Decent historical site. If this was anywhere else in world it would be a top site, but it is not…read moreas interesting other antiquity sites in general vicinity. Very low entrance fee (covered by Museum Turkey pass if you have it). You can drive to close to top sites to see on site, Not a destination but not a bad stop if in area.

Empires rise and fall, but earth abides…read more This historical site is spread out in an ancient olive grove. The olive trees and ruins together are quite picturesque. Such a humble and beautiful home for these Roman ruins. The olive grove slowly did what other empires were unable to do two thousand years ago. The green took over a fortified Roman town. The fate. If all empires is to return to nature. The trees, bushes, rocks and soil only lease it's land and materials to cities, then repossess when it is time. You get more people visiting the historical site of Ephesus. However, I believe the site at Nysa is just as special and so much less crowded. It is a must see along with Ephesus and Pamukkale (translation 'cotton castle').

This beautiful spot will capture your imagination. It is the site of the private Baths of…read moreCleopatra. The natural beauty is awesome and you can be too. Put on some kohl with big thick lines and pretend you are Egyptian.

Such a historic site with the marble slab walkways and ancient ruins still standing. Close your…read moreeyes and you can imagine this beautiful place filled with the hustle and bustle of people walking down the streets. Ephesus is considered one of the greatest cities of the Western world and one of the 7 churches mentioned in the Holy Bible, thus an important part of Christian history. Highlights include the Theater carved into a hill, the Temple of Hadrian, The Gates of Hercules, The house of Mary and the impressive Library of Celsus. Our private guide walked us downhill which was a more impressive route than walking uphill like others were doing. The walkways can be slick in wet conditions, so take a walking stick to help. I don't think a trip to Turkey can be considered complete unless you come here to witness this amazing city formed back in 1000bc.

Ephesus is a historic landmark in Turkiye, founded around 600 BCE. Originally an ancient Greek…read morecity, it became under Roman rule in 129 BCE. Ephesus remained the most important city of the Byzantine Empire in Asia after Constantinople in the 5th and 6th centuries. Ephesus commanded the west end of a trade route to Asia so it was an important port city in its heyday. It boasted a Temple to Artemis, a Temple to Hadrian, a Library of Celsus, the massive Oedon Theatre, the last known home of the Virgin Mary, and some of the earliest Christian churches. Mark Antony was welcomed by Ephesus when he was proconsul and in 33 BC with Cleopatra when he gathered his fleet of 800 ships before the battle of Actium with Octavius. Ephesus is an ancient city with much historical significance. When we visited with our tour group, we were given a quick overview, entered the state-of-the-art museum, and explored the grounds. The site is massive. The ancient ruins are in fairly good condition considering and it is still an active archeological site. When you visit, marvel at the expansive stone lined streets of the agora, peer up at the arches, and wonder at how far humankind has come over the centuries.

Game of Thrones fans will be as excited as I was when I saw the word "kalesi" - woohoo, dragons!…read moreAlthough here it just means castle, and there are no dragons. BUT, there is a sphinx wearing a polo and a beard. I'm not lying, check out the photo. Bodrum Castle is the most spectacular landmark of Bodrum, especially if you're staying somewhere that has a view of it. We gazed at it every night and day, and it was great to be able to go to visit it. It's open every day except Monday and costs 25 lira pp (£7pp) for adults. There are a lot of stairs and it can get a bit tiring in the heat - I'm a wimp, ok? It was a great place to wander around and if you follow the two sets of arrows, you'll get the short or long version depending on your stamina. There's a cafe in the castle as well so you can stop for a refreshing drink when it all gets too much. There are lots of displays, as well as the option of an audio tour which I decided not to get this time. There are a lot of displays of items recovered from underwater - vases, jugs, glasses, boat bits, etc. I can't say that this is high on my list of interests, but the castle was good for a visit all the same. There are really great views at the top of the castle and I'd say it's worth the admission fee just for that. There's a gift shop on the way out but it didn't really have any decent "tat" which I was a little disappointed by. I love gift shops! Tip: watch where you're going, otherwise you might fall off a high ledge while not looking. Thankfully I didn't break my ankle.

This is my second time here. I was here 9 years ago. I really enjoyed the views and walking along…read morethe battlements. Fun. A crusader castle. I think Herodotus is from Bodrum and he wrote about the history of this city.

Neat ruin site. Admission covered by museum Turkey pass. Not a ton of interpretive content on…read moresite so read background before visiting. Parking near site available. Not a destination but a nice stop if in Ephesus.

Another great place! So cool to visit where John, the beloved, was laid to rest. It's known he…read morereturned to Ephesus, after being exiled on Patmos, and that was where he passed away. So this is where his tomb is and in the 6th century, this large basilica was built over his tomb. However, earthquakes and the encroachment of the Turks resulted in the church being abandoned and relics lost. The original design of the church was laid out like a cross. Most of it is gone today, but you can still kind of see how it was set up. They have a replica of the grounds for Ephesus and the basilica so you can have an idea of what things looked like and how far apart they were. The renderings of the buildings are pretty cool. Such amazing history here!

I didn't research Bodrum at all before we arrived, so I was pretty impressed when the tour company…read morerepresentative mentioned one of the seven wonders of the ancient world being in Bodrum. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus is well worth a visit if you're in the town, even just to say you've been and check out some rocks. Pretty much it's just a site of rubble, but you can't really complain - it was built in 350 BC. It's really easy to get to if you're in town, perhaps a 10 minute walk from the water taxi drop off. It's a simple site - just pay your 10 lira (£3) entrance fee and head in. The site is all laid out in front of you and it's a nice place for a walk around, you can go down right in to the base of it. There is an exhibition to the side with some explanatory panels and a TV room if you want to watch a presentation about it. There's seats too if you need to take a break (it gets very, very hot in the sun) and a toilet block. My favourite part about this is that the Mausoleum influenced the building of the Shrine of Remembrance in my home town, Melbourne. There's also some of the artwork from the Mausoleum at the British Museum if you fancy seeing more of it!

The ruins of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Worth a visit but no high expectations…read more Some former knowledge of the Mausoleion's history is required.