Turkey's Aegean Coast

Book excerpt: Two Amazon customers pointed out that this guide did not have an active (hyperlinked) table of contents. That problem has now been corrected. The active table of contents has been placed at the end of the book. Click on any item in the table of contents and it will take you to that reference in the text. Another customer noted that there were not pictures in the book. That was true in an early version but the current edition has many, many color images throughout. "If, like me, you are a bit tired of the ethnocentric social commentary that seems to come with certain well known guidebooks then you could do worse than try this one. Simple to use, well written and accurate, I found it invaluable and couldn't fault any of its recommendations nor descriptions." -- Yurt (Amazon reviewer). Turkey is so diverse it could almost be described as a continent rather than a country. The Aegean coastal area is one of the most beautiful anywhere. This is the main focus of this guide, though it also contains an extensive introduction to the country as a whole, including history, cultural information and abundant practical details about traveling in Turkey. Driving down the coast from north to south, travelers first encounter Pergamon, one of the greatest cities in the Hellenistic world and a center of culture, medicine and commerce. At Sardis, the ancient capital of the Lydians, you can hunt for traces of the gold that was reputed to flow down the Pactalos River. South of Izmiris, Ephesus, one of the world’s most lauded historical treasures.The vast Roman city captured the imagination of many an ancient woman. No doubt she would have dreamed of visiting the city where the men were powerful and the stores were lavish. The magnetism of Ephesus still attracts a huge crowd. Farther along the coast are the ancient cities of Priene, Miletos and Didyma, and inland are the milky terraces of Pamukkale. Turkey's location straddles Asia and Europe. The three great Empires that ruled the country for thousands of years left a legacy of enchanting cultures and more ancient sites than even Italy or Greece can boast. Covered in detail are where to stay, where to eat, shopping, sightseeing and adventures, both cultural and physical from walking in the footsteps of St. Paul to joining in the local festivals, from yoga and Turkish baths to art classes and cooking courses. This guide combines in-depth text information with color maps & photos on almost every page. Existing guides are largely text-only or mostly graphics and lacking the practical details travelers need. The guide totals 163 pages.