THE AEGEAN REGION OF
TURKEY
The Aegean Region
Aegean Region is one of the 7 census-defined regions of Turkey. It is
located in the west part of the country, bounded by Aegean sea (Ege
Denizi) on the west, Marmara region on the north, Mediterranean
region on the south & southwest and Central Anatolia region on the
east.
Many would agree that the coastal region of the Aegean
has some of the most stunning views in the country and, in
the words of Heredotus, "have the most beautiful sky and
the best climate in the world." The bays peninsulas, and
golden beaches stretchthe length of coastline and this
region was also the venue of countless mythological
events. There are remains of ancient cities including Troy,
immortalised by Homer, and Pergamum, the art and
cultural centre and capital of one of the most
powerfulkingdoms at the time.
The provinces in the Aegean region are Afyon, Aydin,
Denizli, Izmir, Kutahya, Manisa, Mugla and Usak.Situated
in Edremit bay is Ayvalik, the meeting point of the sea, the
theraputic springs of Akcay, and pine forests, which has
been dubbed the olive-grove Riviera. To the south are
countless resorts, then further south is Foca, famous for the
heroicTurkish sailors who were based here. Sardis, the
capital of the wealthy Lydian king Croesus, is a small
detour inland.
Located in a narrow bay, Izmir is a modern city and the
third largest in Turkey, as well as the major part on the
Aegean. It brims with life and is a busy commercial centre,
with broad boulevards and modern architecture, combined
with the traditionalred-tiled roofs of the old houses in the
bazaar area. The peninsula of Çesme with its brilliant
waters, superb beaches and thermal springs, lies to the
west of Izmir.
Among the most famous cities of the ancient world, Ephesus was one
of the biggest during the Roman era. A treasury of all the riches of
Ionian culture, Ephesus had a reputation for philosophy and critical
thinking. The Temple of Artemis, one of theseven wonders of the
ancient world, as well as countless statues, theatres, libraries, markets
and smaller temples were all architectural symbols of the city's fame.
Further to the south is the ancient city of Priene, built according to a
geometricplan designed by the great architect of Milet, Hippodamos.
Milet was a great centre of commerce and thought in the ancient
world, and was the venue of many significant developments, scientific
and intellectual.
The nearby Didim, though not one of theancient cities, is
still famous for its magnificent temple dedicated to
Apollo.On the Izmir-Antalya road, Aphrodisias (Geyre)
was an important centre for culture and art famous for its
training in sculpture. On the same road is the worldfamous Pamukkale, with its calcium-rich thermal waters
flowing out of the mountain whichhave, over centuries,
created an extraordinary geographical phenomenon of
white marble terraces.
The ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis lie behind this.The best
known holiday resorts in this area are Bodrum, Marmaris, Datca,
Koycegiz and Fethiye, and private boats can be chartered to explore
the bays of the south Aegean, immortalised in the book Mavi Yolculuk
(Blue Voayge). Bodrum (ancient Halikarnas)is the birthplace of the
great historian Heredotus.
The mausoleum of King Mausolos was considered one of
the seven wonders of the ancient world. Marmaris is a
lively resort with a modern marina surrounded by lush
mountains and crystal-clear waters,and further south is the
bay of Oludeniz, famous for watersports and paragliding,
and the coastal town of Fethiye.
Afyonkarahisar Province
Afyonkarahisar, also called more simply Afyon, is
a province in western Turkey.
Adjacent provinces are Kütahya to the
northwest, Uşak to the west, Denizli to the
southwest, Burdur to the south, Isparta to the
southeast, Konya to the east, and Eskişehir to the
north. The provincial capital is Afyonkarahisar. It
covers an area of 14.230 km², and the population
is about 701,326 (2009 est).
Afyonkarahisar castle hill
Rock tombs in the village of
Ayazin/Afyonkarahisar
Countryside from Kocatepe hill
Gedik Ahmed Pasha Mosque in Afyon
Aydın Province
Aydın is a province of
southwestern Turkey, located in
the Aegean Region. The provincial capital is
the city of Aydın which has a population of
approx. 150,000 (2000). Much of the
countryside is an attractive mix of fig, olive
and citrus trees, especially figs. Other towns
in the province include the summer seaside
resorts of Didim and Kuşadası.
