Our last full day in southern Turkey was a road trip south to three ancient sites – Priene, Miletus, and Didyma. Priene was a favorite and was just as I remembered it from 18 years ago though back then the hills weren’t as steep or as tall. It was a huge, sprawling site with lots of amazing things to see and *we were the only people there* – at one point another couple blew through and a guard checked on us once but other than that it was just insects buzzing and refreshing breezes in the pines.
Miletus was also interesting (if you are into axiomatic proofs it is where it all began) but was mainly the ruins of the (still amazing) amphitheater. Most amphitheaters were build into hillsides to simplify the engineering but Miletus was an imposing structure coming up out of a flat plane.
The final site was the Temple of Apollo at Didyma. Not too much remained of it but in its heyday it must have been something to see. Had it not been destroyed by an earthquake it was a favored contender to make the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World list.
One interesting observation visiting sites like this is the sense of time past. Looking at an very old tree – maybe 60-80 years growing up out of the ruins of an old temple and it is easy to imagine that tree taking root after the city was abandoned. But that’s not the case. Ten times that many trees have grown, aged, fell, rotted and been replaced since these cities were thriving centers.
The ruins at Priene were my favorite. Previously a harbor city it was now quite a hike uphill to the ruins.
We saw one other couple walk through that morning. Otherwise the lizards were our only company.
The main road up to Priene
Ancient Priene city wall
Plants scrabbling for purchase on a crumbling wall
Nora takes a break on the ruins of the temple to the Egyptian gods
Crystal on the clifftop at Priene
Nora with her camera
Nora and Kai with the Mountain that shielded one side of ancient Priene
Kai in one of the amphitheater seats of honor.
The Priene amphitheater. In very good shape considering.
Crystal at the top of the amphitheater
Red poppies (I think) growing in the shade on the amphitheater
Priene poppies
Kai and Nora take their seats.
Flowers clinging to a wall in the rooms behind the amphitheater stage
Nora in the pulpit of the anicent church
Crystal takes a break in the ruins of the church. It was a hot day but it was nice in the shade of the pines and there were plenty of old pines for shade.
A camera balanced on a fallen column provided the only whole-family photo of the trip.
The ruins of the church and market. These trees are pretty old but tress just as old have grown and died multiple times since this was a thriving city.
A hissing tortoise was not happy we were on his path.
The ruins of the temple of Athena were the coolest feature of the site.
This shady and peaceful grove behind the temple was nice and cool and the only sound was the breeze in the pines.
A closeup of the bark
This is a picture taken up the trunk of one of the old pines in that grove.
The view of the countryside taken from the temple.
Ancient carving on the temple floor.
An other shot of the local farms with collapsed columns in the fore ground.
Nora in the agora.
Kai coming downt he steps from the temple with Crystal behind.
Another shot of Agora Nora.
Crystal in the old Agora.
The Jacobs family chillin in the ruins of the meat marketplace.
Heading back down - still two more sites to visit
Last shot of the Turkish farms around Priene
Kai at Miletus.
Another shot of the crumbling side of the amphitheater
A panorama of the amphitheater. Miletus was home of Thales of Miletus who is credited with the first recorded geometric proof.
Mileus was hot and, unlike Prienne, there was very little shade.
View from the top
Costal mountains in the distance.
Amphitheater steps. I just like the geometry of this shot.
Nora chasing lizards
Farmland seen from the top of the MIletus Amphitheater.
Nora at Miletus
Ben and Nora at Miletus
Crystal at Miletus
Kai takes in the view from the top.
This snail was clining under one of the arches in the amphitheater.
Another shot of the amphitheater
Ben changing lenses with Kai
The temple of Apollo at Didyma
A medusa head fallen from the temple.
Kai with the few pillars still standing.
Another shot of the temple. The entire structure would have been as tall as those two pillars still standing. Impressive by any measure.
Bought a bunch of roadside strawberries and washed them with bottled water. Delicious.
Nora at Didyma
Back at the hotel Kai and Nora went out for ice cream on their own. The ice cream stand was within view of the hotel and Dad has a nice zoom lens.
Crystal enjoys the local ambiance during our last dinner in Kusadesi
