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Aristotle lived in Assos and St
Paul visited, but today visitors
go to Assos as a tranquil Aegean-coast seaside
retreat amid ancient ruins.
Atop a hill surrounded by olive groves
are the ruins of the Doric-style Temple
of Athena (530 BC) surrounded by
crumbling city walls and an ancient
necropolis (cemetery). Nearby is the
14th-century Ottoman Murad
Hüdavendigar Mosque. The hill
offers spectacular views of the Aegean
Sea and the nearby Greek island
of Lesvos.
Down the steep seaward side of the
hill at the water's edge is the hamlet
called Iskele (Dock,
Wharf), with old stone houses now serving
as inns, pensions and restaurants.
It's hopelessly charming and picturesque.The
small pebbly beach is less of
an attraction than the boat tours and
the picturesqueness of the hamlet
itself.
Though officially named Behramkale (BEHH-rahm-kah-leh),
most people still call the town by
its ancient name of Assos. It
was founded in the 700s BC by colonists
from Lesvos. Aristotle came
here and married King Hermeias's niece,
Pythia, before sailing over to Lesvos.
These days, the nearest Lesvos
ferry services are from Ayvalik
and Dikili, to the south. The way
to get to Assos is by bus from Çanakkale or
Ayvalik. You'll probably have to
get off the bus at Ayvacik (not Ayvalik)
and switch to a minibus or taxi to
make the final 19-km (12-mile) run
into Assos.
The nearest small airport is at Çanakkale,
the nearest large one is Adnan
Menderes Airport south of Izmir.
The Bandirma-Izmir
train stops
at Balikesir, 161 km (100 miles) to
the east. Going by bus is
faster.
Distances & Travel Times
Ayvacik: 19 km (12 miles) N,
25 minutes
Ayvalik: 130
km (81 miles) NW, 2.25 hours
Balikesir: 161 km ( 100 miles)
E, 2.5 hours
Bandirma: 257
km (160 miles) NE, 4 hours
Çanakkale: 79
km (49 miles) N, 1.5 hours
Istanbul: 419
km (260 miles) NE, 6.5 hours
Izmir: 370
km (230 miles) S, 5.5 hours
Aegean
Turkey
Ferries
to/from the Greek Islands
Turkey
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