After the first day of exploring the vibrant old town of Kaleici as well as the bustling seaport in Antalya, the members of the Amazing Tour group, including the "hot" couple in showbiz today, actor Binh An and 1st runner-up Miss Vietnam 2018 Bui Phuong Nga, two "hot travel bloggers" Hoang Le Giang and Ly Thanh Co, photographer Le The Thang, photographer Ngo Tran Hai An (Quy Coc Tu), YouTuber Ngo Huy Hoa (Hachi 8)... had the opportunity to learn more about the cultural history of this land at the ancient citadel of Termessos - a place that Alexander the Great once called "Eagle's Nest" and constantly nurtured the intention of conquering.
The theater in the ancient city of Termessos seen from above. Photo: Le The Thang
The citadel is located on Gulluk Mountain, now part of Gulluk National Park, and is built entirely of stone, at an altitude of more than 1,000m above sea level.
To get there, one must travel to the national park by own means, there are no buses or local services. Starting from the national park, the road up the mountain is winding and steep, making it difficult to walk. From the scenic toll booth (6 lira/person), it is a 800m trek to the theater, which is also the top of the mountain.
View on the way up to the ancient citadel of Termessos
Although the second day had light rain, cold and cloudy weather on the mountain, it seemed that these things could not hinder the steps of those who love to conquer. Upon reaching the top, the whole group went from admiration, surprise to delight by the extremely surreal scene of the mountain top as if submerged in clouds.
Standing among the ruins of Termessos. Photo: Ly Thanh Co
Travel Blogger Ly Thanh Co shared on his personal page: "There is no citadel as strange, as sturdy but extremely fragile as Termessos in Southern Turkey. Termessos Theater is like Macchu Picchu of Turkey, also ancient ruins next to a towering mountain. But the most interesting thing here is that this construction has not been excavated and completely retains its ruined state."
Hot Travel Blogger Ly Thanh Co took a photo on top of Gulluk Mountain, where the ancient city of Termessos is located.
From above you can see the entire majestic landscape of Gulluk National Park
Runner-up Phuong Nga was excited when updating a series of photos in Termessos on her personal page and shared: "This is a place that few tourists visit because of the winding road and harsh weather, but there is a group of Vietnamese people still trying to climb to the top of the mountain", enough to see the special attraction of this destination. More interestingly, the tour guide for the group shared that the 20 members of the Amazing Tour this time were the first group of Vietnamese tourists to set foot in Termessos, which surprised everyone.
Runner-up Phuong Nga is radiant and excited to check-in at the ancient citadel of Termessos.
Her boyfriend - actor Binh An also did not forget to take a photo at this special location.
Surrounded by pine forests, the citadel has a peaceful and wild appearance, creating a different and more impressive atmosphere than many other ancient cities. The limited recorded information about this place is also one of the factors that makes it more mysterious and attractive.
Members of the group checked in a "cool" photo at the ancient citadel of Termessos
History does not record the exact year of this citadel's existence, nor is it known when the people began to live here and then disappeared. Currently, the citadel is only in ruins, the most intact place is the city-state's theater.
Photo: Hachi8
Based on the size of the theater, it is estimated that the city-state once had about 60,000 citizens. What is special here, besides the existence of the theater, is the system of water pipes from the river to the city. Currently, there is no specific information explaining the technique of bringing water from the river to a city at such a great height.
Termessos Theatre submerged in a sea of fog. Photo: Hachi8
According to legend, during its heyday, Termessos was known as the “impenetrable” city due to its prime location on a mountaintop. It is believed that the city was abandoned around 200 BC due to an earthquake that devastated the area and cut off its water supply. Because of its rich history and cultural heritage, Termessos is considered one of the best preserved cities in Turkey.
The ruined citadel marks a period of ups and downs in Antalya's history. Photo: Hachi8
And perhaps the confidences of Travel Blogger Ly Thanh Co are the most correct conclusion for the experiences in the mysterious citadel of Termessos: "Those who come to Termessos are simply people dancing on the ruins of the past here, not really knowing what the stories are, because even historians cannot know. Only knowing that Alexander the Great had to give way to Termessos even though from Macedonia to India he had never lost a battle. It is strange for a small but towering citadel".
Stay tuned for more articles about the exciting Amazing Tour journey in Türkiye on Travellive or the official fanpage ofAmazing Tourokay
AMAZING TOUR 04
Amazing tour 04 with the theme “Türkiye - Real Legend”, initiated by Travellive magazine, sponsored by Nokia brand and Turkish Airlines. Starting from 2013, Travellive initiated the Amazing Tour program and coordinated with the tourism administrations of countries to carry out promotional trips to destinations such as “Busan - Ulsan - Jeju, Korea”, “Sabah - Land of Wind” and “Manila and Cebu, Philippines”.
This journey will take 20 members through the old town of Antalya, the ruined city of Termesso, the ancient village of Sille, overnight stay in a cave hotel in Cappadocia, the Underground Cistern, cruise on the Bosphorus Strait, see the blooming tulips or stroll around the world famous Grand Bazaar...
Learn and follow information about the trip to Türkiye at fanpage:Amazing Tour
After the end of Amazing Tour 4, there will be a Türkiye tourism information exhibition from May 3 to 5 at Saigon Center (HCMC) and the release of a travel photo book about the "land of flying carpets".
