Eight days, Two hotels, and some of the most beautiful and evocative sites of the Classical world. Central to it all is the story of Troy and the Trojan Wars as recounted by Homer.
£1295 (sgl supp £100) | Price without flights: £1050
Fri 9th - Fri 16th April 2010, 8 days with Terry Richardson
Availability: Singles Last two | Doubles Full
Introduction
The Trojan Wars are the back-drop for the earliest written poems to have survived - Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey - and the quest to find traces in the archaeological record of such a conflict, and the site of the city itself, has gone on for nearly 150 years.
Frank Calvert, Heinrich Schliemann and others identified the settlement mound at Hisarlik as Troy, but it has emerged since that there were actually nine cities (one on top of the other) with at least 49 occupation levels, and a history far more complex and full of interest than just the Trojan Wars.
Troy represented a meeting point between the worlds of the Hittites and the Greeks; Alexander the Great came here to pay homage to the ancient heroes, and Constantine the Great started to build his capital here before choosing Byzantium (Istanbul) instead. The colourful stories associated with Schliemann’s excavations and exciting recent discoveries at the site make this site unmissable for anyone interested in the Classics.
Whether or not the Trojan War really happened, the Greeks became a major force in western Asia Minor. Further south along this coast are some of the best-preserved and dramatically situated of any Classical cities - Greek, Hellenistic and Roman. Ephesus, Pergamon and Miletus were all once rich and powerful; many visitors still come to them, but there are fewer out of season.
Priene and Assos are two of the most atmospheric and evocative sites anywhere, and two of the grandest temples of the ancient world are also here: the Artemesion at Ephesus and the Didymaion at Didyma. The former was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the latter did not enter these hallowed ranks, probably only because it was never finished.
We have included this impressive selection of sites in our itinerary, allowing time for guided visits and further exploration as you choose. A free day in Kusadasi, a lively holiday destination, affords the opportunity to unwind and relax, or take a ferry to the Greek island of Samos. Whilst Terry’s background is in ancient history and civilsation, his recent research has been involved in all areas of Turkish history and life, and he will be able to give you a very good overview.
Itinerary
day oneGroup flights from London to Izmir with British Airways, drive to hotel in Kusadasi, or meet at Izmir airport, or in hotel.
day two Private coach to the extensive remains at Ephesus, one of the most famous ancient cities in the Mediterranean. The city was laid out by Lysimachus, Alexander’s general, over a vast area with a good harbour. Its impressive theatre is where St Paul’s speech famously started a riot amongst the silver smiths, who probably saw their livelihood under threat - making votive statues for pilgrims visiting the Artemesion (he was preaching against the use of graven images). Most of the surviving ruins are of Roman date, and include public buildings, remarkably preserved terraced houses, wide paved streets and open plazas.
The Artemesion, once one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, is sadly represented by just one standing column, re-erected in 1973. But the story of its construction, use, destruction and re-discovery is a good one, and the goddess herself has an impressive aspect. There are surviving statues from the Roman period in the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, which will be included in the visit.
The Basilica of St John, on top of the hill, was built largely from stone and pillars taken from the ruins of the Artemesion, and there is a spendid view of the site from here.
day three
Three spectacular sites: Priene, a Hellenistic city close to the mouth of the Maeander river, whose winding nature gave the name to the word we use today. The city was laid out in a strict grid on the slope of Mount Mykale, stretching back into wild and rocky mountain scenery. This is one of the most attractive and atmospheric of ancient cities, and its theatre is a gem.
Didyma still has substantial remains of the huge temple dedicated to Apollo - the archaic temple was ambitiously rebuilt in the Hellenistic period, but work continued for hundreds of years and was still unfinished when pagan cults were outlawed at the end of the 4th century AD. Visitors great and small would come here to hear Apollo speaking through his priests to augur future enterprise.
