Turkey is one of my favorite countries to visit, as there is an abundance of historical sites. My bucket list for Turkey seems to be ever-growing, but here are some of the places I’ve visited in the Mediterranean region. Here are posts for the Marmara & Aegean regions and the Central Anatolia region.

Antiochia ad Cragum: I’ve been interested in archaeology for many years. During the summer of 2024, I completed a field school at Antiochia ad Cragum, near the town of Gazipaşa. The city was founded in the first century of the common era by the client-king of Rome, Antiochos IV of Commagene, and reached its greatest extent during the later Roman Empire. It was, “constructed on primarily sloping ground that descends from the Taurus mountain range down to the sea… situated several hundred meters above sea level, protected on several sides by cliffs and steep slopes that plummet to the sea below.” Prior to the founding of the city, the area served as a base for the Cilician pirates (perhaps best known for capturing Julius Caesar when he was a young man). After the city’s decline in the Middle Ages, there is evidence that pirates used it once again as a base.

Antalya: One popular city in the Mediterranean Region for tourists is Antalya, where you can visit the Mevlevi Lodge Museum and the Yivliminare Mosque, both constructed in the 13th century. There is also Hadrian’s Gate and the Antalya Archaeological Museum.

Perge: Antalya also has many historical sites nearby, such as Perge. I first heard of the ancient city of Perge in a Great Courses lecture “Fall of the Pagans” when it was mentioned that St. Paul visited on his first mission. The legend is that it was founded by Calchas, famed seer from the Iliad, after the Trojan War (around 1200 BCE). The city’s identity remained linked to the Trojan War, seen by the mosaic which depicts the sacrifice of Iphigenia. In the 4th century BCE, Alexander the Great went to the city. It became part of the Seleucid and then Roman Empire—most of the ruins today are Roman. The city declined and was finally abandoned in the Seljuk period, around the year 1000 CE. It has been excavated since 1946.

Aspendos and Side: In that day trip you also visit Aspendos, a well preserved Greco-Roman theatre, and Side, where I got to see some archaeologists at work, inspiring my later trip to Antiochia.

Myra: There are also day trips offered from Antalya to Myra, an ancient city from which Saint Nicholas was from. You can also visit his church in Demre, which has really exquisite frescos.