Turkey 2014- Day 5

After enjoying a delicious breakfast at the Kolin hotel, we checked out and made our way to a few historical sites enroute to Izmir. Our first stop was Homer’s Troy where we seen the ruins of nine cities built on top of each other and an enormous reconstruction of the famous wooden horse. It was an incredible site to see as the history I learnt at school finally came to light. For those of you who are not familiar with the tale of the Trojan Horse, “it is a story from the Trojan War about the subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter the city of Troy and win the war. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, decisively ending the war. The main ancient source for the story is the Aeneid of Virgil, a Latin epic poem from the time of Augustus. The event is referred to in Homer's Odyssey. In the Greek tradition, the horse is called the "Wooden Horse". “

After marvelling at the huge reconstructed wooden horse, we headed for Pergamon. Enroute we enjoyed a light lunch at one of the quaint road side restaurants.  At Pergamon we observed the charming view of the acropolis of ancient Pergamon way up on a mountain top. We visited the Asclepion and the ancient centre of healing said to be the world’s first hospital. I was quite fascinated to hear that in ancient times all patients with mental illnesses were placed in the basement for treatment.  “Founded by a man named Archias, the Asclepion of Pergamon became famous under Galen (131-210 AD), a local physician who pursued his medical studies in Greece and Alexandria (Egypt) before settling as doctor to Pergamon's gladiators.

From the parking lot and entrance (TL15), where there are shops and snack-and-drink stands, we walked along a monumental marble street bordered by columns. This was once an active market street, with shops lining both sides of the street. The acropolis of Pergamum is clearly visible on its hilltop to the east.

Coming into the main precinct of the Asclepion, we noticed the large marble column fragment bearing the Asclepion's symbol: two snakes facing each other across a wheel. As snakes shed their skins are "reborn," so patients at the Asclepion were to shed their illnesses and regain health.

We first noticed the large theater of the Asclepion, in front of which are several stone-framed sacred pools, filled with water (and frogs) in spring, though perhaps dry in summer and autumn.”

After touring the site for over an hour in the blistering heat we made our way to Izmir. We checked into the opulent Hilton Izmir Hotel in the middle of town a few streets away from the beach. After enjoying a really sumptuous meal we took a walk on the beach front. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly taking a ride back to the hotel in a horse and cart.

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