Related topics: photos altinkum | altinkum beaches | altinkum restaurants | things to do in altinkum | water parks in altinkum | map of altinkum | steet map altinkum | altinkum - lake bafa |

Altinkum is a friendly resort and you will find the locals "laid back" and relaxed in their attitude towards tourists. This resort is situated on the west Aegean coast. Altinkum is served by three airports; Bodrum is 1hr away, Izmir two hours and Dalaman three hours.

A few minutes outside Altinkum is Didim, where the ruins of the famous Apollo Temple are found. This temple's porch originally held 120 columns and Apollo's twin sister, Artemis, also had 120 columns in her temple near Ephesus. Ancient Didima was not a town, but the home of a god and his priest. In the temple grounds are fragments of its rich decoration including a striking head of Medusa [she of hair on nakes]. Just over the road you can relax in an original stone house, sampling some local cusine, whilst the sun sets over the temple!

The AEGEAN REGION

If one were to claim that the most scenic vistas in Anatolia can be found on the coasts of the Aegean, he could not be accused of exaggerating. In the words of Heredotus, the Aegean coasts "have the most beautiful sky and the best climate in the world." The bays and peninsulas, coves and golden beaches stretch the length of these beautiful shores. In this region where the countless events of mythology took place, you will encounter the theaters, temples and agoras of ancient cities at almost every turn. The city of Troy immortalized by Homer and Pergamum, the art and cultural center and capital city of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the day, are both located on Aegean soil.

THE AEGEAN COAST

The Aegean shores of Turkey are among the loveliest landscapes in the country. The magnificent coastline, lapped by the clear water of the Aegean Sea, abounds in vast and pristine beaches surrounded by olive groves, rocky crags and pine woods.

Whether you prefer idyllic fishing harbours, popular holiday villages or the remains of ancient civilizations attesting to more than 5,000 years of history, culture and mythology, this region offers a holiday with something for nature lovers, sun worshippers, photographers, sports enthusiasts, sailors and archeologists. Along the whole length of the coast, accommodations to suit every taste and price range can be found.

About Altinkum
Beaches ahead of the rest in the Aegean, the golden sands of Altinkum are priceless. A more informal, less hurried Turkish treasure with a relaxing aura.

Altinkum means ‘golden sand’ and the name more than delivers: this is a beachlover’s paradise. Wide beaches of soft, golden sand shelve gently into the sea and are ideal for families. For daytime sightseeing don’t forget that the splendid Roman ruins of Ephesus are within easy reach for an excursion, while the Temple of Apollo at Didyma is a short dolmus ride from the resort. After dark, Altinkum’s nightlife is generally centred among the lively bars and restaurants along the main seafront promenade.

There are plenty of souvenir and cheap clothing shops in Altinkum, where you can stock up on jeans and T-shirts, lace and embroidery. A trip inland to the designer label discount stores will ensure some great bargains and there's a small traditional market held in the village centre each Saturday morning.

There's a great selection of waterfront bars open until around midnight when the party atmosphere moves underground to a selection of nightclubs. The pace really hots up after dark and it can get lively in high season when the holiday spirit is in full swing.

The package resorts of Altinkum and Didim are popular with Turkish & British tourists for their long sandy beach. Altinkum slopes gently into the Aegean sea, making the beach a perfect spot for families. The kids will enjoy paddling in the blue waters and this wonderful bay, lined with wide sandy beaches, is situated against a beautiful, mountain backdrop. There are also numerous watersports on offer.

Altinkum offers many restaurants and cafés to enjoy a good meal in. The menus on offer are varied, but fish is very popular.

Turkish Carpets.
These are not cheap, so be sure to know what you are looking for before you enter into a purchase. These carpets are usually weaved in villages; Ayvacik and Konya are two famous carpet-making regions so ask the dealer where the carpet was made. The carpets can be hand or machine made. The latter will last longer but it may be difficult to distinguish between them. The knots are usually a good indicator as they are of the ‘Gordion type and irregular it is likely to be hand made. The carpet may be made from silk or wool, cotton carpets will no last more than a few years. Carpet dyes can be a problem, running a damp cloth over the carpet will indicate its durability; the colour will not fade in the sun or should not come off onto the cloth if a vegetable dye has been used. Keep your receipt to show customs and remember that you are not allowed to take antique carpets out of the country. Less than 60 years old is legal. There is a good carpet shop adjacent to the Temple of Apollo, reputed to be one of the best in the region.

