was the Germans who built most of the Turkish railways) but there are also those made in Britain, America, France and Sweden.

According to rumour, before the acceptance of Christianity as an official religion, seven young men fled from Ephesus in the 3rd century and took refuge here. They sealed up the cave and fell asleep, and were woken up 200 years later by an earthquake which broke the seal. When they awoke and walked into the town, they realised that Ephesus was now an official Christian city. It was deemed to be a miraculous event, and when the young men died they were buried in the same cave, which is now a Byzantine-era grotto. The adjacent building is named after them and has a large monument, many rock-engraved tombs, two churches and catacombs.

The Museum is Aphrodisias is rightly renowned as the holder of one of the finest collections of antique sculpture in Turkey. A warehouse beside the museum, unknown to the general public, houses the single most spectacular set of Aphrodisian sculptures. These were salvaged in 1979 at the Sebasteion, a memorial temple devoted to the cult of the Roman emperors. Some 50 high-relief panels depict the exploits of Augustus and his successors with matching scenes from Greek mythology. The storehouse can be visited by special permission only.

A woman’s skeleton unearthed near Bodrum in 1989 was reconstituted by a Manchester University team into a marvel of modern forensic technology. Dead since 2350 years, she appears to have been a member of the Hecatomnid dynasty which ruled Halicarnassus in the 4th century BC. Most probably she was Ada, a younger sister of Mausolus the tyrant. She was adopted by Alexander The Great as a surrogate mother and tried in vain to wed her ciece to him. She is now on display in the Bodrum Castle, wearing her original finery. *An extra ticket required in addition to Castle entry. The exhibit is open only four days a week, for short morning and afternoon spells.

This attractive old village on the forested slopes of Kazdagi (Mt Ida of Antiquity) forms a pleasant contrast to the overcrowded coast of the Gulf of Edremit. A donket path paved with stones leads up to the village through olive groves. Ner the village entrance, the Altar of Zeus provides a fine panorama. The neighbouring villages of Yesilyurt and Küçük Çetmi are equally picturesque.

The highest peak of the Kazdagi (1779 metres from sea level) is revered as a holy site by the nomadic Turkmens of the region. A regular heap of stone, about 5 metres wide and 3 kilometres long, encloses a plateau just below the summit. Possibly prehistoric, it marks the area where celebrations take place each year on August 15 to commemorate the martyrdom of a mythical figure called the Blonde One. The Iliad mentions the peak of Gargaros as the abode of Hera, mother of the gods. *30 km gravel road from Zeytinli (between Edremit and Akçay) via Mehmetalan-Tozlu yayla. 18 km hike path to the peak from Altinoluk.

The town of Cunda is as close as it gets to a “Greek Island” atmosphere in Turkey. The area around the town is spoiled by new housing colonies, but the back (north) part of the island remains untouched. Two timeless little hamlets here bear the common name of Patricia. A path leads from the second of the two to a deserted cove where a derelict Greek monastery – formerly St Demetrios of the Moonlight- stands by the clear sea. It is evocative site at full moon. *5 km from Cunda-town to Patricia; 2 km walk to monastery.

It is one of the rare mansions, whose architectural style special to the Aegean region could be protected until today. The construction of the mansion is known to be started in 1761 by Serif Aliaga. Furthermore, the rich, colorful and ornamented style of the mansion show that it has been constructed in the first half of 19th century. The ground floor walls of the mansion having three floors, external sofa, double large wooden house rooms are made with stone building and the mid and upper floor walls are made with fill in wooden framework technique. Entrance to the mansion having an internal garden is provided via two separate large, wooden doors. In the ground floor covered with stone plates, the locations for the service personnel, guard, guest acceptance, stable and hayloft are located. Access from the ground floor to the upstairs is provided by a wooden stair having rails. In the intermediate floor, having a lower ceiling in comparison with other floors, which is used in winter, there are five rooms and a toilet. From the hall of the intermediate floor, the upper floor having a high ceiling, which is used in summer is reached again with a wooden, internal staircase. The upper floor has a long, rectangular plan with an open sofa, as is the case for the intermediate floor. It has two doorsteps, two projections, two large wooden house rooms. The ceilings and walls of the upper floor are ornamented with rich plant and fruit motifs and city panoramas. The windows provide illumination in the form of two rows, being flat in the lower part and arched stained glass in the upper part. The mansion, which has been constructed in the second half of the 18th century and the restoration of which is understood to be made in the first half of 19th century draws attention with the wood workmanship and panoramas. These ornaments have reached today without any deterioration. The mansion, which has been used as a residence until recent times (1950), has been transferred to the Ministry of Culture. The repair of the mansion has been started in 1977 and some houses around the mansion have been nationalized in 1983. After the completion of works for the internal arrangement and exhibition, the mansion has been opened for visit in 1995. Another place that is open for visit is the oriental house just beside the mansion.
*Closed Monday a.m.