History of the Aydın
Aydın was founded by the ancient Thracians and was
once known as Tralles. The area is an earthquake
zone and the city was built and rebuilt by a
succession
of Spartans, Phrygians,Ionians, Lydians, Persians an
d Ancient Romans. In 1186 the Seljuk Turks took
control of the area, followed by the Anatolian beylik of
the Aydınoğlu. During this period the town was
named Aydın Güzelhisar, and was brought into
the Ottoman Empire in 1426.
Temple of Apollo in Didim
Kuşadası
Temple of Aphrodite in Aphrodisias
Denizli Province
Denizli is a province of Turkey in Western Anatolia,
on high ground above the Aegean coast.
Neighbouring provinces are Uşak to the
north, Burdur, Isparta, Afyon to the
east, Aydın, Manisa to the west and Muğla to the
south. It is located between the coordinates 28° 30’
and 29° 30’ E and 37° 12’ and 38° 12’ N. It covers an
area of 11,868 km², and the population is 926,362.
The population was 750,882 in 1990. The provincial
capital is the city of Denizli.
History of the Denizli
Antiquity
There are traces of prehistoric cultures throughout the province,
including evidence of pre-Hittite cultures and the Hittites themselves.
The Hittites were followed by Phrygians, Lydians and Persians, and
then cities founded by the ancient Greeks and Alexander the Great.
The first real settlement was the city of Laodicea on the Lycus which
was established by King Antiochus II for his wife Laodice. Laodicea is
located 6 km north of the city of Denizli.
The city of Hierapolis was established around 190 BC by
the Pergamene Kingdom, one of the Hellenistic states of Anatolia. The
calcified terraces and pools of Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) now stand
below the ruins of Hierapolis. The two cities, Laodicea and Hierapolis
later came under Roman rule, and with the division of the Empire in
395 were left within the boundaries of the East Roman Empire.
The Christian era
The province has strong biblical connections: in the Book of
Revelation, John the Evangelist hears a loud voice which
sounded like a trumpet when he was on the island of Patmos.
The voice says: "Write down what you see and send the book to
the Churches in these seven
cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelp
hia and Laodicea". The Church of Laodicea was a sacred place
even in pre-Christian times, and is still visited by
Christians today, although it lost its importance to a great extent
during Byzantine rule.
The Turkish era
Turks were first seen in Denizli in 1070 when Afşın Bey, under the
control of the Seljuk Sultan Alp Arslan, raided the area. The second
and third Crusades fought here against Kazıkbeli, who managed to flee
with a small force to Antalya. Later, after the Turks had established
control of the ancient cities, they moved south to the site of the present
city of Denizli, where drinking water was brought through stone pipes.
The name Laodicea slowly changed into “Ladik” then since the 17th
century other names were given “Tonguzlu”, ”Tonuzlu”, ”Tenguzlug”,
”Donuzlu” and finally “Denizli”.
After World War I, when the Greek army arrived in İzmir on May 15,
1919, one of first centres of Turkish resistance formed at an open air
meeting in Denizli. A Turkish militia formed lines on the Menderes
organized by Yörük Ali and Demirci Efe, involving large numbers of
volunteers from the local peasantry. Stiffened by the Turkish regular
army, Greek forces were repelled, and Denizli remained in Turkish
hands throughout the Greco-Turkish War.
Limestone terraces in Karahayıt,
Denizli
Pamukkale below the ruins of
Hierapolis
Ruins of Tripolis of Phrygia near
Yenicekent
İzmir Province
İzmir is a province of Turkey in western Anatolia on
the Aegean coast, whose capital is the city
of İzmir (ancient Smyrna). On the west it is
surrounded by the Aegean sea, and it encloses
the Gulf of İzmir. Its area is 11,973 km.2, population
3.868.308 (2009 tüik census). The population was
3,370,866 in 2000. Neighbouring provinces
are Balıkesir on the north, Manisa on the east, and
Aydın on the south. The traffic code of the province is
35.
The main rivers of the province are Küçük
Menderes river, Koca Çay (with Güzelhisar dam),
and Bakır Çay.
