turkey, travel
Turkey once blossomed during ancient times. This rich historical background left behind several distinguished landmarks in the country. Included among these ancient ruins are Ephesus, Pergamon, Aspendus, the Commagene Kingdom, and Sardis. These are said to be the five ancient wonders of Turkey.
Ephesus, Pergamon, Aspendus, and Sardis are ruins of ancient cities. Of these four ancient city ruins, Aspendus is the oldest as it dates back 13th century before Christ. Ephesus follows closely, having been established in 12th century BC. Third in place is Pergamon, having been established sometime during 8th century BC. The youngest of these four is the Sardis Ruins which was built a century after Pergamon was established.
Aspendus was founded in the ancient region of Pamphylia by the Greeks. The ancient city’s name is of Anatolian origin. But according to experts, the Hittites were the earliest settlers of Aspendus before Greeks took control. The highlight of this ancient city is the Aspendus Theater, a theater that was built later by the Romans during 2nd century AD. Visiting Ephesus is included on the list of top things to do in Turkey because it is one of the world’s best preserved ancient cities. Ephesus once had the Temple of Artemis which was one of the world’s seven wonders.
Third among the ancient cities of Turkey in terms of age is Pergamon. Back in the 2nd century BC, Pergamon became a cultural and intellectual center. Pergamon is highlighted by the Pergamum, one of the seven churches mentioned in the Revelations section of the bible. Lastly, there’s the Sardis ruins. Sardis was once the capital city of the ancient Kingdom of Lydia Croesus. The Lydians were among the first to create coins for trading.
Commagene Kingdom is merely the ruins of a sanctuary built by Antiochos I for himself. It served as his funerary monument upon his death and sits alongside colossal sized heads of the gods Zeus and Apollo. From there, you can witness one of the best sunsets in Turkey as you could see the sun set behind Mt. Nemrut from there.