This is the first post in a series relating our travel experiences while being guided around Turkey by the ITT Group Turkey. A travel tour agency and so much more that knows Turkey intimately and all of her secrets. Our post “Laodicea and Aphrodisias A Guided Tour See Amazing Turkey” will highlight destinations we visited down to Fethiye. Our visits along the way included stops at Laodicea Ancient City to visit these newly (2003) discovered ruins. After which, it was off to see the spectacular ruin site of Aphrodisias (Meral, our guide’s favorite), located 80 km southwest of Denizli. On our way to Fethiye, the final destination would be Caunos Tombs, located in Dalyan. Caunos Tombs was an added tour after a snowstorm interrupted our drive down to Fethiye.
Our Amazing Guided Tour Of Turkey Starts Today Pamukkale To Fethiye
Cindy and I are leaving Pamukkale and heading to Fethiye with a sense of the unknown, possibly an uneasiness, and excitement as this is something entirely new for both Cindy and me. We both feel confident about our decision to take this tour through ITT Group Turkey and look forward to the next three weeks. There are a couple of stops planned with our drive from Pamukkale to Fethiye. Laodicea Ancient City and Aphrodisias (Meral, our guide’s favorite). The weather does not look good as we start our travels, a very good chance of rain. Rain will make visiting these sites somewhat unpleasant and make it difficult to take pictures with the raindrops landing on the lense. We are told Laodicea is not too far out of Pamukkale, a short drive. So it’s off we go on this great tour adventure.
Laodicea Ancient City (map)
We arrived at Laodicea Ancient City around noon; to our disappointment, a light rain is coming down. Since it is only drizzling, we decided to walk around the ruins before visiting the church as the church is under a cover. I believe that our guide Meral said that this city was discovered in 2003. One of the nice things about Laodicea is that it is not very well known, so tourist traffic is not very high. We may have seen maybe ten others walking around while we were here. In saying that, the time of year and weather may have played a role in that.
Our guide Meral was excellent as she explained everything that we came across and answered any questions we had. Meral took her time going through the Laodicea Ancient City ruins and let us feel free to explore. The Laodicea Ancient City ruins themselves are incredible; archeologists are still working at the site as many questions are still to be answered. One of the theaters is in good condition, and the other gives you a sense of how most ruins must look when first discovered.
While exploring, we saw some floor mosaics covered in plastic; even though the plastic coverings, these mosaics are impressive. This whole ruin site is imposing as it is all new with limited restrictions; you can wander most locations, but remember to be respectful, as these ruins are for the world to see and enjoy.
Board Games A Plenty
While walking through the Agora area, we found many large stones that had what appeared to be games chiseled into them. We can only assume that these games were for children waiting on mothers to finish shopping or conversing. Other games seem to be located outside shops, maybe to pass the time as merchants wait for customers.
Laodicea Ancient City A Bit Of History
Laodicea on the Lycus, located at the crossroads of important trade routes, was once a prosperous city famous for its black wool, banking services, and medical achievements. The first signs of occupation in the area date back to 3500 BC; Laodicea was founded in the mid-third century BCE as a Hellenistic city by the ruler from the Seleucid dynasty. The golden era of Laodicea’s prosperity was between the 1st and the 5th centuries CE. Trade was the primary source of income for Laodicea because of the city’s location on a crucial merchant route. The most important export commodities were textiles and the famous black wool of Laodicea.
Laodikeia Church, One Of The Seven Churches Of Asia In The Book of Revelation
The Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse and the Seven Churches of Asia, are seven major churches of Early Christianity, as mentioned in the New Testament Book of Revelation. All of them are located in Asia Minor, present-day Turkey.
The seven churches are named for their locations, and the Book of Revelation provides descriptions of each Church.
- Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7): known for having labored hard and not fainted, and separating themselves from the wicked; admonished for having forsaken its first love (2:4)
- Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11): admired for its tribulation and poverty; forecast to suffer persecution (2:10)
- Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17): located where ‘Satan’s seat’ is; needs to repent of allowing false teachers (2:16)
- Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29): known for its charity, whose “latter works are greater than the former”; tolerates the teachings of a false prophetess (2:20)
- Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6): admonished for – in contrast to its good reputation – being dead; cautioned to fortify itself and return to God through repentance (3:2-3)
- Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13): known as steadfast in faith, keeping God’s word and enduring patiently (3:10)
- Laodicea, near Denizli (see Laodicean Church) (Revelation 3:14-22): called lukewarm and insipid (3:16)
- The above list of churches has been copied from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_churches_of_Asia I wish to give them credit for their work.
