Ruins in Izmir

Nature Activities & Adventure Sports Page, Turkey's gateway to nature, is Turkey's most up-to-date and comprehensive information source for anyone interested in nature sports. 🏕️⛰️ It is a comprehensive platform that offers the most up-to-date event and guide content to nature enthusiasts all over Turkey, from camping areas to hiking routes, from mountaineering to extreme sports.

turkeyoutdoor.org — “Türkiye’s door to nature”

The page, which keeps the pulse of the outdoor world with its strong communication network that brings nature lovers together, also offers an indispensable resource for those who want to discover Türkiye with special travel guides for each province. The platform aims to increase environmental awareness and prioritizes sustainability and respect for biodiversity while doing sports in nature. 🌿

The archaeological sites where excavations are carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism are as follows:

Izmir agora is located on the northern slope of Pagos (Kadifekale), where the ancient city of Smyrna was moved in the 4th century BC. Surrounded by important public buildings of the period, this structure is the state agora of the city.

Most of the ruins that have survived to the present day in the agora, which was established in the Hellenistic Period, belong to the Roman Period agora, which was rebuilt with the support of Emperor Marcus Aurelius after the earthquake of 178 AD. The Smyrna agora is a rectangular structure with a large courtyard in the middle and surrounded by columned galleries (stoa). The north and west stoa, which were unearthed during excavations, rise above the basement. The north stoa is a basilica in terms of plan features.

Acropolis

Pergamon is a hilltop settlement. From the beginning, the city was a complex of structures consisting of two main parts. These were the Castle, located at the top of the mountain and with its own walls, and the lower city, also surrounded by a city wall, located on the softer and more sloping slope to the south. The residential areas underwent many changes in terms of both size and spread according to political and economic conditions. Pergamon experienced a bright period in the 2nd century AD under the rule of Emperors Trajan and Hadrian.

There are three separate settlements in the acropolis: the upper city, the middle city and the lower city. Over time, the city expanded beyond the city walls and spread to the plain with a grid-plan construction. The most important structure of the expansion is the Temple of Serapis (Red Courtyard).

Basilica (Red Courtyard)

The temple was called the “Red Courtyard” among the people because the building was made entirely of brick and had a large front courtyard. The courtyard was closed to the outside with high walls. It is believed that the interior was surrounded by columned galleries. The temple is entered through three monumental gates on the west side of the courtyard. A portion of this entrance is still standing. The temple was built in the very center of the lower city of Pergamon during the Roman Period. Based on cult and art history data, it can be said that the temple was probably built in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrian and dedicated to the Egyptian gods Serapis and Isis. The temple, to which additions were made to the sacred space during the early Byzantine period, continued to be used as one of the seven early churches in Anatolia.

Asclepius

Pergamon Asklepion was a health treatment center of equal importance to its examples in Epidaurus and Kos in ancient times. According to Pausanias, the first Temple of Asklepios in Pergamon was founded in the first half of the 4th century BC. Excavations have determined that the sacred place existed since the 4th century BC and developed during the Hellenistic Period. However, Asklepion experienced its brightest period in the 2nd century AD.

The Sanctuary of Asclepius was a very important health center in the Roman Period with its courtyard with galleries, a theater with a capacity of 3500 people, the cult hall of Emperor Hadrian, a library and the round-plan Asclepius Temple.

Ephesus, which was the main gateway between the East and the West, was an important port city. This location allowed Ephesus to develop as the most important political and commercial center of its time and to become the capital of the province of Asia during the Roman period. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city located on the western coast of Anatolia, 3 km away from today's Selçuk district, and later became an important Roman city. It was one of the twelve cities of Ionia during the classical Greek period. The first establishment of the ancient city of Ephesus within the borders of the Selçuk district of Izmir Province dates back to 6000 BC, during the Neolithic Age, also known as the Polished Stone Age. Ephesus, a port city, was moved to the area around the Temple of Artemis in 560 BC.

Ephesus, which is visited today, was founded by Lysimachus, one of Alexander the Great's generals, in 300 BC. Ephesus, which experienced its most glorious periods in the Hellenistic and Roman ages, had a population of 200,000 as the capital and largest port city of the Asian province. Ephesus changed location again in the Byzantine period and came to Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, where it was first founded. Ayasuluk, which was taken by the Turks in 1330 and became the center of the Aydınoğulları, began to shrink gradually from the 16th century onwards, and after the foundation of the Republic in 1923, it was renamed Selçuk and is now a touristic place with a population of 30,000.

Excavation, restoration and arrangement works in Ephesus are carried out by the Austrian Archaeological Institute's excavation directorate and the Ephesus Museum on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

4- ERYTHRAI (Ildırı) (Çeşme) 5- KLAROS (Menderes) 6- KLAZOMENAI (Urla) 7- KOLOPHON (Değirmendere- Menderes) 8- LARISSA (Menemen) 9- LEBEDOS (Menderes) 10- METROPOLIS (Torbali) 11- NOTION (Menderes) 12- SMYRNA (Tepekule- Bayrakli) 13- TEOS (Seferihisar)

14- ULUCAK MOUQUET (Kemalpaşa)

For all our articles about Izmir, you can visit our Izmir Outdoor, Tourism and Travel Guide page.

To get detailed information about camping and caravaning and to see all our articles about camping, you can visit our TurkeyOutdoor Camping Guide page.

Safety Precautions in Nature Sports and Outdoor Activities

In all outdoor activities and nature sports, safety is your primary responsibility. No article or video can replace proper practical training and personal experience.
Especially in outdoor extreme sports, you are primarily responsible for your own personal safety. Always prioritize your personal safety and the harmony and safety of the team you are with.
In all cases, be on the side of nature , keep the environment clean, and never harm wild animals or the nature where wildlife lives.
While exploring natural and historical beauties, you should pay attention to some important points for your holiday to be enjoyable and safe. Before your trip, do detailed research about the region you will go to , check the weather conditions and take appropriate clothes with you. Never damage natural, historical and touristic places. Do not leave your garbage in the places you go, take your garbage back to where you came from in bags as you brought it or throw it in a garbage container.
If you are planning a nature trip, camping or outdoor activity, be sure to pack all the necessary equipment .
In Turkey, there are frequent bans on entering forests and some protected areas, and administrative fines are imposed on those who do not comply. You should verify current forest entry bans from the provincial Regional Forestry Directorates.
Technically, all outdoor activities in nature require prior permission. Our advice to our readers, campers, nature walkers and those who participate in all outdoor sports is to at least call the law enforcement authorities before starting the activity and inform them about the nature activity and routes they will be doing.
Your opinions, thoughts, suggestions and requests regarding outdoor and nature are valuable to us. Feel free to write to us.