Temple & Philosopher

Goddess of wisdom; known as Minerva by Romans, Athena by Ancient Greeks.

Aristotle, philosopher; known as teacher of Alexander the Great and philosopher

One is from ancient spiritual world, other one is a scholar.

Can you separate those two, religion and science? They both born from needs of mankind, one regulates the nonmaterial world, other tries to explain how the material world works.

In my mind, science and religion are attached to each other. No wonder those are my words, my thoughts but under the sun there is a place where science and religion league together…

Temple



Ruins of Athena Temple



Assos, known as Behramkale, a small place where academy of Aristotle is and Temple of Athena reaches to the sky.

Assos was ruled by so many civilisations, Aeolians from Lesbos, Persians and Romans. Persians expelled from Assos of Alexander the Great; city also was ruled by Kings of Pergamon.

Unhappily during my visit to Assos, ancient city was closed, I don’t know the reason. I only saw Athena Temple.

Construction of temple was begun at the second half of 6 century BC; temple was dedicated to Athens, the guardian of the city.

Temple is very important for ancient architecture. Signboard, located at the entrance of Assos says “Athena Temple is the first and only Doric temple of archaic period of Anatolia. At the same time, temple is the only sample which consists Doric and Ion architectural characteristics together. For further information, please refer to http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifact?name=Assos,%20Temple%20of%20Athena&object=Building

I suppose, people of Assos didn’t know they built such a unique structure, they only intended to please their Goddess.  I hope they achieved to please Athena and found inner peace.

Temple was build to highest hill of the city; so that Athena could protect Assos.

I climbed to the hill; Guardian of the city welcomed me with warm winds and sunlight. Unfortunately many of temple is in ruins, but even the ruins are charmful.  Well, I’m always touched with ancient cities. Athena was lucky, hill is surrounded with an amazing view, Aegean Sea, wuthering heights…

After visiting Temple, I stopped by a small café of village which is run by a villager. They have delicious gözleme.  I recommend you to have gözleme with white cheese and ayran, after climbing a steep hill, eating and resting will be good.

(for gözleme; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6zleme)

  

View

Behramkale-Village

Road to Village and me



Villagers

Village Cafe

Ruins



Troy, Legend and First Beauty Contest

Legend

To the most beautiful one… The most important battle of mythological world began with this simple sentence. Eris the goddess of strife and riot was not invited to an important meeting which was arranged by Zeus the God of Gods and Goddesses.

So Strife and riot goddess sends an apple to the meeting to take her revenge

Athena, Hera and Aphrodite quarrel and cannot decide who is the most beautiful one. So Zeus sends the Goddessed to Paris son of King Priamos and asks him to choose “the most beautiful”. Paris chooses Aphrodite the goddess of beauty and love as the most beautiful one. But of course nothings is gratuitous. Paris wants Helene the most beautiful woman in the world and wife of Menelaus King of Sparta.

Aphrodite does not return his wish and make Helen fall in love with Paris. Paris elopes Helen to Troy with help of Aphrodite.

So the Greeks who believe they are insulted declare a war to Troy. So a war called “Trojan” begins between Achaeans (Greeks) and Troy. We can say Trojan is the first war between east and west.

With the help of God and Goddesses (Athena, Aphrodite and Ares) war continues more than 10 years. Odysseus who is loved by Athena Goddess of wisdom makes a wooden horse. According to plan Achaeans would act like they withdraw and leaves that wooden horse behind. Odysseus and other skilled generals hide inside that wooden horse and others sail to Tenedos and hide. Achaeans leave only one soldier with the horse and send him to gates of Troy. This one soldier tells to people of Troy he hates Greeks, he escapes from them and runs to Lands of Troy, this wooden horse made as holly altar for the sake of Athena”. People of Troy let he wooden horse enter to their city to beg for mercy and peace from Athena. That night people of Troy get drunk with the joy of peace and in a sudden army of Achaean show up, destroy the city. After this great mess Menelaus takes Helen and sails to Greece.

This is a very brief summary of Iliad and Odyssey of Homer.

The Wind brought wealth to Troy

Troy till the archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the city was presumed as mythological city. But is an ancient city which contains 9 cities or 9 layers.

Troy I (3000 – 2500 B.C.) : Initial settlement of the early bronze age

Troy II (2500 – 2200 B.C.) : First settlement, Center of contemporary civilization. Ended in a raging fire

Troy III ( 2200 – 2050 B.C. ) : Surrounded by walls, Buildings were larger and more developed than the previous period

Troy IV ( 2052 – 1900 B. C. ) : Blocks of the houses were attached to each other

Troy V ( 1900 – 1800 B. C. ) : More advanced techniques and workmanship in the construction of the walls and the houses

Troy VI ( 1800 – 1300 B.C. ) : Middle bronze age

Troy VI A ( 1300 – 1260 B.C. ) : Large storage jars that were set deeply into the ground and covered with a heavy stone slab to store solid and liquid supplies for an emergency

Troy VII B 1 ( 1260 – 1190 B. C. ) : Founded on Troy VI A * Similar construction techniques with Troy VI A

Troy VII B 2 (1190 – 110 B.C.) : New settlers

Troy VIII ( 700 – 350 B. C. ) : Repopulated by Greeks from Lesbos and Tenedos

Troy IX (350 – 400 A. D. ) : The city spread and covered the whole mound Hisarlik. Emporor Augustus rebuilt the city. The temple of Athena was the most important building

City Walls



Odeon & Bouleuterion




 



How Palace House looked like B.C. 1700




How Palace House looks like as of 2013




Holly Area