Jule's Hikoi: Perge

A small post script following on from my last entry. I had an excuse to go to London on Thursday, one I took the train to Waterloo then the tube to Liverpool St Station to meet Ingrid. Ingrid is a person I connected with through a mutual friend and we'd not actually met in person until Thursday. We had talked via video calls so I knew what she looked like. We wandered to Borough Market via the Tower and surrounds. Once again the market was too packed to enjoy so we caught the tube back across the river to Shoreditch, an area I'd not really explored. The Dishoom Shoreditch restaurant was the best, lovely food washed down with a Kingfisher. By the time we got there we were well in need of a cold one. A lovely day of connection and wandering and the odd pic.

Back to Perge or Perga. As I shared earlier, the Antalya Archaeological Museum was a treat. Exploring the maps of the area and where the artifacts were found, alongside the stories of the people and their lives. Best of all was the gallery of statues from Perge, friend Hadrian and his contemporaries, realistically portrayed in white marble. There's also information about where the statues were found, helpful for our visit. By the time we had explored the museum we were very keen to get to Perge. Enter AirBnb experiences where we found our lovely guide Onder who's knowledge of, and passion for, this amazing place brought history to life. I love how last minute things are so often the very best of experiences.

The ancient city of Perge contains some of the most beautiful Hellenistic and Roman Ruins in Turkey. Perge is rich with history as Alexander the Great once strode through its gates, and the Apostle Paul preached there on his missionary journeys. We wandered in the searing heat checking out the massive theatre first. Third only to Ephesus and Aizanoi and built in the traditional Greco-Roman style, the theater could probably seat around 12,000 people. Standing in the middle looking up at the terraces you could almost hear the cheering crowds as they enjoyed the entertainments offered. Not in this case the gruesome kind, more likely plays and shows because of the way the theatre was built and the type of stage.

Heading into this ancient city through the gates we wandered along colonnaded streets with columns of granite and marble towering above and mosaics underfoot. The mosaics were mostly protected by matting, with some places less likely to be damaged open to view. Perge was a very prosperous place and a market for the surrounding areas as well as the travelers passing through. Spaces for shops can still be seen lining the streets. Some even have signs indicating what they might have sold, like the fish shop with the carved stone images. Did I mention it was hot? Shade was not too plentiful so we found a spot next to one of the gates and the remains of a fountain to take a break. The place looked quite familiar then I realized it was where many of the museum statues had come from.

Onder regaled us with stories from this place. Stories of peace, wealth, how the city sustained itself with artesian water and the people who both lived here and traveled through. Shutting my eyes I could hear the horses, the chatter of commerce, the odd chariot and the roars of the people watching in both the theatre and the stadium (similar to Circus Maximus). Best of all there were very few people visiting when we did so it was quiet enough to feel the atmosphere. Did I mention it was hot? Maybe that's why, sensible folks visit at more sensible times of day!

When you're in Antalya look up Onder either on Get your Guide or AirBnb experiences. He also shares other places in this beautiful part of the country with traveling folks so check out what else he does. You won't be disappointed.

Emperor Hadrian - Antalya Archeological Museum

Nymphaion from the period of the Emperor Hadrian. From the statue laying on a base, the water flows directly below the statue into the channel running in the colonnaded street north to south.