After visiting Ephesus the day before, my appetite for more ancient ruins was ripe. Others however in the group had no desire to see any further ruins on the trip. Day 10 of Turkey Explored is another long bus day visiting both Pergamon and Troy on the way to Canakkale (our gateway to Gallipoli). With many departing the bus at a road stop, a handful of us continued towards Pergamon.
Pergamon is nothing like Ephesus and definitely worth the extra 37 lira (entry and cable car fee). Perched on the top of a mountain that requires you to catch a cable car to the top, the city instantly invites you back to the ancient world. Much of the ruins have been taken by Germany with a whole museum now dedicated to Pergamon in Berlin. Large brown stones make up the majority of the structures and architectural marvels, like the arches and theatre. Pergamon was the home to the second largest library of ancient times, showing its importance. Sadly, only rubble is left to indicate its size and location. Visiting the temple is like taking a step into another world, with the large white marble columns a contrast to the brown stones of the rest of the city. Much cooler in Pergamon, we happily explored the ruins – it was much more comfortable than the sweltering heat we experienced in Ephesus.
Our final stop on our tour of Pergamon was the theatre. This theatre is the steepest in the world and is the home to spectacular views of the surrounding area. Again this city was unique as it was empty of the crowds from the cruise ships that visit Ephesus. We explored without having to weave our way through other tour groups as if we were in a mosh pit. One of our group ended the tour by having a “Rocky” moment, attempting to jog up the entire theatre. Enjoying the cool refreshing breeze, it was time to head back down the cable car and pick up the remainder of the group.
Back on board the bus, we set off to Troy. Our guide advised that Troy was not worth the entry fee. Apparently, there is only a small remainder of the wall left as the rest is now in museums, so I opted to wait outside the gates at a cute little cafe, run by a man in lederhosen. The majority of the group visited the ruins to see the wooden horse from the film they had watched and loved. Much to their disappointment this horse is actually located in Canakkale our next stop where we were going to spend the night. Twenty minutes after disembarking from the bus to the cafe, I was back on board on the way to Canakkale.
All in all it was a very long day on the bus. I decided on arrival to Canakkale that I needed some space and set off to explore the city on my own. I stopped at the Trojan Horse for a tourist photo stop and my attention was caught by activity on the adjoining half basketball court. Edging closer, I was drawn into the community spirit that revolves around Canakkale basketball. Mid competition I took my seat amongst the crowd of locals and was completely absorbed.
Young and old were at the court. Teams of three per side competed with intensity on the half size basketball court. Music was blaring and the crowd was cheering and laughing and having a ball. For the first time in days no one approached me to sell me something. A lone fairy floss salesman circled the court on his bicycle only stopping when approached by consumers. The Trojan Horse and courts were soon soaking in a beautiful sunset as the games became more intense. Sitting at the court, absorbing it all in, was the first time I didn’t feel as if I was in a Muslim country. Girls were out in denim shorts and running free to gossip and muck around with friends. A complete transition from the previous cities visited on the tour. The sun finally set and it was time to get an early night before an early ferry across to the Gallipoli Peninsula.