Our timing in visiting The Church was excellent as the rain was starting to come down harder. The church has a cover over it, so this protected us while we walked around. The mosaics on the floor are beautiful and leave you with a sense of awe.
Our Thoughts On Laodicea Ancient City
The archeological site is extensive and impressive; we enjoyed our visit even with the rain coming down. It takes about 2 – 3 hours to visit; I’m not sure if there are guides at the site for hire, I would assume during better weather and time of year that there would be. I think that a guide here would enhance the experience incredibly so.
Denizli For Lunch
We stopped in Denizli for lunch at this small restaurant called Tavas, known for the Turkish pizza (pide). Once again, our driver and guide come through when picking out places to eat, they know the area and what foods they are known for. Our lunch was delightful and filling.
What does it cost to visit Laodicea Ancient City
Laodicea Ancient City Ticket Prices
- Children ages 0-18 – Citizens of Turkey Free
- Children ages 0-8 Non-Turkish Citizens Free
- 65 and over Turkish citizens Free
- Students (Studying art history, archaeology and museum departments in university) Free
- All Adults (International and Turkish) 25.00T
Aphrodisias (devoted to Aphrodite) (map)
We arrived at Aphrodisias around 4:00 pm after having a late lunch in Denizli. The rain earlier in Laodicea is still with us but coming down harder now. Since it was raining so hard, Meral decided we should start with the museum at Aphrodisias. Hoping that the rain would subside by the time we finished with the museum, besides the museum closed at 5:30 pm, so time was also a factor.
The museum was incredible; the displays and so many sculptures are stunning. We have been to many other museums on our trip but have not seen so many statues in one place and mostly in good condition. With Meral, our guide telling us about what we were seeing the time here was informative and amazing at the same time. Experiencing such history is an exhilarating life inspiring adventure.
After the museum, it was outside to walk the ruins; thankfully, the rain had let up somewhat. Meral‘s knowledge is never-ending since Aphrodisias was one of our guide’s favorite ruins. We started in the direction of the stadium and worked our way past the large Agora to the exit. This was the first time seeing a stadium similar to what you might see today, a large oval shape. We passed by the Temple Of Aphrodite; this was an impressive structure, standing by itself commanding all the attention of passers-by.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Aphrodisias, an excellent site that should be on everyone’s must-see list. We spent about two hours going through the Aphrodisias museum and the ancient ruins. If the weather had been better, I’m sure that we could easily have spent another hour looking around. As it was, we left Aphrodisias looking like drowned rats, happy rats, mind you, but definitely wet.
Some History On Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias was an ancient city known for the cult of Aphrodite, especially in the Roman era. There was an important sculpture school located here as well. Founded in the 6th century BC, near a marble quarry, the sculptures carved in Aphrodisias adorned Greek and Roman cities for centuries. After the fourth century A.D., Aphrodisian sculptors were in great demand for marble portrait busts and statues of emperors, governors, and philosophers in the major centers of the Roman Empire. The city, whose monuments are very well preserved, is one of Turkey’s most important archaeological sites today. The first temple of Aphrodite was also built in this period. In the 2nd century BC, around 15000 people lived in the city. The city, which started to lose its former importance in the 6th century AD, was completely abandoned in the 12th century.
Our Thoughts On Aphrodisias
The Aphrodisias Museum located here at these ancient ruins is excellent with all the statues it is very impressive. We enjoyed our visit even with the rain coming down. It takes about 2 – 3 hours to visit the Aphrodisia museum and these ancient ruins, time well spent. We are very grateful for our guide Meral and ITT Group Turkey, as this is a sight that we would not have seen on our own. If the weather had been better, we could have spent more time walking around these unbelievable ancient ruins.
What Does It Cost To Visit Aphrodisias
- Children ages 0-18 – Citizens of Turkey Free
- Children ages 0-8 Non-Turkish Citizens Free
- 65 and over Turkish citizens Free
- Students (Studying art history, archaeology and museum departments in university) Free
- All Adults (International and Turkish) 40.00T
The Snow Storm That Changed Our Plans
After leaving Aphrodisias around 6:00 pm, we headed toward our final destination Fethiye, still another three-hour drive away. Heading into the mountains, the rain slowly turned to very heavy snow. We had near whiteout conditions at some points along the drive; the roads were getting covered in a thick blanket of snow. Traffic slowed, and some vehicles were having difficulty with ever-increasing terrible road conditions. At one point in the road we needed to make a decision to either proceed or turn around because of the weather, we all chose to turn back. Spending the night in Denizli in a hotel rather than the van sounded better.
