Did you know that there are more ancient Roman ruins in Turkey than there are in Italy?
In our travels around Turkey thus far, we've had the pleasure of visiting some of the worlds greatest historic sites, taking us back to the prime of the bygone ancient civilisations. Today, these ruins are littered all over Turkey, reminding us that Turkey was once a pivotal region for empires ruling Asian Minor.
Perhaps one of the most amazing ancient ruins that we've seen so far is Ephesus, the ancient city cited in the bible's Book of Revelation. It's ruins are so well preserved that walking amongst them, little imagination is needed to reconstruct them in their past glory.
Central to almost all significant settlements are the Theatres which themselves command presence because of their sheer scale and utility. The theatre at Ephesus was a well preserved and a classic example of the ancient amphitheatre. A very large, building leaning on a side of a hill, built on higher ground, and it's size, a league of it's own.
Another ancient city ruin we visited was Hierapolis, famous for its massive necropolis and not to forget the Antique Pools which Cleopatra herself once bathed in. Hierapolis was built beside the famous Pamukkale mineral springs and "Cotton Castles". As one of the largest ancient cities, it too has an impressive Theatre, one which remains very much intact and situated against a hill at the highest point of the city. The theatre grants magnificent views of the entire valley below the White Travertine Terraces as well as the entire city of Hierapolis.
Today, we'll be taking a visit to two ancient ruins near Antalya, first up, Aspendos.