Assos Antik Kenti

Assos Ancient City

Assos Ancient City is located on the slopes of a volcano, across from the Edremit Gulf and the island of Lesbos (Midilli) and boasts a magnificent observation terrace. It is one of the important historical areas of the Northern Aegean. Throughout history, it has been influenced by the Lydians, Persians, Pergamons, and Romans, and in recent times, by the Seljuks and Ottomans. It became an important place when the philosopher Aristotle established a school in Assos. The “Temple of Athena,” located at the highest point of the city and boasting a magnificent view, is the largest surviving structure of the ancient city. Athena takes her name from Zeus’s daughter and is one of the 12 Olympian gods. It is known as the first and only temple in the Doric order built in Anatolia during the Archaic period. Unfortunately, the statue of the goddess that was found in the room of the temple was stolen from Turkey by Americans in the 1800s, which is quite regrettable. The frieze of the Temple of Athena is now on display at the world-famous Louvre Museum in France. The history of the ancient city dates back to the 6th century. Its biggest feature is that it was built from andesite stones found in the area. It is difficult to work with this stone, hence why the ancients called it the “man-eating stone.”

Assos Ancient City – Aristo statute
Assos Ancient City – It is definitely worth seeing.

Aristotle’s Place of Residence for 3 Years

The ancient city, which is located within the boundaries of the village of Behramkale, offers a magnificent bird’s-eye view of the island of Lesbos in Greece. The surviving structures of the ancient city include walls, necropolis, a temple, an amphitheater, and an agora. In addition, there is a single-domed mosque built by Ottoman Sultan Murat I near the necropolis. Assos ancient city is considered sacred by Christians because it was visited by Saint Paul. It holds a special place in the world of philosophy, and to this day, it is still considered important by philosophers. In fact, since 2000, Assos has been hosting philosophy meetings. The artifacts excavated from the Assos ancient city are displayed at the Canakkale Museum. The ancient city is open every day of the week, and you can visit it by paying a fee of 50 TL or with a museum card. To get to the Assos ancient city, you need to go to the village of Behramkale, located on the foothills of Mount Ida, through Ayvacik district of Canakkale. If you do not have a car, you can take minibusses from Ayvacik or take a taxi from Kucukkuyu district to get here.