Assos, otherwise called Behramkale is situated on the
Biga Peninsula.
Assos which is related to
Ayvacık township of
Çanakkale is settled on a rock 238 m high from the sea level. It was establised by the Aiol society which came from the
Aegeian Sea during the
Antique Age and dates back to early 6th century
BC.Aiols who came here have built the
Athena temple which dates back to the 6th century BC and a major part of which is still standing.
Aristoteles who was one of the most important philosophers of the antique world came to
Assos and established a school of philosophy here. The city which went under the rule of
Alexander the Great was later occupied by
Romans. Here also traces from
Byzantine Period can be seen. Looking at the remains today it becomes obvious that Assos is an important place of ruins. Here the remains of a city wall built in the 6th, 5th and 4th centuries BC are seen . Looking at the walls one can easily understand the bonding techniques and the material used to bond the walls. The building which became the symbol of
Assos is the
Temple of Athena. The temple which is built in 6x13 pillars layout dates back to 530 BC. The most important particularity of the structure is that it was built in Doric style. There are only a few temples in
Anatolia which have been built in this style. The temple stands on a three stage platform. The
archaeological findings pertaining to the
Temple of Athena the restoration of which was completed in the year 1998 are displayed in
Boston Museum of Fine Arts,
İstanbul Archaeological Museum and the excavation house in
Behramkale.
Assos besides its newly constructed modern touristic facilities is also a ideal holiday resort for campers.
