Assos
Assos (; Ancient Greek: Ἄσσος, Latin: Assus) was an ancient Greek city near today's Behramkale (pronounced [behˈɾamkale]) or Behram for short, which most people still call by its ancient name of Assos. It is located on the Aegean coast in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale province, Turkey.
- Country
- Türkiye
- Region
- Ayvacık, Çanakkale
- Civilisation
- Anatolian heritage
- Period
- Archaic–Roman
Through time
The story
Assos was an ancient Greek city near today's Behramkale (pronounced [behˈɾamkale]) or Behram for short, which most people still call by its ancient name of Assos. It is located on the Aegean coast in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale province, Turkey. It is on the southern side of Biga Peninsula (better known by its ancient name of the Troad). Assos sits on the coast of the Adramyttian Gulf (Turkish: Edremit Körfezi) and used to offer the only good harbour along the 80 kilometres (50 mi) of coast which made it very important for shipping in the Troad.
During Pliny the Elder's lifetime (1st century AD), the city was also known as Apollonia (Ἀπολλωνία). Assos' most famous resident was the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Assos is also the birthplace of Cleanthes, who later was to succeed Zeno of Citium as head of the Stoic school of philosophy. The Acts of the Apostles also refers to visits to the city by Luke the Evangelist and Paul the Apostle.
Today, Assos is a holiday retreat amid ancient ruins. In 2017 it was inscribed on the UNESCO Tentative list of World Heritage Sites in Turkey.
Adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What you will see
- Athena Tapınağı
- Ancient theatre
- Agora
Before you go
- Check opening hours and ticket rules shortly before your visit — they change seasonally.
- Plan for the heat. Most ancient sites have little shade; go early or late.
- Respect the barriers. Fragile surfaces are protected for the next visitors.
Discoveries from Assos
No discoveries yet. Be the first to share a photo from here.
