Ahhh, the ancient Romans! We have heard about them in history classes all through school but reading about history and actually being in the place where it occurred are two very different things. And Elder & Sister Davis were in a place that was once a part of the Roman Empire. Aspendos is an ancient city we would never have seen on our own. And part of our training conference was learning about the ancient world the century after Christ was crucified. A tour was arranged with an English speaking guide. The bus was luxurious, the day cool but sunny. Our beloved "Henry" enjoying himself on the bus....
In ancient times Antalya was known as Pamphylia- the land of all tribes. The most impressive city in Pamphylia was the city of Aspendos. Aspendos is located near Antalya, in south-central Turkey. The crumbling ruin below was once an ancient gymnasium (boys school) with a bath room nearby in the once thriving city of Aspendos.
Aspendos has one of the best preserved Roman theaters in the world. Built in the second century and seating 15,000,
the structure is nearly intact. The outside was big but not nearly as impressive as the inside...
The history of the city goes probably back to 1000 BC. According to inscriptions on the entrance, construction was paid for by two brothers and says the architect is Zeno, a local Aspendian. It is one of the few Roman buildings of which the name of the architect is known.
What a great adventure! We listened to our tour guide tell the history of the place... but we just wanted to absorb the atmosphere. To be here was a thrill that we never imagined would happen to us...
And after the lecture, we got the opportunity to climb...
Huffing & puffing, Elder & Sister Davis climbed higher and higher. Oh boy, we were out of shape (all that resort food hadn't made it any easier!). But we were one of the few couples that made it to the top...of course we are also one of the youngest couples in the Europe East Area!
Climbing this in the USA would have been forbidden because it is pretty much a lawsuit waiting to happen. The steps are uneven, sometimes non-existent and many of the rocks are broken and jagged. But the view from the top was well worth the climb...
Back on the bus, we headed for more ancient sites and a Turkish Market. Some of the Turkish scenery we saw:.
Many homes are built up because they are shared by multiple generations of family. We often saw "rebar" jutting out of rooftops and were told that they were there to add another floor to the building for the next generation to to live in.
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