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Foca and
Bergama
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Siren Boulders, Foca |
The ancient Phocaea,
Foca, once formed part of the Ionian Federation. Today it is a Modern
lively holiday town on two deep bays. The pleasant accommodations, clean
beaches and inviting restaurants make it an attractive holiday spot. Those
seeking the perfect tan can find it on the natural rock terraces of the
Siren Islands. Bergama (Pergamum or Pergamon), once a great center of
culture survives as one of Turkey's finest archeological sites. In the
acropolis, above the modem town, are the remains of the celebrated library,
a steep and impressive theatre, the temples of Trajan and Dionysus, the
monumental altar of Zeus, the sanctuary of Demeter, a gymnasium laid out
on three terraces and the Agora. The Asclepion, located to the southwest
of the lower city, was a sanctuary dedicated to the god of health,
Asclepios. |
| The whole town
itself is an Archaeological and Ethnographical Museum and nearby there is
the site of a temple dedicated to Serapis, the god of the underground who
was also worshiped in Egypt as Osiris The temple was subsequently
converted by the
Byzantines into a basilica. |
Serapis Temple |
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