The Turkish Riviera

This stunning coastal region encompasses Alanya, Antalya , Mugla, Marmaris, Bodrum and beyond, stretching the length of over 1,000km of coastline.  Also referred to as the Turquoise Coast , the waters of both the Aegean and the Mediterranean lap the toes of those lucky enough to be taking a dip!

Not only a beautiful location in regard to the natural world, architecture also plays a vital role in attracting visitors to this region.  It is said that the Roman politician and general Marc Antony, was so taken with this stretch of coastline that he made a gift of it to his bride Cleopatra.

St. Nicholas was born in Demre (ancient Myra) and Herodotus was born in Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus). Many mythological legends also surround this area.

Two of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World are to be found along these shores, the Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus .

The Temple of Artemis - sometimes also known as the Temple of Diana was founded in 550BC, at the ancient city of Ephesus and was paid for by Croesus of Lydia. The original site is believed to actually date back as far as the Bronze Age, with this magnificent Greek temple rising from their ancient soils. The temple’s construction took over 100 years to complete and measured an amazing 115 metres in length and 55 metres in width.  Coincidentally, on the night that Alexander the Great was born into the world at Macedon in 356 BC, Herostratus took it upon himself to burn the great temple at Ephesus down.

This ancient wonder dedicated to the virginal huntress and twin sibling of Apollo, was rebuilt and again destroyed several times over the following centuries. Today only sculptural remains and the foundations are visible; these were finally unearthed again in 1869, by John Turtle Wood on an archaeological dig sponsored by the British Museum . Even to this day still a popular place for tourists to visit, the site is situated on the outskirts of the town of Selcuk.