Turkish Tea and Coffee.
The Turks drink Turkish tea everyday all day and you will probably be offered it during your visit to Turkey. The tea comes from The Black Sea Coast mainly from Rize. It is served in small tulip shaped glasses, usually without milk, this is a western additive but you may if you wish drink it with milk. Turkish Coffee is also served in small cups, usually with a glass of water. Thick and strong it is served with or without sugar. Try a refreshing drink at the Oracle Penysion, near the temple, which gets a fabouls sunset.

Food in Altinkum
The foundation of Turkish food is, if anything, the dough made of wheat flour. Bread is called "ekmek" - the ordinary white bread or "pide" - flat bread, "simit" - sesame seed rings, "manti" - dumplings, a whole family of food made up of thin sheets of pastry called "borek" falls into this category. Ekmek, pide and simit are meant to be eaten the same day they are baked. Try Altin Ekmek near the Migros supermarket, which bakes the bread daily for the resort of Altinkum.

Given the numerous types of kebabs, it helps to realize that you categorize them by the way the meat is cooked. Sis kebab is grilled cubes of skewered meat. Doner kebab is made by stacking alternating layers of ground meat and sliced leg of lamb on a large upright skewer, which is slowly rotated in front of a vertical grill. As the outer layer of the meat is roasted, thin slices are shaved to be served. "lzgara"- mixed grilled meat, it is how main course meat dishes are prepared at a meat restaurant. Mixed grills are likely to include lamb chops, "kofte", or "sis"(select cubes of meat). The way of preparing ground meat will be the "kofte". These are grilled, fried, oven-cooked or boiled, after being mixed with special spices, eggs, and grated onions and carefully shaped into balls, oblongs, round or long patties.

During the day visit Didyma, home of a magnificent temple to the god Apollo. The site is huge and was never finished although it was worked on for 150 years. Look out for the snake-adorned Medusa near the entrance. Nearby Bodrum is also home to the ancient site of the Mausoleum of Masusolos, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus is relatively close and its Roman ruins and famous library are worth a visit. The historical sites of Miletus, Priene and Ephesus are also just a short drive away and there’s a useful ferry service to Bodrum during the summer. The area around nearby Lake Bafa is beautifully unspoilt and excellent for walking in the spring

Boat trip
Love Tours operate a boat trip, it has 5 stops in all. The sea around altinkum is ideal for swims as it is nice and calm and beautifully blue. You have the opportunity to ride on the doughnuts and banana boat as they follow you around, together with the ice-cream boat; lunch is included. All drinks are covered: beer, wine, cooldrinks, tea, coffee and water. It's a nice relaxing trip, great for topping up your tan. All the boats follow the same route but some boats are louder than others, music etc. Excellent value for money!

Pammukale
Try a two day trip to Ephesus and Pammukale. Be warned though, it is two very full days. The first day is spent at Ephesus which consists of a 3 hour stroll in the heat through the town, ensure that you take your hat and plenty of water with as it turns warm very quickly. Relax after day 1 in a luxury hotel in Pammukale with pool, thermal bath and jaccuzzi. Enjoy dinner from the top of the hotel overlooking the cotton clad mountains. Day consists of expoloring the white mountain, don't forget your sunglasses! Afterwards take a trip to the fantastic Cleopatra pool before heading back to Altinkum. This trip comes highly recommended over the one day alternative.

Soke fruit market
Also try and take the trip to Soke Market, its massive and lots of Bargains on offer, the Gold shops there are also cheaper than in the resorts, you can pick up some real bargains, Make sure you Barter as you will definately get it cheaper that way. Also there is a large family of factory outlet shops, which sell good quality merchandise at fixed prices, so there's no need to haggle and definatley no hassle at all.

