Take a Journey Through Time: 7 Must-Visit Roman Ruins in Turkey

Did you know there were so many roman ruins in Turkey? Well to tell you the honest truth, I knew there were a few but I didn’t realise the sheer scale of how many there were. Roman history, ruins and relics are everywhere in Western Turkey. If you travel to the Mediterranean west coast chances are you will pass countless ruins. Some of which you will see, some you won’t even know are there and some are completely unavoidable like the ancient city of Ephesus.

No matter the shape or size of the relic, The roman ruins in Turkey are spread out far and wide all along the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor (which is now; modern-day Anatolia) to the border of Syria. Philosophy, culture, history and art made their mark here growing civilisations and storylines which have spanned millennia and you can discover them all. There are hundreds of Roman ruins to visit, but here are some of the unmissable and truly amazing ones you must visit on your trip to Turkey.

Streets of Ephesus

01 – Pergamon

Perched above the hill overlooking modern-day Bergama is one of the most significant roman ruins and ancient cities in Turkey. Pergamon was founded in the 3rd century BC by the Attalid dynasty and over time it became one of the most important cities in the roman empire. At the height of the Imperial Roman Period; Pergamon was a metropolis and cultural centre for learning, healing and the arts. It was also considered to be the capital of the Roman province of Asia during this time.

When visiting Pergamon you can see just how prosperous and grand this city use to be, the remnants of the temple of Trajan which sits in the middle of the upper agora is imposing, almost as imposing as the ancient theatre which holds up to 10,000 people is a truly Greco-Roman marvel. Perched above the theatre was once where the library of Pergamon sat. The library was once the second largest and grandest in the world only rivalled by the library of Alexandria. It is said to have held over 200,000 scrolls, and some of the most influential papyruses in the entire Roman Empire.  There is a tale that Mark Anthony once stole all the scrolls from Pergamon for his lover Cleopatra, to replace the works of the library of Alexander after a fire. Now you can only see a few sections of what is left of this grand library but you can see the grandeur of its once former glory, as it does sit above brooding beautifully over the city of Bergama and the ancient theatre below.

Temple of Trajan

ruins at Pergamon

02 – Myra

The ancient town of Myra. Myra was an important town inhabited firstly by the Lycians, Then in the millennia that followed came the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. The Lycians were a nationality that inhabited and flourished in parts of Anatolia; particularly in today’s; Mugla, Antalya and Burdur provinces of Turkey. They were wealthy and established towns with their own languages, cultures and traditions. One of the most famous of these traditions and what has been imprinted in ancient history are the “Lycian Rock Tombs.” In many of the Lycian cities, they built very impressive, elaborate and beautiful tombs into rock faces on hills and mountains as a way to honour their deceased. Many of these tombs have survived to this day and some of the best ones can be found at Myra.

As well as the wonderful tombs, the ancient city of Myra has a grand and well-preserved ancient theatre, and many archways and pathways to explore. On display at Myra too which is quite unique to other ancient cities are the many stone carvings of faces. These add such a warming and human touch to ancient history, they are incredibly intricate and awe-inspiring. Myra is only a small site but it is really worth the visit if you are a history lover!

Myra Rock Tombs

stone face carvings Myra

03 – Heirapolis

Hierapolis is amazing because you don’t just get an ancient city but you get two phenomenal sites to visit. You get the ancient city of Hierapolis and Pamukkale. Pamukkale is a UNESCO world heritage site and a hot spring wonder. Overflowing calcium bicarbonate-rich spring water once poured down the edge of a hillside. Over millennia the calcium cooled and solidify into a network of white ridges, pools, and shelves known as travertines, which is today the natural phenomenon of Pammukale. Without the back story of Pamukkale, you can’t understand the significance of the Ancient city of Hierapolis.

Hierapolis was the original spa town in the ancient world. it was founded by the king of Pergamon Eumnens the 2nd, as a spa town and people came to Hierapolis from all over the ancient world to worship and to heal. It was eventually given the name “Hieron” a “Sacred city.” The city held many festivals and grew prosperous but it wasn’t until the roman empire, under the rule of Tiberius that it reached its peak.

 It is truly incredible to be able to walk through, see and savour the magical sights of Pamukkale and Hierapolis, like how the ancients would have seen it and to feel how they would have felt walking through and exploring the hot springs. Its a truly unique experience and unmissable.