Miletus was the home in the 6th century BC of the first Greek philosophers and also renowned for its scientists. Once an important centre for maritime trade, it is now 9km from the sea because of silt deposited by the Maeander River. Hippodamus, the famous town-planner, came from here, and certainly a strict grid was used in the city layout. The sacred way which led 16.5km to the great oracular shrine to Apollo at Didyma began at the sanctuary to Apollo Delphinium, which once stood near the harbour here.
day four
Free day in Kusadasi, busy tourist resort but still a beautiful bay. Relax here, enjoy an independent return to Ephesus, or take a boat-trip to the nearby island of Samos - lots of options.
day five
Just north of Kusadasi are the little-visited ancient cities of Notion and Kolophon, with its associated sanctuary of Klaros, dedicated to the oracular god Apollo. Continue to our Ayvalik hotel and our seaside hotel; dinner in hotel included tonight.
day six
Drive north to Pergamon, where ancient remains are spread over a wide area, and include the city on the steep, rugged hill (the citadel and Middle City) and the Sanctuary of Asklepios, god of healing, down in the plain below. The ancient theatre at Pergamon, clinging to a precipitous hillside, is one of the most dramatic anywhere in the ancient world. This was the major city of north-west Anatolia in Hellenistic and Roman times, and the public buildings reflect this grandeur.
The Asklepion was one of the reasons for the power of the city - this sanctuary of healing brought many visitors to the ancient city. Its most famous doctor was Galen, who was born here but eventually went to Rome in the 2nd century AD - many of his treatises have formed the basis of medical thinking even up until modern times.
day seven
Drive to Hisarlik, believed to be the site of ancient Troy, evoking Homeric heroic exploits as well as the archaeological endeavours of Schliemann and others. The occupation mound commands a striking position overlooking the river plains, and the complex archaeology provides plenty of discussion - nine superimposed cities of mud-brick and stone foundations. The early Doric foundation of Assos stands high on a rocky ridge with wonderful views out over the sea and the Island of Lesbos. The theatre and the Temple of Athena represent the most substantial ancient remains here, although the hilltop was re-fortified in Byzantine times, leaving plenty of upstanding architecture of this date. Free time this afternoon.
day eight
Free morning in Ayvalik, a traditional fishing port. Return to Izmir Airport to take group flights home or to wait for your independent flight (or continue your holiday!).
Included
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Flights: scheduled flights with BA, London/Izmir or arrange your own
- Transfers: private coach provided to coincide with group flights - join this or make your own way between hotel & airport
- Local Travel: Private a/c coach
- Meals: Dinner with mineral water included on Days 5 & 6
- Guide Lecturer (also local guide throughout the tour) Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"! The guide lecturer will be with you from breakfast to supper, and probably even a drink in the bar afterwards. There is the occasional site where they may not be allowed to guide because of local regulations (we normally manage to circumnavigate these) but otherwise the guides are just that. They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you. After 22 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them. If you would like to know more about Terry Richardson, please click his name.
- Local Guide
- Fieldnotes written for the tour
- Entry to all sites in programme
- We tip the driver and the local guide on your behalf
You arrange:
- Flights if you prefer. It may suit you better, and you may get a good deal, on flights from your local airport - see above for price without flights
- Meals - we include dinner on two nights when this is more convenient at the end of long days. We will ensure that lunch-times stops offer choice of shops and restaurants/snack-bars. Breakfast is, of course, always included.
Flights & Visa
Airline: BA
BA2670 London Gatwick / Izmir 14:20/ 20:15
BA2671 Izmir / London Gatwick 21:05/ 23:10
Please note these flights are an indication of what the flights are likely to be. Please contact the office for exact details
Visa and Passport Requirements (for British passport holders only)*
Hotels
4 nights Bed & Breakfast in a hotel overlooking the yachting harbour in Kusadasi, with restaurants nearby;
3 nights in a holiday hotel with pool by the sea in Ayvalik, a traditional fishing port (2 x HB, 1 x B&B)
Testimonials
What Did You Enjoy Most About This Tour?
"Seeing sites enhanced by spring flowers. Actually being in places where names have been familiar to me for so long".
"The sites were wonderful but it is the all round nature of a Bare Bones tour which is so appealing".
- "- The way non-specialist participants like myself never felt patronised.
- - Visiting deserted sites.
- - The food, which was of very high quality and very unexpectedly good.
- - Finding out about modern Turkey as well (from Seyhun)."
Reading List
BARE BONES TROY -READING LIST
This list is no more than a guide to some books that you may find useful to read in advance of the tour. Talks given on the tour will attempt to fill in the background to what we are seeing, so no prior knowledge or pre-tour cramming is expected or needed. You may well find some of these books even more interesting and useful to read once the tour is over. There are site guides available in English at many of the sites we will be visiting.
