An impressive building of Yellow Caravanserai, referred to in Turkish as Sarı Han or Saru Han, stands on the outskirts of Avanos. Its name, as you might imagine, comes from the color of stone blocks that were used for its erection in 1249. Yellow Caravanserai owes its present appearance to a thorough renovation, carried out in 1991. Travelers visiting Cappadocia usually have the opportunity to visit this caravanserai, if they decide to participate in sema ceremony that is the show of famous whirling dervishes.
The discovery of the ruins of the Hittite city of Şapinuwa was a huge surprise for the researchers of this period of the history of Asia Minor. Although archaeological work has been conducted on this site since 1990, many of the issues associated with the importance and the role Şapinuwa played during the period of Hittite domination remain a mystery. The researchers conducting excavations in Şapinuwa claim that it was the second capital of the Hittites or the royal residence of the rulers of this country. The most valuable discovery made so far in Şapinuwa is a collection of over three thousand pieces of clay tablets from the second millennium BCE. Unfortunately, not all of them have already been read, and many researchers eagerly await the full publication of their contents.
The ruins of the ancient city of Parion are located on the territory of modern Turkish village of Kemer, in Çanakkale Province, on the coast of the Marmara Sea. The ruins are far from the beaten track, so it is difficult to reach them, and even find interesting information in a language other than Turkish is a challenge. Thanks to intensive archaeological excavations, conducted in Parion, crucial findings are made every year, shedding light on the history of the settlement.
The building that hosts the Çorum Museum displays typical architectural features of the 19th century. It was initially built in 1914 as a hospital. Later on, it was used as the School of Agriculture, School of Medicine, School of Art, School of Trade, Machinery Academy and Atatürk High School. After a fire in 1988 had damaged the building, restoration work was initiated in 1989. On 11 March 2003, the building started to serve as the new Çorum Museum.
Panionium (Panionion) was an Ionian sanctuary dedicated to Poseidon Helikonios, and, at the same time, the Ionian League meeting place. This unusual site was located on the northern slopes of Mount Mykale (tr. Samsun Dağı or Dilek Dağı), opposite the island of Samos, about 100 km south of Smyrna (now Izmir). Mykale Massif forms Dilek Peninsula, which is a part of the Aegean Sea coast of Asia Minor. On the southern side of the mountain, the Ionian city of Priene was situated. Its residents were responsible for the sanctuary of Panionium and for the organization of games (panegyris) called the Panionia.
