Top Tourist Scams in Turkey
Simple habits for a relaxed trip in Turkey: use the taxi meter, watch your bag in crowds, use ATMs inside banks and check your restaurant bill.
Zerzevan Castle and Mithras Temple
Zerzevan Castle, which was built by the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) as a military base on the ancient trade route between Diyarbakır and Mardin, and which was…
Archeological Discoveries Made in Turkey in 2021
2021 was the year of easing restrictions of the Covid outbreak and archeological teams all around Turkey started to make it back to the excavations in various parts…
Differences Between Greek and Roman Theaters
Greek vs Roman theater: Greek seats lean on a hillside, Roman seats stand on vaults. See how to tell them apart at Priene, Miletus, Ephesus and Aspendos.
Gaius Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar was a Roman general, writer and dictator. Read about his reforms, his death on March 15, 44 BC and his victory at Zela in Turkey, where he is said to have written Veni, vidi, vici.
Afro-Turks
Afro-Turks are usually the children and grandchildren of those who settled in Anatolia from Africa mostly came through the slave trade or other means during various periods of…
Roman Empire
Et tu, Brute? (You too, Brutus?) Roman Emperor Caesar Founded in the 1st century B.C. under the leadership of Augustus, the Roman Empire ruled in the Mediterranean and…
Nightingale Mountain
Nightingale Mountain, the ancient Mount Koressos, is the high ridge south of Ephesus, with the House of the Virgin Mary on top and the Terrace Houses on its slope.
Panayır Mountain
Panayır Mountain, the ancient Mount Pion, is the hill behind the Great Theater of Ephesus, with a palace and a rock sanctuary of Cybele on its slopes.
Cruises Are Back to Kusadasi
UPDATE October 14, 2021 Today Viking Cruise made its 3rd visit to Kusadasi Cruise Port. News sources confirmed that several other cruise liners such as Norwegian, Windstar, and…
Nasreddin Hodja
A brief look at the life of Nasreddin Hodja, who was a Turkish satirist and he is thought to have lived in the 13th century, during the Anatolian…
Top 10 Reasons To Visit Ephesus
Ten reasons to visit Ephesus, from its UNESCO World Heritage status and Aegean food to easy travel, Sirince wine and a swim in the sea.
7 Best Places to Eat Ice Cream in Turkey
Turkey is a destination which can be visited all year round but it might be more popular especially during summertime. Ice cream is a very popular dessert in…
5 Pieces of Advice From Ancient Romans For Staying Healthy
While I was researching for this article, I realized that what people believed and did for staying healthy thousands of years ago was not that different from what…
Grotto of Saint Paul in Ephesus and the Fresco of Paul and Thecla
The Grotto of Saint Paul in Ephesus, also called the Cave of Saint Paul, is a small cave chapel above Ephesus Ancient City with a late 5th-century fresco of Apostle Paul, Thecla and her mother Theoclia. A licensed local guide tells its story, the life of Thecla and why the grotto is closed to visitors today.
All About Turkish Cheese
I read a nice quote about cheese in a book that said, “When milk goes to sleep, it becomes cheese.” As a Turkish cheese lover, I have read…
8 Stunning Archeological Structures from Turkey
I have previously published two lists featuring some great archeological structures from Turkey and received a great reaction from my visitors. I now publish the third article on…
Another 8 Amazing Archeological Structures from Turkey
Thanks for all the emails and comments you have sent me about the list of 8 unmissable archeological structures from Turkey. I decided to create another list featuring…
7 Breath Taking Byzantine Attractions in Turkey
The wide geography of the Byzantine Empire (Today’s Anatolia and Asia Minor) which included different cultures and its cultural structure shaped by the acceptance of Christianity as the…
Turkish Ice Cream
Ice cream, one of the favorite desserts of the summer months, and is equally loved in all countries of the world. However, authentic Turkish ice cream which is…
Happy 21st of February International Tourist Guide Day
February 21st, International Tour Guides Day, is the day of the tourist guides. It was celebrated for the first time in the world in 1990 and has been…
Most Visited Attractions of Turkey in 2019
Turkish Republic’s Museum and Tourism Management branch declared the most visited attractions of 2019. The full list can be seen on their website. Let’s have a look at…
Rufus the Doctor from Ephesus
Rufus the doctor was an Ephesian Greek who was born during the era of Emperor Trajan. Rufus was a follower of the famous physician Hippocrates and later he…
Emperor Hadrian
Emperor Hadrian, full name ”Caesar Traianus Hadrianus”, was born in 76 AD. He came from a Roman family who moved to Spain. His parents were from the city…
Roman Road in Tarsus
The Roman road in Tarsus is a paved Roman street found in 1993 in the old part of the city, about 150 meters from St. Paul's Well.