1. Guide books
Blue Guides and Rough Guides are both good and reliable. A sound new guide, though not particularly detailed on the archaeological sites, is Turkey in the Neos series published by Michelin Travel Publications, 2000.
NEW
Antonio Sagona, Paul Zimansky (2009) Ancient Turkey (Routledge World Archaeology). Covering the entire span before the Classical period, fully illustrated with over 160 images and written in lively prose, this text will be enjoyed anyone interested in the archaeology and early history of Turkey and the ancient Near East.
John Freely is an American academic who has lived many years in Turkey and built up a deep knowledge of Turkish archaeology, especially of the Classical period. His books The Western Shores of Turkey (John Murray, London 1988), Companion Guide to Turkey (London 1979), and Classical Turkey (Viking/Penguin Architectural Guides for Travellers, Harmondsworth 1991) are all relevant, very readable, and much more than site guides.
Ekrem Akurgal is the doyen of Turkish archaeologists, and has enjoyed an international reputation. His Ancient Civilisations and Ruins of Turkey (Istanbul 8th Edition 1993) has a useful historical introduction, and seeks to illustrate the story by reference to the major sites.
George E Bean, who lived and worked in Turkey for many years, wrote a series of highly readable books on the archaeology and ancient history of the various regions of Turkey. The most relevant to this tour is Aegean Turkey (London, Ernest Benn, New York, W W Norton 1979; later edition by John Murray, London.
2. Troy
Joachim Latacz, Troy and Homer (Oxford University Press 2004)
A good summary of the evidence for the Trojan Wars
Manfred O Korfmann, Troia/Wilusa (Cannakale - Tubingen Troia Vafki Foundation 2005)
The most up-to-date guide to the site written by the excavator - copies can be bought at the site, but may be difficult to obtain beforehand.
Michael Wood, In Search of the Trojan War (updated 1998)
3. General
Most of what we shall see belongs to the Classical Greek, Hellenistic and Roman imperial period. The following may be useful as background reading
Architecture, Town-planning:
Ian Jenkins, Greek Architecture and its Sculpture in the British Museum (BM Press 2006)
- including descriptions of the Artemesion at Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis at Priene.
R.A. Tomlinson, Greek and Roman Architecture (London 1995) or
R.A. Tomlinson, Greek Architecture (Bristol 1989)
Richard Krautheimer, Early Christian and Byzantine Architecture (4th ed.: Harmondsworth
1986)
George Mitchell (editor), (1995) Architecture of the Islamic World. Thames & Hudson, London.
Beautifully illustrated, and helps to put Ottoman architecture into its Islamic context.
Art:
John Boardman, Greek Art (London 1964, with more recent revisions). Any book by John Boardman will be worth consulting: he has written a very useful and comprehensive series of books on the different periods of vase-painting and Greek sculpture, all published in hardback and paperback by Thames & Hudson.
There are also useful introductory handbooks published by major museums in this country (e.g. The British Museum, Ashmolean Museum) and very good introductions by Brian A Sparkes such as Greek Art (Oxford 1991) and Greek Pottery: an Introduction (Manchester 1991).
Nancy H Ramage and Andrew Ramage Roman Art (London 1995)
History:
Seton Lloyd, Ancient Turkey: A Traveller's History of Anatolia (London 1989) gives a good historical overview.
Richard Stoneman, A Traveller's History of Turkey (Adlestrop, Moreton in Marsh 1993) is particularly useful in providing a synopsis of the whole history of the country from prehistoric times to the present day.
On medieval and modern Turkey:
Robert Browning, The Byzantine Empire (London 1980)
Andrew Wheatcroft, The Ottomans (Harmondsworth 1995).
Patrick Kinross, Atatürk: The Rebirth of a Nation (London 1974) is fundamental (or for those
who prefer their history in novel form, The Dark Moment by Ann Bridge (London 1970) is a
good and not inaccurate read of the events that shaped modern Turkey).
Erich Zürcher, Turkey: a Modern History (London 1993).
And, of course, Homer's Iliad, of which various translations are readily available.
