Erythrai is located less than an hour’s drive south of Izmir, heading towards Cesme. We stopped at one of the picturesque villages on the coast of the Aegean Sea. There, a short walk from the village, are the ruins of the city of Erythrai. It is not a well-known site among the abundance of Greco-Roman sites in Turkey. There is a little café at the entrance of the site, overlooking a gorgeous Aegean coastline and that is it. No ticket booths or gift shops or any other touristy paraphernalia.
Views from Erythrai
Erythrai was founded by the Cretan leader Erythros (‘red’), according to the Hellenistic mythology, says the information board on site. Later, the city was expanded by the Ionian colonists. Erythrai was one of the most prosperous of the twelve Ionian states during antiquity. The city had played an active role in the socio-political events in Ionia from the 8th century BC onwards.
It was a first hot day at the beginning of June after a relatively cool spring and the sun was shining brightly down at us as we started our exploration. The first structure we encountered almost right next to the café was a heroes’ cemetery as Tolun said. Its large granite blocks of various sizes and shapes indicated that it had been a revered spot, which now seemed to be inhabited by lizards and other small creatures.
Theatre
Theatre at Erythrai
Walking along the narrow footpath past the tree-lined meadow, we came to the site of the theatre. It was a horseshoe shaped high and steep structure, built in the 3rd century BC, according to the information board. It was impressive and quite well preserved. After climbing up the steps to the top of the theatre, we were rewarded by a magnificent view over the turquoise blue sea and islands and the small villages on the shores, as well as the mountainous areas in the distance on our right. We sat in the shade of the fig tree and admired the view while catching our breath from our climb up the hill in the scorching heat. It was well worth it, though. No wonder the Erythraians built their city on exactly that location. I don’t know how much their decision was made for aesthetic reasons, but security-wise it was definitely a smart move as it is the highest spot for miles around, providing a great view over the potential enemies coming from both the land and the sea.
Byzantine Church and Athena Temple
Byzantine Church at Erythrai
Walking on, we came to a church, which appeared to be from the Byzantine period. It looked like some of its building blocks had come from other structures, most likely from the older buildings on the same site. The church walls were standing high and proud albeit roofless. Nearby, the Athena Temple hadn’t fared as well, very little is left of it and I had to use a lot of imagination to vision it. Would I be wrong to think that the church was built with some of its building materials originating from the ancient temple that used to be an earlier place of worship? What was very fascinating, though, that I hadn’t seen in Greco-Roman sites before, was the fact that some of the temple walls were polygonal. Its features indicated that the temple was built in the 8th century BC, as the information board on the site noted. It is considered the most important example of Archaic Time Architecture for its polygonal masonry technique.
Athena Temple at Erythrai
We didn’t stop there for long, however, as we were drawn by a clifftop with more breathtaking views over the deep blue seas below. What was it like to live in a city where most homes must have had views to die for, I wonder?
Views of Erythrai