Arriving in Denizli three hours later (usually a one-hour drive), after enduring ugly winter driving conditions, who would have ever thought? We pulled into a restaurant for a nice warm dinner of kebobs done on skewers. After which, we were taken to the hotel that had been booked for us by the ITT Group Turkey, had a hot tea, and off to bed for a good night’s sleep. We would try again in the morning after looking at the weather conditions.
The morning weather conditions up in the mountains had not improved; in fact, tour buses were stuck all night on the road because of the wintery road conditions. We were grateful not to be one of them. Our driver and ITT Group Turkey decided that we would backtrack somewhat and take the coast road. This meant a long day of driving, but there would be no chance of snow. On the upside, we would get a boat ride and the opportunity to see the Caunos Tombs of the Kings in Dalyan.
Caunos Tombs of the Kings (map)
We arrived in Dalyan around 12:30 pm and headed to a nice fish restaurant, where I ordered fried sardines and fries. The ladies ordered soup and doners; the food was delicious, especially the fish. After lunch, we were off to take a boat ride that would take us out onto the river to see the Caunos Tombs of the Kings and then possibly more if the river was open.
Our boat ride was windy but enjoyable, just the same; the sun was out, which was an improvement from the day before. The Caunos Tombs of the Kings was incredible; we had never seen anything like it. Well, maybe in Vardzia, Georgia, but that was a city. We find it amazing what early civilizations did, what they believed, and how they achieved their results. Then having these incredible achievements last through the years until the present day.
Arriving in Fethiye
We arrived in Fethiye a day later than expected, but we are here save and sound. Our first stop in Fethiye was to look at The Tomb Of Amyntas. Cut into the side of the mountain that overlooks Fethiye, here is where the Lycian buried their revered dead. The Lycians built these impressive tombs in 350 BC. The one pictured below is called Amyntas because of the writings found to the left of the door.
There is an entrance fee to the site (sorry, I forget the cost), then climb up the 200 steps to get a closer look. We thought it was worth the price and the climb to get an up-close look at the tomb. Besides, the view looking back over Fethiye is beautiful.
The Lycians believed that their dead were carried off to the afterlife by magical winged creatures and thus placed their honored dead in a location near the heavens, such as a cliff face. We would later see many more examples of this, when at Tlos and Myra Ruins.
Chronological Timeline Of Turkey
| Paleolithic Age (Early Stone Age) 60,000 – 10,000 BCE | Mesolithic Age (Mid Stone Age) 10,000 – 8,500 BCE |
| Neolithic Age (Late Stone Age) 8,500 – 5,000 BCE | Chalcolithic Age (Copper Age) 5,000 – 3,000 BCE |
| Bronze Age 3,000 – 2,000 BCE | Hatti and Hurrian Civilization 2,500 – 2,000 BCE |
| Troy – II Settlement 2,500 – 2,000 BCE | Hatti and Hittite Principalities Period 2,000 – 1,750 BCE |
| Great Hittite Kingdom Hurri Civilization 1,750 – 1,200 BCE | Troy – VI Civilization 1,800 – 1,275 BCE |
| Aegean Migration and Invasion From Balkans 1,200 BCE | The Anatolian Principalities during the Iron Age 1,200 – 700 BCE |
| Urartu Civilization 900 – 600 BCE | The Civilization of Phrygia 750 – 300 BCE |
| Lydia, Caria and Lycia Civilizations 700 – 300 BCE | Ionian Civilization 1,050 – 300 BCE |
| Persian Conquest 545 – 333 BCE | Hellenistic And Roman Age 333 BCE – 395 |
| The Byzantine Civilization (Eastern Roman Empire) 330 – 1453 | The Seljuk Empire 1071 – 1300 |
| The Ottoman Empire 1299 – 1923 | The Republic of Turkey Since 1923 |
ITT Group Turkey
ITT Group Turkey is a Company that offers exceptional tour packages that can be customized to your specific needs, wants, and expectations. We have teamed up with the ITT Group Turkey to highlight our travels throughout Turkey in this series of posts that you will be reading. What started out as a search for a transfer from Pamukkale to Fethiye has become so much more. The ITT Group Turkey pays excellent detail to customer satisfaction, meaning that they go out of their way to provide a high standard of service for a very competitive rate. ITT Group Turkey can customize a tour package for you; just let them know what you would like to see and do; it’s that easy. Or check out their website for premade package tours.
