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When
visiting Altinkum, stop any
tourist and ask them how
many times they have been to
Altinkum. Chances are, they
have lost count. Follow that
question with “have you
ever been to see the Temple
of Apollo?” and the answer
is No!
This historical attraction
is right on the doorstep of
Altinkum and is extremely
under promoted in resort.
Even the Mayor of Altinkum Mümin
Kamaci, is desperate to
encourage tourists from all
resorts to visit the temple.
Talks are in place to
register the surrounding
village of the temple called
Yoran Village, as a
architectural conservation
site. Old ruined houses will
be restored and the Minster
of culture and tourism in
Turkey, Ertugrul Gunay is
keen to get involved. At
present international cruise
ships will dock into the
resort of Kusadasi and take
all nationalities to the
historical site of Ephesus.
The mayor is looking to set
up the same concept here in
Altinkum with cruise ships
docking in to take all
nationalities to The Temple
Of Apollo.
So why do many people not
visit the Temple which is
right on their doorstep?. Is
it because they think it is
just the temple that is
there?. If so this is
incorrect. A fun traditional
morning or afternoon can be
had. After visiting the
temple which has a cheap
entrance fee then explore
the local shops. Souvenirs,
onyx and galleries
displaying art by local
artists are dotted around
the temple. The first one
however that needs to be
highly recommend is the
carpet shop. I can imagine
your surprise at a
recommendation for a carpet
shop. Well, these are not
your modern machine crafted
washable rugs. These are
hand sown traditional
carpets from all around
Turkey. On closer inspection
of the motifs used, you will
discover a secret tale told
by the woman who weaved the
carpet. A young lady with a
desire to marry, a new
mother overjoyed at the
birth of her off spring, an
evil eye used to warn off
bad luck from who ever will
be the lucky owner of the
carpet. Anatolia Carpets all
come with a certificate and
are considered world wide
collectors items. If you are
feeling really flush then a
small hand woven pure silk
carpet is up for sale at £2000.
Be sure to not to put it
down as a welcome mat!
There are also three
restaurants looking onto the
temple, and they will
provide a refreshing drink
in the hot summer sun or
will lay on a whole feast of
traditional Turkish food for
an excellent bargain price.
Try the Turkish mezes for
starters and for your main
course, look into the fish
cabinet, choose your lunch
for the day and relax with a
glass of raki whilst waiting
for your feast to be served
to your table. If a special
occasion is coming up and
you would like to be really
romantic then head to the
restaurants at night time,
grab a table overlooking the
temple light up by soft
lights, listen to the
traditional Turkish music
performed by live singers
and ensure that you have a
holiday memory that will
last for years. Last year an
english couple gained
permission to marry in the
Temple, you can be sure that
their holiday photos are
original and will be looked
at in awe by their grand
children. So next time you
are in Altinkum, be sure to
spend a morning discovering
this important part of
Turkish history and help us
to spread the word about the
historical part of Altinkum
known as The Temple of
Apollo.
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