Aegean Sea Coast- Ancient Troy-Turkey 2012

14 May 2012

We hopped on a dolmus (local mini bus) to travel the 30 km from Canakkale (Turkey) to visit the ruins of the ancient city of Troy (Turkish: Truva or Troya  ) made famous in Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad. According to Iliad, this is where the legendary Trojan War took place. Although for most of the last 3000 years, people assumed that Homer's Iliad was fiction, and that Troy never existed.However, in 1863 Frank Calvert, a British expatriate, discovered ancient ruins at Hisarlık (Troy) and was convinced they were the ruins of Troy. Later in 1868 Heinrich Schliemann provided money for more digging and eventually took credit for discovering Troy!

Today Troy is an archaeological site popular with travellers from all over the world. In addition to being a Turkish national park, it is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO .

Replica Wooden Horse of Troy in Canakkale

Replica Wooden Horse at Troy is mostly used as a Playground

The Pithos Garden

Ruins of Troy are scattered all over the site.

The Dig is continuing today

The Dig is under a huge sail like cover.

Troy was destroyed and rebuilt nine times over, and each of nine different layers still has something left to this day, although archaeological excavations of late 1800s damaged some of  the layers.The layer that is thought to be depicted in Homer's Iliad is likely Troy VII, a portion of the legendary walls of which is still intact.

Some of the 9 levels

The Troad (plains of Troy) looking towards the Dardanelles.

More of the Ruins

Tom resting in the Amphitheatre

Scattered Fragments

More Fragments

Fran testing one of the Walls of Troy.

After visiting Troy we almost decided to read the Illiad again but... decided  not to! 

Bergama Turkey May 2012

Bergama
Here's our heart stopping Adventure of the Day (AOD). We were almost run down by a horse and cart leading another horse going at the speed of lightening through the streets of Bergama! Oh these ancient towns are exciting.

Right now there are fireworks -I suppose it's another wedding celebration! We saw the young men in town today driving around in old rattler cars and even a John Deer tractor making lots of noise and every now and again stopping to dance in the streets! There was no sign of the bride!

Eceabat -Turkey- 2012

Eceabat 18 May 2012

We were caught in a big thunderstorm today and it rained so much that the whole town of Eceabat (on Eurpoean side of the Dardenelles) was flooded and the hoards  of tourist buses were either stopped by the flooded waters or by the "bus jam" waiting for the ferry to cross to Canakkale.

After visiting Helles Cape Memorial on the Gallipoli Peninsular we are now sitting cosy and warm in our little hotel room at the "Crowded House Hotel" Eceabat listening to the coach horns being blown while the drivers get more and more agitated and the Police try to make order out of chaos! 

ANZAC Cove -Turkey-2012

16 May, 2012
Gallipoli Peninsular
We visited the Anzac battlefields and Memorials today. All very emotional tears came to my eyes when I saw a message a young Oz girl left to her uncle when she visited on 5.5.2012. " I came to take your spirit home".

We said thank you to all our fallen soldiers on behalf of all those of you who haven't yet visited ANZAC COVE. 

What surprised us most was the number of Turkish people who came to honour their fallen. The Turkish memorial is HUGE. (Photos when I can)

Gallipoli Peninsular, Turkey- 2012

Canakkale 13 May 2012
We travelled on another long distance bus all day today. We are now not far from the Gallipoli Peninsular and we can see the Dardenelles from our hotel window. Mind you a storm has just gone through and the water is looking very rough. Glad we are not crossing on the ferry today!

Eceabat 14 May 2012
Crossing from Canakkale to Eceabat today on the ferry. That means going from Asian side Turkey to European side Tuekey to tour the Gallipoli peninsular and to pay our respects to the fallen ANZACS.

Izmir Turkey, 2012

May 2012 Izmir
We spent the day in Izmir dodging heavy rain showers but still managed to get some great photos(to come later) and visit the great Archaeological Museum (while it rained.)
Our long distance bus on the way here had a full entertainment system that would rival Emirates! Oh yes in addition it had internet, We were also serverd cake, coffee, tea and fruit juices. can't really complain about that!

 Off to Canakkale tomorrow so we are positioned to visit Troy and the Gallipoli Peninsular.