Exploring The Scenic And Cultural Gems Of Western Türkiye

“This is Nisantasi Street,” said Engin Civil, walking past a row of antique Greek stone houses with cornflower blue shutters in the village of Adatepe in western Türkiye. Civil, an ebullient host who along with partner Selma Seckin manages the nine room hotel Ida Blue, a complex of three similar stone houses in this hilltop village, was referring to Istanbul’s upscale neighborhood. Some of these houses’ owners might, indeed, also live there; several of the village residents are business titans who bought homes here for the peace, mountain scenery and pure air, reportedly the best oxygen rich air quality in the world, second only to the Alps.

Many of those residents gather in Ida Blue’s Refika Café for the typically copious Turkish breakfast of pastries, olives, tomatoes, spiced tomato spread, herb cheese, eggs, etc. or local specialties throughout the day. Down below the village, the enticing landscape is a blend of olive trees and vineyards surrounding Mount Ida, a major player in myths and legends where Aphrodite won the world’s first beauty pageant and Zeus watched the Trojan War unfold. (The ruins of Troy and its artifact packed museum, both worth visiting, are 45 miles north.) These days, visitors can walk up mountain paths past waterfalls, pools and sites of other legends including a doomed love and a blonde village girl who became a saint. The mountain does possess a spiritual power even if you don’t know the legends beforehand. The spectacular views are a bonus.

A visit to Türkiye usually includes the well-known destinations of Istanbul, Antalya, Cappadocia and Bodrum, all extremely worthy places to visit. But anyone curious about enlightening experiences outside of the regular tourist track would be wise to add on this stretch of western Anatolia bordering the Aegean. Apart from the scenery and legends around Mount Ida, there are wineries producing quality wines such as the Caeli Winery with a design forward, modern hotel in the middle of the vines; several major sites of antiquities apart from the marquee site, the UNESCO decorated Roman city Ephesus, one of the largest and best preserved ancient cities in the world, the historic city of Izmir and the nearby town of Urla which is rapidly becoming a gastronomic mecca.

Izmir at first seems to be just a sprawling, modern city but tucked in alongside the contemporary buildings in the city center are vestiges of the settlement founded by the Greeks in the 11^th century B.C. and subsequently occupied under Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule. The Agora of Smyrna founded in the 4^th century B.C. and rebuilt by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius following an earthquake in 178 A.D. was the city’s political and commercial center and is one of the largest antiquities of that type still visible. Rows of columns, vaulted chambers, cisterns, mosaics and statues are all on view as an open-air museum.

Adjacent to the Agora, the sprawling Kemeralti Bazaar which in its present state dates back to the 17^th century but originally dates back 2400 years, is a vital marketplace for residents but appealing also to travelers without being touristy. Anyone looking for blindingly bright gold jewelry would do well here, also those searching for fashion, ceramics, carpets and other crafts.

One unique spot Nela Collection looks like a regular store with scarves and hats displayed but it also has a center worktable. On it, owner Yalçın Ayarcıoğlu creates multicolored designs in felt and also instructs visitors how to do it: selecting colors, creating designs and soaping them to transform the fibers. The results (as long as he also helps) are worth framing or, for more ambitious pieces, draping as an attention-getting shawl.

Elsewhere in the Bazaar, past the produce and other culinary stalls are cafes for meals and the thick, grainy Turkish coffee but the coffee isn’t just for drinking. When you’re almost finished, you turn the cup over and bring it and the saucer upstairs to have the grounds analyzed by fortune tellers. Remarkably, they’re often right. While in the Bazaar, also stop into a pide shop, particularly Numan Pide, for the typical Turkish flatbread shaped like a canoe and baked with cheese, vegetables or meat.

A more intricate culinary experience awaits in the seaside town of Urla, a half hour from Izmir, which apart from its growing gastronomic reputation is also a center of wine production; next spring an important art museum will also be added to its cultural mix. Renowned artist Ahmet Güneştekin, is turning the lower level of his modern estate into a showcase of his vivid contemporary works, Güneştekin Art Refinery Urla.

Nearby are two of the most important restaurants in town, the Michelin starred Teruar and Od Urla which both showcase extremely local, farm to table ingredients in creative, visually arresting dishes. (Both are also restaurants with rooms: there are seven rooms for overnight stays facing the vineyards.) On a simpler scale, it can be just as satisfying to sit in the café facing the water in the center of town operated by the Urla Kadın Girişimi Üretim ve İşletme Kooperatifi (Urla Women Entrepreneurship Production and Management Cooperative), a group of 169 local women formed by former mayor Sibel Uyar that produces a range of food products. Many of them involve artichokes, a local specialty, and the café features baked goods from the members’ family recipes. And its setting overlooking the harbor was intentional, Uyar, then mayor, gave it the best view.

How to organize a trip in Türkiye: Founder Adviye Bergemann and her team at Aida Tours specialize in elite bespoke itineraries along with unique experiences such as gaining access to Ephesus at night for a special dinner or get togethers with prominent artists.

While in Izmir: The best hotel is the new Hyatt Regency İzmir İstinyePark, a contemporary tower with panoramic views over the Gulf of Izmir. And 10 minutes away, Zaitun Seafood Café & Restaurant has water views, very fresh fish and a wide variety of delicious mezzes (vegetable salads, spreads and fish appetizers displayed in the case).

Getting There: Turkish Airlines received unwanted publicity recently when its acclaimed business class became embroiled in a scandal involving New York’s mayor. But it was no mystery why he was so partial to it, given its chef in the air program and access to its Istanbul lounge, one of the best in the world. Aida Tours can also arrange Meet and Greet service at Istanbul’s airport and it’s essential: the airport is vast.

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