Places to See Inland Aegean, Turkey

Pamukkale - Hieropolis- Aphrodisias Thyatira-Sardis-Philedelphia-Laodicea

Major sights and attractions are included in this guide.

Pamukkale - Hieropolis

Hierapolis is a big ancient city inhabited by many civilizations including Greeks and Romans. The site has a well restored theater, collonated street, hot spring pools among others.

Slightly more than one hour drive from Pamukkale stands Aphrodisias which is another Roman city, which had been inhbaited by Greeks and other civilizations.

Thyatira-Sardis-Philedelphia-Laodicea :

Akhisar-Thyatira :

Thyatira was founded by the Lydians and was called Pelopia. The coins of the ancient town give us clues to the kind of gods worshipped there.

Thyatira is now a modern city, remains of its old self to be seen are an ancient temple, a collonaded road, and a large church.

Sardis - Sart :

One of the most picturesque areas of any of the Seven Churches is the site of Sardis. Sardis became the center of one of the greatest kingdoms of the ancient world, Lydia. The famous temple of Artemis lying along the Pactolus River dates from the 400 BC. Besides the temple, a small Byzantian church on one corner, and the acropolis, the last meters of the Royal Road from Susa to Sardis, a number of shops, and the gymnasium.

Alasehir - Philedelphia :

It was important as a place for spreading the thought patterns and activities of Hellenistic civilization and the Christian faith. On the lower sides of the city are sections of thick Byzantine walls.

Laodicea - Laodikea :

A large area littered with broken marble, tops of stone masonry walls, and public buildings: Two theaters, a large stadium, a water tower, and an odeon.The city was at the crossroads of north-soth traffic between Sardis and Perga, and east-west traffic from the Euphrates to Ephesus, so it quickly became a rich city in its time.