DESTINATIONS IZMIR TURKEY LEFT: House of
the Virgin Mary
RIGHT: Izmir’s
Kemeraltı bazaar
w ANCIENT RUINS As much as I loved the city, I was keen to explore the rest of the province, which has recently been in the spotlight as a result of Unesco’s decision to make Ephesus a World Heritage site. This ancient Greek city, in the town of Selçuk, is easily accessible as part of a day trip from Izmir city, although a thorough exploration requires several hours. At the Great Theatre,
constructed during the 3rd century BC, we scrambled skywards to take in the view. Thousands of years ago, people came here to watch gladiators slay lions or to see plays and
There’s a wall where visitors can write wishes on slips of paper before wedging them into cracks
operas, and, thanks to fantastic acoustics, it’s still used as a venue today. Fights to the death have been replaced by concerts from Celine Dion and Sting. Pergamon is another
sprawling ancient city, 60 miles north of Izmir city. Columns, amphitheatres, temples – like
Ephesus, Pergamon has it all. Climbing around these ruins, some of which cling to sections of the hillside so steep that their position seems to defy gravity, calls for sturdy boots. I’m fine with heights, but had to swallow my nerves when inching down the crumbling steps of the theatre, which has the steepest seating of any ancient theatre in the world. One of Turkey’s most revered
sites is the nearby House of the Virgin Mary, where many believe Mary lived prior to her assumption. Numerous popes have visited this tiny, ruined building and there’s a stone wall where visitors can write wishes
on slips of paper before wedging them into cracks. The cafés lining the cobbled pathways are shaded from the sun by clusters of olive trees and, whether you’re religious or not, it’s a beautiful place to spend a few hours.
w VILLAGE LIFE I was equally smitten by Izmir’s villages. One of my favourites was Alaçatı, where the winding lanes are filled with craft shops and cafés. In recent years many locals have opened boutique hotels. One of the best is the Alura hotel, where rooms start from £67. The hotel’s Turkish breakfasts are enormous (think olives, homemade jam and salty
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travelweekly.co.uk 26 November 2015
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