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Western Anatolia (Aegean Coast, Izmir, Bursa, Troy)
Western Anatolia (Aegean Coast, Izmir, Bursa, Troy)
A City You Can Taste
The fertile, coastal region that served as Anatolia's primary window to the Mediterranean
and the West.
- Early/Prehistoric (Pre-3000 BC):
- Kumtepe & Early Trojans: Early maritime and agricultural settlements that predate the famous walls of Troy.
- BC (3000 BC – 1 BC):
- Trojans: The Bronze Age powerhouse controlling the Dardanelles strait.
- Lydians: Centered in Sardis; famously the inventors of the first standardized metal coinage.
- Ionian Greeks: Established legendary wealthy city-states like Ephesus, Miletus, and Halicarnassus.
- Attalids (Kingdom of Pergamon): A Hellenistic powerhouse known for its massive library and the invention of parchment.
- CE / After BC (1 CE – 1300 CE):
- Romans: Rebuilt Ephesus into a glittering imperial capital of the Asian province.
- Byzantines (Empire of Nicaea): Bursa (Prusa) and Iznik (Nicaea) became crucial strongholds and the temporary capital of the Byzantine Empire during the Crusades.
