Franciscan on Sister Water

Wintering in Marmaris, Turkey has given us many opportunities to wander through the interior of Turkey.   Since the weather has not been inviting to sail we have been enjoying the community here and other locations nearby.   One of our recent trips was to the Antalya area.  We shared a car with some fellow boaters and enjoyed three days of visiting the sights.  On our way there we drove through the mountains and reached Termessos in the late afternoon.

Snowy Mountains

Our first stop was to the ancient site of Teremessos.  Alexander the Great came through this area and the people of this mountainous city were so ferocious and well protected, he decided to let them be and passed by.

Lower wall, Teremessos

Teramessos, Turkey

We drove a long way up the hill to a parking area and then walked steeply up the hill.  I could understand why Alexander didn’t wish to take his army up this hill.

Protective Wall and Drainage, Teremessos, Turkey

Ruins of Teremessos

Temple structure, Teremessos

From the top of the hill one can see a beautiful view down the valley.  We did not explore the whole area for we did not have enough time.  So, this is a place for us to revisit.  It was very quite in the late afternoon, breezy and we were the only people there.

Hilltop view, Teremessos, Turkey

From here we drove to Antalya to find our hotel.  Many hotels here have wonderful sumptuous buffets for dinner and breakfast.  Our hotel was made up of four or five ottoman houses and were put together to provide housing for many guests.  We enjoyed the food and hospitality.

We wandered around the old town visiting the harbour and seeing the sights.

Boza Peddler, Antalya, Turkey

In olden days Boza, a fermented drink, was sold through the streets by men with pouches such as this one.  So, it is a reminder of history. This statue was found in a park on the southwest part of the old town.

After walking through the park with the Boza Statue, I walked past a cafe that had mosaics on the wall.  I found this one and took a picture of Our Lady.

Mosaic of Our Lady, Antalya

The architecture is mostly of old ottoman style, but there are even some that are more ancient.

Early ruins, Antalya, Turkey

Since, the Antalya area has had many different civilizations, we decided to visited the Archeological Museum to see some of the artifacts collected from those times.

Roman Emperor, Antalya Archeological Museum

Antalya was and Roman city at one time and was also important for the early Christians and many articles are preserved from the time of their presence here.

Byzantine Religious Artifacts, Antalya Archeological Museum

Church Icons, Antalya Archeological Museum

After our visit to Antalya, we decided on our way back to visit the Church of St. Nicholas in the ancient town of Myra, near present day Demer.  St. Nicholas was a bishop here.  He was born in Patara and died in Myra.

Church of St. Nicholas, Myra, Turkey

Side View, St. Nicholas Church, Myra

The Church where St. Nicholas was a bishop in Myra has seen many renovations.  It was first a small church, then extended.  There was a great flood that filled the church with mud.  It was again restored and in recent times the Orthodox Church has contributed to it’s restoration as well as others, as you will see in the following picture.

St. Nicholas Church History, Myra

There are some pictures still intact in the church and the altar is a place of quiet and simplicity.

Main Altar, St. Nicholas Church, Myra

Ceiling Art. St. Nicholas Church, Myra

Pictures in Crypt, St. Nicholas Church, Myra

While in Myra, we also visited some of the ruins and tombs.

Early Dwelling, Myra, Turkey

Rock Tombs, Myra, Turkey

There is so much to see around Antalya.  We only visited a few of the ancient, new and beautiful parts of this area with the time we had, but it is a place to revisit.  From Antalya to the mountains and back home, we had a most enjoyable time with many great moments to remember.

View across Antalya’s Bay