Experience Aydin
November 28th, 2011 by Admin
Smack in the middle of Turkey’s breathtaking Aegean region sits the city of Aydin. Nestled in the very heart of the lower Büyük Menderes River valley, this city of 188337 people was originally known as Güzelhisar, and then later Tralles. Aydin city is located in the region famous for fertility since ancient days, making it a site one should definitely not miss out on. The region is famous for its figs, although they are not the city’s only noteworthy produce as olives; grains and cotton are abundant also. Pleasantly warm all year round, but sizzling hot in the summer months, you can sightsee and catch a tan at the same time! Such circumstances make Aydin a dream destination for any tourist. Another of Aydin’s claims to fame is that it’s the birthplace of Anthemius, who was one of the 2 architects to design the Hagia Sophia- Emperor Justinian’s great church and the pride of Byzantine Constantinople.
A six lane motorway connects beautiful Aydin to the buzzing metropolis of Izmir, which is less than an hour away. Even closer to Aydin, also just down motorway is the Adnan Menderes International Airport which is the height of convenience for visitors from far off destinations. As railroads in Turkey were pioneered in the region, Aydin has one of the densest networks in the entire country. This stunning city has the distinction of being the largest urban centre in the whole country to be run by a female mayor; Mrs Özlem Çerçioglu who was elected to office in 2009.
No longer is the city of Aydin merely an agricultural hub, those days are long gone.
The city has developed a diverse economy based increasingly on services: Services such as the many extremely comfortable hotels and bed and breakfasts that this dazzling city has to offer and weary tourist. Not only has its capacity as a tourist town increased, but its capacity to provide the locals with sufficient services has too. In 1992, Aydin saw the opening of Adnan Menderes University, named for the Turkish prime minister in the 1950’s. The city centre is still relatively small, but constantly growing. Although the pace of day to day life in this city has picked up, Aydin has thankfully managed to retain its market town feel and relaxed attitude. In this palm lined maze of narrow streets, the people are traditional and family oriented, making for a very welcoming atmosphere.
Aydin city centre is still relatively small but growing, centred on one palm-lined avenue of shops and cafes, and a maze of narrow side streets, dotted with orange trees. The people are traditional and family-oriented, so there is little night life, or cultural amenities for young people, although presumably now they have a university this will change. You wouldn’t need to settle for online gambling as all of the action is live. There are a number of mosques, high schools, dersane (private courses cramming students for the university entrance exams) and other public buildings. Like all Turkish cities Aydin is now spreading as the middle-classes are leaving their flats in the city for smarter apartments or houses slightly out of town.
Tourist attractions in and around the city include things such as mosques constructed during the famed Ottoman period (Ramazan Pasa, Süleyman Pasa and Cihanoglu), the old Byzantine fortifications up above the town, the ruins of old Tralles including a gymnasium and a once spectacular theatre, the infamous statue of Yörük Ali Efe which was fashioned without a moustache and later pulled down after public protests and of course the Archeological Museum.
How many more reasons could you possibly need to take a vacation and head straight for Aydin? Experience Turkey like nowhere else.