A leisurely journey through Turkey in search of precious archaeological treasures

The Library of Celsus in Ephesus, commissioned by the consul Julius Aquila in honour of his father, is undoubtedly the undisputed masterpiece of Turkish archaeology. Just as Troy is being increasingly rediscovered thanks to the cinematic splendour of Christopher Nolan’s film *Odysee*. And, certainly, on Mount Nemrut one still feels today like a modern-day Osman Hamdi Bey, the archaeologist and artist largely responsible for the discovery of the mausoleum of the Armenian king Antiochus I of Commagene, surrounded by mysterious colossal stone statues in the shape of heads, standing up to twelve metres tall, situated on the summit of the mountain itself at an altitude of 2,150 metres. However, especially at this time of year, one can treat oneself to a leisurely journey to gain almost exclusive access to those small, precious treasure-chests of history represented by the many sites that are only seemingly minor, where faith in the ancient deities, and the tenacity of the builders have given rise to marvellous architectural monuments that have survived the inexorable passage of time.