Sagalossos

Heading east, I was staying at a campsite in a country park near Isparta. There is a large lake and the whole area is covered with trees, which was great for keeping cool under the strong sun. I was here because I wanted to visit the ancient town of Sagalossos.

Getting to Sagalossos was an experience in itself. Because its built on top of a mountain in the middle of a mountain range, you have to ride along a winding mountain road which goes up, and up and up. The scenery is amazing, and the sudden drop at the side of the road quite chilling.

Established about 180BC, the ancient city's main export was pottery because of the availability of local clay. During the Roman Period (around 117 AD), the city was rebuilt in the Roman Style, with a large square and an ornate water fountain. It also had baths, an ornate library, a gymnasium and many temples. It even had a large amphitheatre dug into the nearby hillside. It was a thriving small city, and like most cities in Turkey, it was devastated by an earthquake in 610AD.