Walk in the footsteps of Aristotle in Assos, a seaside Turkish town that hasn’t changed much since the days of Ancient Greece.
On a steep hill along the Aegean Coast of Turkey lies Assos, an Ancient Greek town that has been forgotten by time. A cobblestone street winds its way up the back side of the hill, lined by stone buildings and vendors selling local crafts.
Assos’ cobblestone street is lined with stalls; the local economy relies heavily on tourist traffic.
A random vessel in a wall. They use interesting building material in Assos, to say the least.
The ancient city itself is guarded by a tower, adjacent to a much newer 14th century mosque. Assos’ city walls are crumbling around the ancient city, no longer needed in the modern era. The ancient city itself was built on an extinct volcano cone 700 feet high. Easily fortified atop this hill, the view from the acropolis extends for miles.
One of the remaining towers on top of the hill was built in the 4th century BCE and has been rebuilt over the centuries.
The view from Assos’ acropolis is simply breathtaking. Assos overlooks the Island of Lesbos (you may now start snickering) to the south and the radiant blue of the Aegean Sea.
Even more breathtaking views.
Greek colonists from Lesbos (ancient Lesbians, perhaps?) founded Assos around 900 BCE. The settlers built a Doric temple to worship Athena on top of the crag in 530 BC, which can still be seen today. From this temple Hermias of Atarneus, a student of Plato, once ruled Assos. Under his rule, Hermias encouraged philosophers to move to the city. In 348 BCE, Aristotle made his way to the city and even married King Hermias’ niece. Aristotle was able to avoid the onslaught that was to come, leaving for Lesbos before the Persians showed up and tortured Hermias to death in the lovely fashion to which they were accustomed.
The Temple of Athena.
Parts of the Temple of Athena, mostly art, were removed in the early 1900s and shipped off to museums in Europe; big chunks of Assos ended up in the Louvre.
Persians dominated the city until they were driven out by Alexander the Great in 334 BCE. After his death, the Kings of Pergamon (also located in Turkey) ruled Assos, during which the great Hellenistic Age of Turkey thrived. Greek art was in vogue, along with a splash of the local decor. Not to be outdone, the Romans arrived in 133 BCE, and Assos declined somewhat to become just another port city in the Roman province of Asia Minor.
Thereafter, Assos saw one last extremely famous visitor; St. Paul stopped here during his third missionary journey through Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) between 53 and 57 CE on his way to Lesbos. Overtime, Assos shrank and was turned into a Byzantine fortress (the walls date to this period). Eventually Assos dried up into the small seaside village it is today.
The view on the coast from the Assos acropolis. This spot would have made an excellent fort.
Ancient Assos was divided into two parts: the acropolis and the lower city. The acropolis was the seat of power, where Hermias held court and presumably his own execution. The city continued down the very steep hill facing the sea. Archaeologists have uncovered a gymnasium, a treasury, baths, a theater, a necropolis, and an agora (marketplace).
The city ruins the run down the ridiculously steep hill. I thought death was coming at several points during the descent, as my shoes did not have the best traction. The people of Assos that lived here must have had some seriously ripped calf muscles.
The sole remaining wall of one of the stoai (long columned buildings, often used as meeting places, place for vendors to set up shop and artists could display some of their art) that lined the length of the agora (marketplace).
Basically what the lower end of town would have looked like. The stoai mentioned above is letter b.
Public toilets surprisingly are a common find among the ruins of ancient cities. These were johns built to last.
Assos’ ancient theater, built in the 3rd century BCE, is staging a comeback. Once falling apart and neglected, it has been recently announced that it will be restored. Greek dramas will return to Assos very soon, as the theater being restored will hold 4,000-5,000 people.
The ancient theater in all its glory.
The lower city was surrounded by Byzantine era walls. Just outside the walls lays an extensive necropolis (literally Greek for “city of the dead.”) One of Assos’ most famous exports were their sarcophagi. They were known as “flesh-eating sarcophagi” because bodies that were placed in them rapidly decayed. Probably a good way to keep away the smell.
Byzantine walls with sarcophagi.
The “flesh-eating sarcophagi” of Assos’ necropolis.
Assos today is a port village popular with Turkish locals and Bible-tourists. The modern harbor (known as Iskele) still serves as a port for ferries to Lesbos. This tiny, picturesque hamlet is full of old stone houses converted into inns and hotels. The view alone from the top of the acropolis is worth the visit to the ancient part of Assos, as the ruins only add to its wonder.
A simply wonderful sunset over the Aegean.
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