Hierapolis ariel view

Pamukkale travertines

04 – Ephesus

The ancient city of Ephesus needs no introduction. It is truly amazing. The ruins are so well preserved that walking around Ephesus will make you genuinely feel like you are walking around a Roman city thousands of years ago. Ephesus was a prosperous, vibrant and bustling port city under the rule of the Roman Empire and Emperors Caesar Augustus and later Tiberius. It is located in modern-day Selcuk where one of the seven wonders of the world stood: The Temple of Artemis.
 Ephesus is a UNESCO world heritage site and is packed full of so many wonderful relics like the intact and preserved ancients streets of Curates Street, Marble Street and Harbour Street, which formed the main high street and thoroughfares of the ancient city, weathered worn down and walked on for millennia. The beautiful and exquisite Celsus Library, one of the greatest in the ancient world, held more than 12,000 Scrolls. The great theatre of Ephesus, a grand example of a Hellenistic theatre that could seat up to 25,000 people is impressive and remarkable.

The ancient city of Ephesus holds some of the best and most inspiring relics of engineering and humanity from the classical era. At Ephesus; You will be able to find one of the world’s oldest advertisements: a advert for a brothel located on one of the main streets thats been chisselled into stone. You can discover what it would have been like to use one of the public and communal toilets and see how they were set up and arranged. You can visit some of the still-standing terraced houses of Ephesus’s upper-class residents, and walk along the collonaded street which once housed vendors, shops, markets and stalls on your way to the Agora and town meeting place. All these give you a very clear insight into how people lived at this affluent and bustling city  thousands of years ago. Its rich history and amazing relics make Ephesus a truly spectacular place to visit.

Ephesus

Library of Celsus

05 – Sagalassos

The ancient city of Sagalassos is a history buff and archaeologist’s dream. Set high up in the Taurus mountains of Turkey’s Burdur province, it is an ancient city like no other. Magnificent and a true marvel. There has been a settlement here since 3000 BC, but during the Hellenistic period, the city reached its grandest and most luxurious iteration. The city has a romantic and picturesque setting, a cool climate and grand views of the mountains, it’s not hard to see why it was the city of choice for so many emporers.

The Roman relics you can see here are phenomenal with the highlight being the flowing waters of the meticulously restored elegant Antonine Fountain. The fountain “of love” which it is sometimes referred to stands in the upper agora, nestled into the hillside and is an exquisite example of Roman engineering. There is a tale that whoever drives from this glorious fountain will become beautiful and fall in love. Isn’t that worth a visit to Sagalassos alone, we think so!

Antonine Fountain Sagalassos

Fountain of love

06 – Aspendos

Aspendos is a total hidden gem! It was an ancient city tucked away a little inland from Antalya, around 16km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. There was once an extensive settlement there with all the grandeur that you would expect from a roman town during 161-180AD; a hippodrome, amazing aqueduct, nymphaea fountain, and agora. Their relics are weathered and a little imagination is needed to bring them to life however the opposite could be said about the grand Aspendos theatre. Built during the time of Marcus Aurelias 160-180CE This theatre is considered to be one of the best examples and most well-preserved ancient theatres in the world from the classical roman period. It is the oldest Roman theatre in Turkey and seats over 7000 people. You can see clearly the set-up of the cavea, the archways and the ornate details. Today It is in complete working order and remains the place where people flock to, to watch events, plays and operas, much like they did 2000 years ago. Every year the Aspendos theatre host the Aspendos International opera and ballet festival, just exquisite.

Aspendos Theatre

Archways at Aspendos Theatre

07 – Troy

Troy, yes that Troy. Although this one is a behemoth from the classical Greek era, it was also an important city during the Roman period and a strategic location as a trade route between Europe and Asia for the Roman Empire. The ancient city of Tory is undoubtedly one of the most famous of ancient cities in the world, the name holds such value in modern history due to the legends of the Trojan war and classical literature, poems Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey. It is the scene for epic tales like that of Helen of Troy and The Trojan horse. Today the city is located in Hissarlik, just southwest of Cannakale and the Aegean sea.

Today Troy looks like an archaeological sight, with a clearly marked path for you to walk around.  You will be able to see the extensive digs and layers of the cities that have been unearthed here over many excavations. There are also the remains of an impressive Odeon, an agora, a bouleuterion which was a council building and the ruins of the temple of Athena. This site does require you to conjure up your imagination a little but it’s worth a visit for the sheer scale of history that came from this place alone. Not often can you say you’ve walked around a legendary place, quite literally.

Troy from above

Ancient Ruins of Troy