Fancy an action-packed Mediterranean holiday, touring dazzling monuments and exotic cultural attractions while indulging in a little tasteful hedonism – fine wine, seafood and dancing by the sparkling turquoise waves? The ancient Romans certainly did, and at the height of their Empire in the first and second centuries AD, they flocked in droves to the coast of Turkey, then the exotic province of Asia Minor. This was the wealthiest corner of the entire Empire, and for wealthy young aristocrats of the capital – educated, curious, fun-loving, predominantly male – it was tourist paradise.
Admittedly, the journey was a little more time-consuming for a classical sightseer than for travellers today. There were no scheduled boat services from Rome, let alone travel agencies or tour operators, so anyone heading to Asia Minor negotiated their passage directly with the captains of merchant ships who were island-hopping their way east via Greece. Passengers had no cabins but (like many a backpacker in the Aegean today) could enjoy sleeping on the deck beneath the stars – a definite pleasure on warm summer nights. Travellers would relax in Greek-style tunics (togas were only for the most formal occasions), sip Falernian wine and discuss astrology while their servants prepared light meals on the flames of the ship’s galley below. In their spare time, many would have pored over their guidebooks, which were published in the form of long papyrus scrolls hand-copied by scribes (Hundreds were written in antiquity but only one survives, by a scholar from Lycia named Pausanias). Just like today, a diligent Roman tourist wanted to be prepared for the wonders that lay ahead.
"Buying a house in Kusadasi" REMAX PASHA & Kusadasi - Turkey Turkey is a paradise of sun, sea, mountains, and lakes that offers a complete change from the stress and routine of everyday life. Kusadasi, one of Turkey's principle holiday resorts, offers an excellent environm.... more
