We spent one night in Behramkale, a town that flourished in Greek times under the name ‘Assos’.
It has ancient ruins which act as a tourist attraction and is also close to beaches on the Aegean Sea. We did not visit the beach this time, but we did explore the town of Assos and will write about its highlights.
About Behramkale (Assos)
Behramkale is a town on the Aegean coast in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale Province, Turkey, where the ancient Greek city of Assos was located. It is still known by its old name ‘Assos’ to locals, so this name may be better understood.
In Behramkale you can enjoy some swimming at the beach , but if you go up the hill, you will find the ruins of the ancient city of Assos, which was inscribed on Turkey’s UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2017.
Walking around the town of Behramkale (Assos)
A maze of cobbled, hilly streets, very incompatible with suitcases, spread through the town:)
The cute-looking streets are lined with cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops. There are also entrances to mosques and the Assos ruins, and we enjoyed just wandering around taking photos.
Assos Ruins
The entrance is located up the hill in the town of Behramkale (Assos). The site includes the temple of Athena, built around 530 BC, and a gymnasium, agora and theatre dating from the 2nd century BC.
The entrance fee is 250 TL per foreigner. We had just visited the Pergamon Acropolis, so we decided not to enter the Assos Acropolis this time. We will save it for another time. I’d actually visited about 25 years ago.
Statue of Aristotle
A famous resident of Assos was the philosopher Aristotle. A statue of Aristotle stands at the crossing into the city of Assos, and welcomes you when you come into the town.
Theatre ruins
The theatre is included in the Assos archaeological site but can be seen from the path down the hill. It was built in the 3rd century BC and had a capacity of 5,000 people.
The image was taken from outside the fence. You cannot get close to it, but you can get an idea of its size and the atmosphere.
Behramkale Harbour
The harbour is located all the way down the hill from the town of Behramkale (Assos). There is a pebble beach a little further on, and there are also a number of trendy cafés and hotels near the harbour. Wandering around and then walking back up the hill to the town is a good exercise.
Accommodation in Behramkale (Assos)
In Behramkale (Assos), we stayed at Assos Agura Pansiyon. It is a little further back from the town centre, but the view from the terrace was fantastic. Perhaps partly because we arrived in the evening, the price of 1,500 Lira for two people with breakfast was discounted to 1,000 Lira after negotiations.
Dining in Behramkale (Assos)
There are many nice looking restaurants in Behramkale (Assos). We went to Meleksi Breakfast and Cafe, which is one of the highest rated.
Manti (Turkish dumplings) and köfte (Turkish meatballs) were available, but when we saw the customers at the next table having Turkish breakfast, we decided to order breakfast too, even though it was late in the evening. We were told it would take 30 minutes to prepare, but in the meantime we took a walk around Assos. When we returned, we were greeted with the most sumptuous Turkish breakfast ever. It was already 8pm, after sunset, so the photos are not very beautiful, but our stomachs were fully satisfied. The price was also sumptuous at 350 Lira per person, but it was well worth it.
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