Assos
Greek City Founded In The 7th Century BC, With A Doric Temple Of Athena On A 238 Metre Acropolis; On The UNESCO Tentative List · Ayvacik, Canakkale
Assos is a Doric temple on a cliff two hundred and thirty-eight metres above the Aegean, with the island of Lesbos filling the horizon opposite and nothing between. Aristotle came here after Plato died and taught for three years, married the ruler's niece and started the biological work he later finished on Lesbos; Saint Paul walked through on his way to Mytilene. The site itself is modest - a partly re-erected temple of the sixth century BC, a theatre on the slope, long stretches of Hellenistic city wall and a necropolis - but the position does the work, and few ancient sites anywhere sit better. Below the acropolis, reached by a hairpin road so steep that first-time drivers regret it, is a tiny stone harbour with a row of hotels built out of the old customs houses, which is where most people stay and eat. The village on top, Behramkale, is a hard cobbled climb and worth it for the temple alone.
Behramkale Koyu, Assos Oren Yeri, Ayvacik, Ayvacik, Canakkale, Turkiye
The acropolis and temple are ticketed and keep daytime hours with an earlier winter close. The village and the harbour are open at all hours. The harbour road is a very steep series of hairpins and is unpleasant in the dark or in ice. Most harbour hotels and restaurants close from about November to March.