Step back in history and enjoy the theatre like ancients did

Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival starts on the 9th of June in Antalya.

Details can be found on this website http://www.aspendosfestival.gov.tr/index_e.html

Aspendos Theatre

Museums I must see!!!

Croesus whose name equals wealth in English was a Lydian king.  Wether he and his wealth really existed is debatable but I definitely must see the Karun Treasure which was stolen, smuggled out of Turkey and then finally returned. Apparently it is now in display in Uşak Museum. Some of it is on the photos below:

Another museum or more a collection that is a must-see is the so-called ''Elmalı treasure'' which includes 1,900 silver coins as well as some extremely rare decadrachms (now on display at the Antalya Museum). Some of it is on the photos below:

This goes to show - always research the collections of the museums you are going to visit! 

Speaking of which as soon as I have time I will post photos from the Selçuk Archeological Museum which includes finds at Ephesus. Amazing stuff! :-)

A Byzantine name for a modern child?

 

This is not very big news but I thought quite an interesting one. Mylene Klass former pop-band singer and recently a ''Talking Movies'' presenter decided to call her newborn daughter Hero. I found it strange but apparently Hero and Leander is a Byzantine myth, relating the story of Hērō (Greek: Ἡρώ, pron. hay-RAW (ancient) and like "hero" in English), a priestess of Aphrodite who dwelt in a tower in Sestos on the European side of the Dardanelles, and Leander (Greek: Λέανδρος, Léandros), a young man from Abydos on the opposite side of the strait. Leander fell in love with Hero and would swim every night across the Hellespont to be with her. Hero would light a lamp at the top of her tower to guide his way.

Succumbing to Leander's soft words, and to his argument that Aphrodite, as goddess of love, would scorn the worship of a virgin, Hero allowed him to make love to her. This routine lasted through the warm summer. But one stormy winter night, the waves tossed Leander in the sea and the breezes blew out Hero's light, and Leander lost his way, and was drowned. Hero threw herself from the tower in grief and died as well. (taken from Wikipedia).

For some time I thought that Leander's Tower is Kızkulesi in Istanbul, but is it really or is it just a marketing trick to lure more tourists?

Lycia

http://www.lycianfederation.co.uk/

Pergamum

The kingdom of Pergamum in 188 BC

and the steepest seating of any know theater in the ancient word (with the capacity to host 10 000)

My photos of Bergama (Pergamum)

The Land I dream to discover....

Feel like a Roman for a day (or at least like an Ottoman) !

Kate Moss in Cağaloğlu Hamamı / İstanbul 

 

Kate Moss in Cağaloğlu Hamamı / İstanbul 

Kate Moss in Hammam Photo Gallery

Last weekend was my fist visit to a Turkish hammam! It was very exciting :) and a very relaxing experience. Bursa is famous for its thermal springs and has many ''thermal'' hotels and hammams. 

The one I went to was at the Marigold Otel Bursa. It's a 5 star hotel with its own Pithia Thermal and Spa. Not only you can you their wonderful private hammam suites but they also have thermal spa, contrast showers, spa, massage and lots more. Unfortunately I couldn't post any photos of Pithia Spa but you can find out more on their website - http://marigold.com.tr/icerik/Pithia-Thermal--Spa.html#

Next time I want to try one of the Roman baths in Bursa!