The hottest archaeological news from Turkey last month was the discovery of a Bronze Age shipwreck of the shores of southern Turkey's Antalya province. Another great news was the reopening of Sümela Monastery, announced for May.
The town of Edremit administratively belongs to the Balıkesir Province. However, because of its location – on the Gulf of Edremit (tr. Edremit Körfezi), which marks the border of Biga Peninsula – it can be counted as one of the cities of the Troad. It is situated in the south-easternmost point of this region. The city bears the name derived from the ancient Adramyttion, but in fact, the ruins of this settlement are located further to the south, in Burhaniye. Edremit is a modern town, where it is difficult to find spectacular sights or tourist attractions. The importance of Edremit to the travellers results from its position at the crossroads of many significant roads. If you are travelling around the western part of Turkey, in Edremit you need to decide whether to go further south along the coast of the Aegean Sea, or turn east, deeper into Asia Minor.
March 2019 saw the archaeological site of Arslantepe getting ready for the UNESCO World Heritage List. Meanwhile, some amazing discoveries were made in the area of Turkey, including the statue of Emperor Trajan in Laodicea on the Lycus and a large pithos found by a farmer plowing his field in Niğde province. Moreover, the new Troy Museum was finally opened.
Judging by the modest number of tourists reaching the ruins of Miletus, it is hard to believe that in the antiquity it was one of the most important cities of the region, in its heyday challenging the power of Ephesus. Founded by the Greeks on the coast of Asia Minor, Miletus will be remembered in the annals of history as the birthplace of mathematician Thales and two famous philosophers, Anaxagoras and Anaximander. Miletus was also one of the oldest and most important Greek cities of Ionia, boasting not one, but four harbors. Today, the crowds of sightseers from all over the world rub shoulders in Ephesus, leaving the pleasure of discovering the secrets of Miletus to small groups of curious visitors who manage to reach this site.
Hoşap Castle is an imposing fortification and the main tourist attraction of Güzelsu village near Van in Eastern Turkey. Perching dramatically over the road connecting Van and Hakkari, the castle has been recently renovated and can now be visited if you can attract the attention of the custodian who can open its gates. The castle's name in Kurdish is Kela Xoşabê, and it means Beautiful Water Castle. This name is reflected in the Turkish name of the village as Güzelsu also means Beautiful Water. Naturally, both names come from the river that flows nearby.