Via Sebaste
The Via Sebaste was a Roman road from Antioch in Pisidia over the Taurus Mountains to Perge, finished around 6 BC in the time of Augustus.
Roman road in Cilicia
The Roman road in Cilicia is located in Mersin city of modern Turkey. We believe Roman Province of Cappadocia was connected to the Roman Province of Cilicia with…
Roman Roads in Asia Minor
First Roman roads started to be built with the beginning of the Roman Republic. Roads were built and maintained during the Roman Empire era too. 372 roads were…
Roman Road in Ankara
The Roman road in Ankara is a paved street of ancient Ancyra in the Ulus area, found in 1995. It lies close to the Roman Baths, the Temple of Augustus and the Column of Julian.
Saint John the Evangelist in Asia Minor
John the Evangelist in Asia Minor is mostly the story of Ephesus. Tradition says John led the churches of the province from there, was sent to Patmos by…
Amazing Photo of Ephesus from 1895
A recent discovery of a photo taken by an Austrian traveler sparked joy in Ephesus community. An Austrian traveler visited Ephesus ruins in the year 1895. This makes…
Mysterious Monoliths of Istanbul
About the Monoliths of Istanbul Monoliths are high, monumental high stones erected on behalf of any event and person in ancient times and the Middle Ages, often with…
Jewelry Made of Human Teeth in Catalhoyuk
Human teeth with holes made on purpose were found at Çatalhöyük in central Turkey. They seem to have been worn as jewelry about 9,000 years ago.
Turkish Dish Suggestions for Newcomers in Turkey
If You Have Difficulty Getting Used To Turkish Food, These Are For You! Turkish Dish Suggestions for Newcomers in Turkey Turkish cuisine is one of the most well…
Amazing Illustration of Ancient Ephesus Port
This amazing illustration shows us how Ephesus Port looked like during the golden era of Ephesus, Turkey. Silting and land slides filled the Ephesus Port with debris and…
Heraclitus and Ephesian School
Ephesus hosted some of the best and most well-known philosophers of ancient times such as Hipponax and Heraclitus. Also, one of the most important philosophical schools of the…
Mass at the House of Virgin Mary nearby Ephesus
Mass times and feast days at the House of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus, with the dress code and the wishing wall and holy water fountains below the chapel.
Laodicea Ancient City and the Lukewarm Church of Revelation
Laodicea ancient city near Denizli grew rich on banking, black wool and medicine, yet Revelation 3 called its church lukewarm. Its history, water, ruins and church, from a licensed local guide.
Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) in Alanya, Antalya
Kızılkule (Red Tower in Alanya) is an important building in Alanya travel programs. This magnificent building, which is the symbol of Alanya, gives the city a historical identity.
Introduction into Seven Churches of Revelation
The Seven Churches of Revelation in Turkey: what Revelation is, who wrote it, the pattern of the seven letters and where each church stands today, from a licensed local guide.
Antandrus Ancient City in Turkey
Antandrus was a port town at the foot of Mount Ida on the Gulf of Edremit, linked to the Trojan legend. Its Roman house with mosaics and its cemetery are being excavated.
Alinda Ancient City in Caria
Alinda was a hilltop city of ancient Caria above the Karpuzlu plain in Aydın Province. Queen Ada held it when Alexander the Great arrived, and its walls, agora and theater still stand.
Famous Movies Shot in Turkey
Here are 19 famous movies shot in Turkey — from classics like From Russia With Love (1963) to Skyfall (2012) and Charlie’s Angels (2019) — with the real…
Library of Celsus in Ephesus
The Library of Celsus in Ephesus was built in the early 2nd century AD as a library and a tomb. Its façade was rebuilt from the original stones in the 1970s.
Guide to the Temple of Hadrian in Ephesus
The Temple of Hadrian, located in the middle of the ancient city of Ephesus, was built to honor the Emperor of Rome Hadrianus. It was built between 117-138…
Olive Oil in Turkey
History Olive Oil The oldest historically discovered data on olive trees dates back to about 40 thousand BC. In the archaeological studies carried out on the island of…
Hire Tour Guide for Troy in Turkey
Troy has been fascinating humanity since the beginning of our shared written culture. Legend of Troy was first told by Homer in his epic oral poem called Iliad.…
The Great Theater of Ephesus and the Riot of Acts 19
The Great Theater of Ephesus seated about 24,000 people, and in Acts 19 the silversmiths’ crowd shouted for Artemis there for two hours. Its history, the inscriptions that match the story, what you see today and the concerts, from a licensed guide in Ephesus.
Domestic and International Flights in Turkey
Turkish Airlines (THY) has a total of 341 aircraft, of which 18 are cargo and 323 are passengers. THY, the company with the largest flight fleet in Turkey,…