Aydin

So, as I had to stop in Aydin, I decided to stay there for two nights. That way, I would shorten a long journey and would see one more place in Turkey.

Plus, there was one more very important reason why I decided to stay in Aydin – I wanted to have some rest. It was a very good decision and although I did get some respite from being on the beach, I didn’t escape the heat.

ABOUT AYDIN

Aydin is not a big place, its population is approximately 250000 people, so it’s much smaller than Istanbul, Bursa and Izmir, that I visited before Kusadasi and Aydin.

That was also one reason why I wanted to stay in Aydin. I wanted a place that was not going to be a hard work, somewhere where I could spend a couple of days resting. There was still a lot of travelling ahead of me and I didn’t want to burn out, especially as I had already spent three intensive weeks in Turkey.

As you will see in this post, Aydin is not like other cities that I visited in Turkey, but that’s perfectly fine. I didn’t choose Aydin because of its historic heritage.

However, it is important to mention that Aydin suffered greatly in the Greco-Turkish war. The same as Izmir, it was completely destroyed and that’s visible. Today, you will see mainly newly constructed buildings and an occasional historic structure that somehow survived the war.

In the photo below, you can see the Aydin’s main street – Adnan Menderes Boulevard. Basically, that’s the way the city is now.

MY HOTEL IN AYDIN

I stayed in an excellent three-star Efeler Hotel, that I found on booking.com. I wanted a reasonably priced and comfortable hotel, in the city centre. This hotel was a perfect choice. It’s right at the beginning of Adnan Menderes Boulevard and, to reach the centre, I had to walk along this boulevard for approximately 15 minutes.

I also have to mention that the Efeler Hotel, although rated as a three-star hotel, was much better than better rated hotels where I previously stayed in western Europe. If I ever go back to Aydin, I will choose this hotel again. It was really perfect.

WHAT TO DO AND SEE IN AYDIN?

The centre of Aydin is small and one day is perfectly sufficient to comfortably see everything. As I said, my hotel was at one end of the Aydin’s main street – Adnan Menderes Boulevard. There are coffee shops and also some restaurants in this street, where you can sit down and have something to eat or drink.

The main square – Kent Meydani – is at the other end. That’s where you will find the most important structures, which I am going to mention in this post.

AYDIN TOWN HALL AND ATATÜRK MONUMENT

Kent Meydani is a very large square, dominated by the Town Hall and that’s also where you will see the Atatürk Monument. As you can see in the photo below, the Turkish flag and the image of the Father of the Nation proudly cover the municipality building.

INDEPENDENCE MONUMENT

The Independence Monument is directly opposite the Town Hall, but you can’t see that in the photo below.

This monument, erected in 1926, refers to the Greco-Turkish war and it commemorates a battle in which the Turks liberated Aydin from the invading Greeks.

AYDIN FOUNTAIN

There is also a very large fountain in the square. It comes to life in the evening, with its beautiful illumination.

BEY MOSQUE (1683)

Probably because of its position, the most prominent mosque in Aydin is the Bey Mosque.

The mosque is directly opposite the Town Hall and the fountain that I have just mentioned and it completes the main square.

This late 17th century structure is a perfect example of the classical Ottoman architecture. I visited this mosque in the late morning, before the first afternoon prayer. There was no one inside.

It’s fascinating that in a place like Aydin where you wouldn’t normally expect to see much, you can find this more than 300 years old historic structure. But the Bey Mosque is not the only such building in Aydin.

RAMAZAN PASHA MOSQUE (1901)

At a short distance from the Bay Mosque, you will find the Ramazan Pasha Mosque, in Doğu Gazi Boulevard. Although the inscription at the entrance of the mosque states that it is from 1594, that’s not entirely true.

Indeed, the original construction was from 1594, but it was completely destroyed in an earthquake in 1899.

Sökeli Halil Pasha rebuilt it in 1901, so the structure that we see today is only 118 years old. As soon as you enter the mosque, you notice that it’s different and that it doesn’t look like the Bay Mosque.

The interior decoration of the Ramazan Pasha Mosque is completely baroque. Anyhow, I still think that this beautiful mosque is an important part of the Ottoman heritage in Aydin.

The time of its reconstruction was the twilight period of the Ottoman Empire and this mosques represents the architectural style and decorative tastes of that particular era and that’s why it’s precious.

BARBAROS KAPALI MARKET

The Barbaros Kapali Market is directly opposite the Ramazan Pasha Mosque. In Aydin, everything is close together.

In Turkish, capali means covered. So, as you can see this is a covered market. It’s relatively small but, at the same time, it’s very interesting to see.

Its name comes from Barbaros, a famous figure in Ottoman history. Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha was an admiral of the Ottoman fleet. Under his lead, the Ottoman navy became a dominant power in the Mediterranean in the 16th century.

ZINCIRLI HAN (1708)

Some other important historic buildings that you can see in Aydin are part of the Nasuh Pasha Complex. One of them is Zincirli Han, constructed in 1708 and, after the renovation works in 2016, it reopened as a hotel.

It’s a beautiful structure and now it has the same hotel function that it had centuries ago, when it was first built. Nasuh Pasha was the governor of Aydin between 1703 and 1714, then he became the governor of Damascus.

NASUH PASHA COMPLEX (1708)

Immediately next to Zincirli Han, you will find the Nasuh Pasha Complex. In fact, a building that you can see in the photo below is a school. It was also constructed in 1708 and renovated in 2010.

I entered without knowing that it was a school and there were children running around. I took a photo of the fountain in the middle of the complex and left. Clearly, I couldn’t visit the rest of the complex.

NASUH PASHA HAMMAM (1708)

One more historic structure next to the Nasuh Pasha Complex is the Nasuh Pasha Hammam.

Also built in 1708, it’s a working bath-house. It was very hot in Aydin that day and certainly the last thing I wanted was to spend time inside of a hot hammam.

Interestingly, it is one bath, shared both by men and women. But men can use it between 7am and 12am and between 5pm and 11pm. Women are allowed between 12am and 5pm.

Hammams normally have separate sections for men and women, with separate entrances.

ESKI YENI MOSQUE (1585)

Close to the Nasuh Pasha Complex, there is the Eski Yeni or Hasan Çelebi Mosque.

Unfortunately, I didn’t visit this mosque because, when I arrived there, the early afternoon prayer was in progress.

At the same time it was oppressively hot, the outside temperature was 38°C. I just wanted to come back to my hotel, to rest until the evening and wait for the temperature to became slightly more bearable. So, if you go to Aydin, this is one more historic building that you can visit.

KAZIM KARABEKIR STREET

Also in the centre, you should visit Kazim Karabekir street. It’s a lively and colourful pedestrian street, with coffee shops and restaurants.

I had my dinner there one evening, in one of the restaurants.

I’m very glad that I went to Aydin. It was a perfect stop, easy to visit and interesting. It’s certainly not a touristic place but, if you get an opportunity to spend a day there, do it.