For most of our travels, Meral, our tour guide, would call ahead of our destinations to find restaurants that served a specific dish or find tickets to the Whirling Dervish when we stayed in Konya. My point is that your guide or driver will go out of their way to make your trip one of those life moments that will stay with you forever. All the small details are taken care of; just sit back, relax and enjoy your private guided tour.
We, babyboomerbudgettraveler, did not receive any form of compensation; we enjoyed our trip with ITT Group Turkey and would like others to have the same experience. If you follow one of our links to ITT Group Turkey and book using the phrase “3btraveler,” you will receive a minimum discount rate of 5%.
If you have any questions about our tour of Turkey, please feel free to email us, and we would be happy to discuss our great trip with ITT Group Turkey. Or anything else we can help you out with about Turkey.
How To Apply For Turkey eVisa
The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) Application System allows visitors traveling to Türkiye to quickly obtain their e-Visas online (www.evisa.gov.tr) in approximately three minutes. It is possible to obtain e-Visa 7/24 everywhere with an internet connection. After filling in the necessary information concerning their identity, passport, and travel dates, the applicants can obtain their visa and pay the visa fees online. It truly is that easy; We would recommend having a printed copy as well, just because.
Our Thoughts “Laodicea and Aphrodisias a Guided Tour See Amazing Ruins”
- The start to our “Amazing Guided Tour Of Turkey In 21 Awesome Days” has been eventful one to date. Visiting Laodicea Ancient City along with Aphrodisias have been nothing short of amazing. The only thing that would have these visits better would have been weather. Stuck in a snowstorm and having to spend another night on the road we got to visit Caunos Tombs of the Kings in Dalyan. Having a knowledgeable guide and driver has been a very nice touch. Ancient history has never been this much fun.
- As a side note, ITT Group Turkey has arranged for us to go paragliding tomorrow, we are so looking forward to this experience. You will have to read our next post “Fethiye To Kas A Guided Tour See Amazing Turkey” to see how that turns out.
Our Positives
- Having a guide and driver makes travel and visiting ancient ruins so easy and interesting. With our guide, we get so much information on everything that we see. Plus personal attention, it is truly incredible.
- Laodicea Ancient City ruins were amazing.
- Aphrodisias museum was stunning, I can understand why this would be our guide Meral’s favorite.
Our Negatives
- No negatives to speak of but the rainy weather and there is nothing one can do about that.
Next Stop
Cindy and I including my sister are in Fethiye for six days, as we had this time booked before purchasing our tour package. We have a paragliding adventure booked for our first day in Fethiye (tomorrow), and ITT Group Turkey booked this for us. We are very excited about this ride as the pics and videos we have seen on the internet are spectacular.
The next blog in this series of posts about our “Amazing Guided Tour Of Turkey In 21 Awesome Day” is called “Fethiye To Kas A Guided Tour See Amazing Turkey”. This post will cover the following locations that we have seen and experienced on this part of our tour. Starting with Kayakoy a deserted Greek village, Saklikent a large gorge, Tlos Lycian ruins, and lastly Patara Ruins.
Support Our Blog And It’s Unique Travel Content
You can support our site by using the links through our travel Essential. If you purchase items using our links, we will receive a small commission. There are no extra or hidden costs to you. These commissions assist us in our travel, so we can provide unique content to you through each blog post. If you enjoy our blog and find it interesting and informative please share it with friends. Subscriber, so you never miss a new post. Thank you..
Recommended Travel Essential
Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic, so we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable with our lifestyle. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.
- Travel Packing Essentials to help organize and make this task less stressful
- Travel Safety Essentials to make your life on the road a little safer, giving you peace of mind
- Living essentials to make life a little more comfortable, be this resting, working, or playing.
Accommodation Options While Traveling The World
- Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
- Agoda.com we find is best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never know what you might find
- Airbnb.com used to be our go-to but some of their cancelation policies are reasonable, give them a try as well
Travel Insurance
We always travel with travel Insurance, just medical or complete trip coverage. We use Heymondo as we find their costs reasonable. Remember, don’t travel, and without coverage, the savings are not worth the possible costs.
Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning if you buy a product using our link, we may earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Disclaimer.