History of the İzmir
The area was first settled by local Anatolians, milleninum
later Ionian Greeks in about the 11th century BCE who established the
League of Ionia. It was later conquered by the Persians, retaken by the
Greeks, before being subsumed into the Roman Empire. After the split
of the Roman Empire, the area became part of the Byzantine
Empire until conquered by theOttoman Turks in the 14th century.
Following the First World War the province was ceded to Greece, but
was retaken by the forces of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the Turkish
War of Independence. As a result of the Treaty of Lausanne all Greek
Orthodox inhabitants of the province had to leave, and İzmir Province
was incorporated into the modern republic of Turkey
Çeşme
Urla
Konak
Foça
Kütahya Province
Kütahya is a province in the Aegean region
of Turkey. It is 11,889 km² in size, and the
population is 571,804 (2009 est). In 1990,
Kütahya had a population of 578,020.
Manisa Province
Manisa Province is a province in western Turkey. Its
neighboring provinces are İzmir to the west, Aydın to
the south, Denizli to the south east, Uşak to the
east, Kütahya to the north east, and Balıkesir to the
north. The seat of the province is the city ofManisa.
Muğla Province
Muğla is a province of Turkey, at the
country's south-western corner, on
the Aegean Sea. Its seat is Muğla, about
20 km (12 miles) inland, while some of
Turkey's largest holiday resorts, such
as Bodrum, Ölüdeniz, Marmaris and Fethiye,
are on the coast in Muğla.
History of the Muğla
In ancient times in Anatolia, the region
between the Menderes (Meander)
and Dalaman (Indus) rivers in the south was
called Caria. The inhabitants
were Carians and Leleges. In
his Iliad, Homer describes the Carians as
natives of Anatolia, defending their country
against Greeks in joint campaigns in
collaboration with the Trojans.
A major city of ancient Caria, Muğla is known to have
been occupied by raiding parties
of Egyptians, Assyrians and Scythians, until eventually the
area was settled by Ancient Greek colonists. The Greeks
inhabited this coast for a long time building prominent
cities, such as Knidos (at the end of the Datça
Peninsula and Bodrum (Halicarnassos), as well as many
smaller towns along the coast, on the Bodrum Peninsula
and inland, including in the district of Fethiye the cities
of Telmessos, Xanthos, Pataraand Tlos. Eventually the
coast was conquered by Persians who were in turn
removed by Alexander the Great, bringing an end to
thesatrapy of Caria.
In 1261 CE, Menteşe Bey, founder of
the Beylik (principality) that carried his name, with its
capital in Milas, established his rule over the region of
Muğla as well. The beys of Menteşe held the city until
1390 and this, the first Turkish state in the region,
achieved a high level of cultural development, its
buildings remaining to this day. The province also
became a significant naval power, trading with
the Aegean Islands, Crete and as far
as Venice and Egypt. Turkish settlement during the
Menteşe period usually took place through migrations
along the Kütahya-Tavas axis.
In 1390, Muğla was taken over by the Ottoman
Empire. However, just twelve years
later, Tamerlane and his forces defeated the
Ottomans in the Battle of Ankara, and returned
control of the region to its former rulers, the Menteşe
Beys, as he did for other Anatolian beyliks. Muğla
was brought back under Ottoman control by
Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, in 1451. One of the
most important events in the area during the Ottoman
period was the well-recorded campaign of Süleyman
the Magnificent against Rhodes, which was launched
from Marmaris.
With this long history Muğla is rich in
ancient ruins, with over 100 excavated
sites including the UNESCO World
Heritage Site ofLetoon, near Fethiye.
Coast in Muğla province (near Dalaman)
Typical Muğla coastal scene
Typical Muğla inland landscape
Marmaris
Fethiye
Datça
Bodrum
Uşak Province
Uşak is a province in western Turkey. Its
adjacent provinces are Manisa to the
west, Denizli to the south, Afyon to the east,
and Kütahya to the north. The provincial
capital is Uşak, and its traffic code is 64. The
province covers an area of 5,341 km² and
has a population of 335,860 (2009 est). The
population was 322,313 in 2000.
Banaz
Sivaslı
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