Assos Ancient City
With its 3000 years’ worth of history, Assos (Behramkale) is one of the touristic centers bearing the traces of ancient times. The ancient city of Assos was built on high rocks and it houses many historical artifacts from various historical periods. During the restoration process, the original architecture of the Assos region was safeguard and its originality was preserved. With its clean air and magnificent nature, Assos has become the choice to those who want to get away from the city chaos and have a peaceful holiday. You can visit Assos in all seasons throughout the year. From the first step you take into Assos, many historical beauties and landscapes will be waiting for you. Assos is also known as the city that influenced Aristotle and caused him to establish his own philosophy school here. Aristotle lived in Assos for 3 years.
Historical Process of Assos
It is known that there are some remains of people who lived during the Bronze Age in Assos. However, this evidence is not yet certain. The region was owned by the Lydians in 560 BC, and later, with the defeat of the Persians in Assos Salamis, this region became an independent region. It is also known that Assos was captured by the Gauls for a while. After the Gauls, Assos was united with the kingdom of Pergamon and then left to the Roman Empire. Assos showed its greatest development during Roman period. At the same time, Assos is one of the earliest cities in Anatolia that accept Christianity.
Archaeological Excavations in Assos
Assos was visited by numerous travelers in the 18th century. Many travelers and researchers who had visited the region during this period stated that the structures in Assos were well-preserved.
The main ruins in Assos are the Temple of Athena in the Acropolis, Byzantine walls, Hüdavendigar Mosque, city walls, Gymnasion, Agora, Stoa, Bouleuterion, theater and church.
All restoration works to be done in Assos regions has not been completed yet. For this reason, some works are still in progress under the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Location of Assos
Assos is located in the region between the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles and the Edremit Gulf. The ancient name of this region is accepted as Troad or Troas. Assos, which is 90 km away from Çanakkale city center, is located on the south coast of the Troas region. At the same time, this area is located right across the island of Lesbos. Since is was built on a hill, this region is rich in scenery. There are 6 gates in total at the west walls of the city. It is known that the towers on the Assos city walls are usually four-cornered. The walls of Assos, which still exist today, was built in the 4th century BC.
Philosophy in Assos
The existence of Assos for philosophy is very important. Aristotle, one of the most important philosophers of the world, spent 3 years of his life in Assos and BC. He founded a school of philosophy here between 347-344.
After the death of Eubulos, Hermenias, who was his slave, took over the administration of Assos.
When Eubulos was alive, Hermenias invited Aristotle to Assos when he went to Plato’s Academy in Athens for philosophy lessons. The aim of Hermenias was to implement the ideal state administration described by Plato in his book The Republic, in Assos.
When Aristotle went to Assos, he became the adviser and friend of Hermias, where he founded his own philosophy school. Due to all of these reasons, Assos is very important for those who are interested in philosophy.
One of the main reasons why Assos still maintains its importance for those who are interested in philosophy is that Örsan K. Öymen has been organizing philosophy events and meetings in Assos since 2000.
How to get there?
In order to reach out hotel, first you need to take the road from Assos to Babakale. After traveling around 9km, first you will see the Bektas Village sign on the left side of the road followed by the Balabanli and Koyunevi signs. You can reach Sokakagzi by following one of these alternative routes. The coastal road leading to the end of the bay will bring you to Assos Longevity Hotel.
- Assos Longevity Hotel. All rights reserved.
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