Teos

Teos was one of the twelve Ionian cities, a port with two harbours, and its temple of Dionysus - built in the second century BCE to a design attributed to Hermogenes - was the largest dedicated to the god anywhere. The city was the base of the Guild of Dionysiac Artists, the association of actors and musicians who travelled the Greek world performing, which is a pleasing fact about a place now standing in an olive grove. Excavation has re-erected a number of the temple's columns, and around the site are the theatre cut into a hillside, an odeon, the harbour remains and long stretches of city wall running through the trees and scrub. Much of it is unexcavated and unfenced, so walking here means picking your way among olive trees, drums of columns and blocks lying where they fell. Anacreon the poet was born here. It is quiet - the coast road traffic goes elsewhere.

What to look for

• The Dionysus temple - re-erected columns among the olives.
• The theatre - the hillside seating above the site.
• The city walls - stretches running through the groves.
• The harbour remains - the ancient port on the shore.

When to go

April to June and September to October, ideally in the morning - there is no shade and the summer heat here is severe. Spring brings wildflowers through the ruins.

Practical notes

Much of the site is unexcavated open ground with no paths or signage; wear proper shoes for scrub and loose stone. There are no facilities. Getting there needs a car or a long walk from Sığacık.

Nearby

Sığacık and its Sunday market are a few kilometres away; Urla's vineyards are north.

Key facts