| "> | | | | Athena and other sites at the Acropolis of Pergamon, |
| Who says history is boring? History becomes more | | | | but the books of the ancient library are long gone, as |
| than facts and figures when you actually visit the | | | | they were given to Cleopatra as a wedding present! |
| places, where it all happened, see the sites and enjoy | | | | Another city in the Aegean region that is both a |
| yourself in the places where our civilization was born. | | | | present day tourist stop and an ancient center of |
| Nowhere is this more evident than in Turkey. | | | | culture is Ephesus. It was an important ancient port |
| From 2000 BC to 1500 AD Turkey was a center of | | | | city whose remains have come down to the present |
| culture and a crossroads of civilization where people | | | | day in very well-preserved condition. The ancient |
| from Europe and Asia mingled, fought, traded and | | | | harbor however in time became silted in, with the |
| built great cities. A lot of this history has been | | | | result that Ephesus now lies inland from the sea. The |
| preserved and a modern tourist visiting Turkey today | | | | Temple of Artemis located in Ephesus was one of |
| can learn about the past while enjoying the sunshine | | | | the "Seven Wonders" of the ancient world. Banking in |
| and beauty of this ancient land. | | | | the modern sense got its first start in Ephesus. The |
| The Western and Southern regions of Turkey | | | | philosopher Heraclitos was from Ephesus. The apostle |
| abound in places of both modern and ancient | | | | St. Paul lived in Ephesus, St. John wrote his gospel |
| importance. The classical literature of the West, the | | | | here, and many pilgrims come here to visit a house |
| Iliad and the Odyssey, not to mention the recent | | | | where the Virgin Mary is said to have stayed. |
| Hollywood movie, has glorified the legend of Troy. | | | | The "House of the Virgin Mary" is in the vicinity of |
| But Troy is more than a legend. Troy existed over | | | | Ephesus, ( 5 km from Ephesus). It is believed by |
| 4000 years ago and was the center of a great | | | | many Christians and Muslims that Mary, the mother |
| civilization. Ruins of the ancient city can be seen in | | | | of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint |
| the Turkish province of Canakkale (Dardanellas), | | | | John after the crucifixion of Jesus, fleeing the |
| which lies in the Marmara region of Western Turkey. | | | | persecution of the Christians in Judea, and lived there |
| The walls of the ancient city and a museum | | | | until her assumption into Heaven according to |
| containing a replica of the famous Trojan horse are | | | | Catholics and Orthodox. According to traditional belief, |
| popular tourist destinations. In fact, now there are | | | | Mary left Jerusalem together with St. John sometime |
| two Trojan horses to be seen, as the horse used in | | | | around 40 A.D. and came here where she died. The |
| the Hollywood epic has been donated to Turkey. | | | | church dedicated to her name here is the first in the |
| If you travel southward from Troy into the Aegean | | | | world accepted by the Vatican as a place of |
| region of Turkey there are more great sites to | | | | pilgrimage for Catholics. |
| explore. The city of Pergamon was an important | | | | Pope Paul VI visited Virgin Mary's House in July 26, |
| center during the Hellenistic period, when the | | | | 1967 and Pope John Paul II also came on November |
| successors of Alexander the Great ruled great | | | | 30, 1979. The Turkish government and Vatican |
| stretches of the Middle East and Asia. | | | | officials said a visit by the new Pope Benedict XVI to |
| Today the modern city of Bergama contains the | | | | Turkey in November 28, 2006 will proceed as |
| ruins of Pergamon. Ancient Pergamon was one of the | | | | planned. |
| principal military, political, and cultural centers of the | | | | Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus are just a few of the |
| Hellenistic and Roman periods. Its library, consisting of | | | | places that you can visit in Turkey where you can |
| two hundred thousand volumes, was the second | | | | walk in the same places where the great figures of |
| largest in the world. The largest library was that at | | | | ancient history went long before us. An ideal way to |
| Alexandria. The famous physician Galenus (Galen) was | | | | visit these historical sites and feel this mystic |
| from Pergamon. | | | | atmosphere of ancient cities, sandy beaches and |
| Present day visitors to Bergama can visit the ruins of | | | | secluded bays is to join land tours in Western and |
| the Theater of Pergamon, which seated 10,000 | | | | Southern Turkey, or to combine a land tour with a |
| spectators, the Temple of Dionysus, the Temple of | | | | luxury yacht charter cruise. |