Temple Athena in Priene
Dating back to 4th century BC, this temple, located on the culminating point of the city, rose over a wide terrace of rocks and the defence walls and it was the largest, oldest, most important and most magnificent building in Priene. The building was completely destroyed in an earthquake in ancient times and the pieces were scattered over a large area. Fortunately, the construction of the plan and the reconstruction of the building have been possible through the fragments found in the excavations. The building rests on a three-stepped platform, 37.2 meters long and 19.15 metres wide. Th columns of which the bases are built in the Ephesus type, have 24 flutes in their shaft. There are various different motifs for you to discover on the temples entablature's.

The Theatre at Priene
Built in the 4th century BC this theatre is still in good condition. Like all ancient Greek theatres, the building consist of three main parts i.e. the Skene (stage building), the Orchestra (horseshoe shaped space in middle) and the Cavea (space where the spectators sat). In the middle part of the cavea stands a second prohedria. These seats, which had lion's paws profiles, were made for distinguished guests. Taking into consideration all the present day remains, it has been calculated that the cevea had 50 rows of seats and that it had the capacity to seat an audience of 5,000 people.

Byzantine church - Priene
The church was built in the 6th century A.D, understood to be the church for the Archbishdopric and comprises of three wings. The middle nave is separated from the others by the rows of Doric columns on its sides. The apse has not completely been escavated. It is understood that the church originally had a flat roof, and that the dome was added later.

Miletus Theatre
This theatre was first erected in the 4th century BC and it has taken its present form by later alterations undergone in the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. The theatre could seat 5,300 spectators in hte Hellenistic period but this grew to 25,00 spectators in the Roman period. This theatre was mainly used for lion fights. The caravanserai, located to the south-east of the theatre, was built in the 15th century . It comprises a courtyard and rooms for lodging. The lower floor of the two-storeyed building was used as stables, and the upper floor to lodge travellers. There is also an orchestra section, the tripod cauldron and reliefs of frigoons are just marvelous to look at. On the stage there is a picture is representing Eros hunting, and was part of the stage building dating back to 2nd century AD.

Didum lion
Altinkum is based in the region of Didim. The origins of the names of Didyama and Didymaion has been a subject of discussion going on for years. Along with several other myths, it is believed that the name means "twin temples". However no hard evidence could be found so it remains a myth.

At Didum you will find the temple of Apollo, its extensive colums rise impressivley into the sky. Just after you have entered the site, you will see this copy of a majestic lion that was found here during excavations. This fragment of a frieze dating back to 2nd Century AD, is probably the best known item of the Turkish cultural heritage. It is used on all the posters promoting Turkey and only 5 minutes from Altinkum and the Altena Temple in Didum. Standing amongst these columns are extremely intimidating and really makes you feel small. The architects and builders of this period were extremely skilled craftsman, they accomplished what we are not able to do with the best machinery available to us. The amount of work that went into building and decorating these temples are breathtaking.

Akbuk
Akbuk is another up and coming holiday resort in the region, with nice beach hotels.

Menderes River valley
The exquisite Menderes River valley, known in the West as the Meander, has been the cradle of many civilizations. Set amidst pine, olive and oleander trees, the magnificent Camici(Bafa) Lake is a lovely place to stopover. Tourists can choose between guest-houses or campsites. To the east of the lake rise the five peaks of the Besparmak Mountains. The Iconoclastic priests who came here to live, from Constantinople, built monasteries, churches, and chapels around the base of the mountains and on the lake's islands. The ruins of the ancient city of Heraklia lie close to the lake, while the remains of Alinda are found on the eastern slopes of the Besparmak Mountains. The valley has witnessed the rise and fall of several great cities,notably Priene, Miletos, Didyma, Aphrodisias, and Hierapolis. This peaceful national reserve is an excellent place for bird-watchers, trekkers, nature-lovers and photographers.

More on altinkum...

Related topics: photos altinkum | altinkum beaches | altinkum restaurants | things to do in altinkum | water parks in altinkum | map of altinkum |steet map altinkum |