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[dramatic music playing] [Peter Greenberg] It is known for one of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world.

But this isn't Italy.

It's steeped in Greek mythology.

A place where Homer's epics come to life.

But it's not Greece.

It's where a succession of historic empires have left their mark and pagan, Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures have collided and coexisted.

A sprawling coastline of incredible beauty, with stunning landscapes, endless beaches, and clear turquoise waters that have been traversed for millennia.

Yet they're still waiting to be discovered.

It's a destination that is equally alluring and surprising, where you can explore the past, live in the present, and ponder the future.

I'm Peter Greenberg, and this is Turkey's Hidden Aegean.

[relaxing music playing] Covering nearly 83,000 square miles, the Aegean Sea has supported some of the greatest civilizations in history.

Including the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires.

Surrounded by Greece to the north and west, and the Mediterranean to the south, the east shore of the Aegean is bounded by Turkey.

This 1,700-mile-long stretch of coastline marks the western edge of Asia Minor, the Roman alias for the Anatolian peninsula, which has figured so prominently in history.

But where ancient armies once marched and clashed, now only bracing winds off the Aegean buffet the ruins of the past.

Historically, the sea was more of a connection than a barrier, as it was faster and more convenient to travel by boat, making the ancient regions now defined as Greece and Turkey more closely intertwined.

I started my journey at the northern boundary of the Aegean.

The Dardanelles.

Because of its strategic location between two continents, Europe and Asia, and between two seas, the Black and the Aegean, this area was settled for thousands of years.

It was also witness to countless wars, including the nearby battlefields of Gallipoli, which draws most visitors to this region.

But I'm here to explore something else that you might not expect to find in Turkey.

You may remember the legendary battle of Troy from high school Greek mythology, when the invading Greeks built a huge wooden horse, filled it with soldiers and rolled it up to the gates of the city, sneaking their soldiers inside and defeating the Trojans.

While the horse may be a bit of mythology and Hollywood fantasy, the 5,000-year-old city is real and here in Turkey.

Now we are walking on Troy's walls.

-Be careful.

-Yep.

Archaeologist Rustem Aslan is director of the Troy excavation and has been working on this site since 1988.

Peter, look, this wall.

You can see the damages through the earthquake.

[Peter] And then that wall over there?

[Rustem] That's a thousand years older than this wall.

-Wow.

-Which means they built and rebuilt... Again and again.

Again, and in 3,000 years, we have nine different cities on top of each other.

The stacked cities look like a layer cake of history in cross section, with the oldest cities on the bottom and the newest at the top.

Excavations here have uncovered artifacts from the legendary Trojan War in the sixth layer, dating back to 1200 B.C.

But you're telling me that Troy actually happened here, not in Greece.

Not in Greece, it's happened, everything's here.

So everything I learned in high school was wrong.

-Yes, maybe.

-Wrong.

-Yes.

-But... what does that make Homer's Iliad, fiction?

There's some part of the Iliad that's based on historical event.

So it's a historical novel.

You can say that, yes.

But everything you're excavating is confirming to you that it really did happen here.

Everything's happened here.

Besides its strategic geographical location, the ancient city sat high on a hill, making it easier to defend.

It also may have benefited from the etesians, which means "annual winds" in Greek, gusting from the northeast and making access to Troy more difficult for invading ships and intrepid explorers.

The ancient city was first discovered by a German architect and treasure hunter named Heinrich Schliemann, who left his mark on the site in many ways.

Now we are looking to the Schliemann Trench.

He began his first official exploration in 1871.

The top of the trees was a very high mound.

And he started cutting them.

Yes, he cut to the bedrock and through the whole side.

[Peter] And what did he find down there?

[Rustem] He found here actually not much, but let me show where he found and what he stole.

-He stole?

-Yes.

Schliemann's search for the legendary treasure of Priam did not adhere to the methodical architectural techniques used today, which allowed important historical information and artifacts to be lost, destroyed or stolen.

And when Schliemann excavated here, he found over there at those trees... -Over there?

-Yes.

...inside of Troy two walls, the treasure.

And what was in there?

It was a very big treasure.

It was more than 10,000 pieces.

Gold, silver, electron bronze.

And he smuggled from Turkey first to Athens and then to Germany.

And then what happened?

Just after the Second World War, all the treasure was disappeared.

No chance of getting it back?

Schliemann's historic photographs show the treasures, including an ancient headpiece worn by his wife that went missing for nearly 50 years, until it was discovered that Russian soldiers had taken the treasures back to Moscow, where they're now being displayed in the Pushkin Museum.

These treasures may never be returned.

But in 2018, the Troy Museum was built adjacent to the ancient city to collect and display the other artifacts that have been discovered here.

Different levels of the museum reflect the different layers of this site, illustrating the complicated history of this area, as well as the painstaking process of restoring thousands of ancient artifacts that will continue to reveal the true story of this legendary city.

South of Troy is Mount Ida, a verdant peak, where Homer's writing suggested that Zeus and his wife Hera watched the battle of Troy.

The mountain offers commanding views of the Aegean.

But it's hard to make out Troy, as it's almost 20 miles away.

What you can see is orderly groves of olive trees blanketing the base of the mountain in an area that has been called the Olive Riviera.

Tucked in amongst the olive groves is Adatepe, a village where you'll find old Greek houses and an unusual tasting opportunity.

But I'm not talking about ice cream.

Later.

So head past the stands at the base of the village.

Then up the hill to the narrow winding streets towards the end of the road.

Be sure to say hello to all the locals.

[smooching] And then head towards a small house shaded by a dense canopy of trees.

Hello.

Hello.

Welcome to my village.

-It's a beautiful village.

-Yes.

How long have you been here?

Maybe 35 years.

That's a long time.

Yeah.

Huseyin Meral came to Adatepe to retire in the 1980s.

But the preponderance of olive orchards inspired him to produce olive oil, just as they did in early Roman times, by taking a large quantity of olives, then lightly stone-grinding them to produce the highest quality oil.

-That's what this is?

-Yeah, that's it.

And we call it the flower of the oil.

How many kilos of olives in here?

About 20, 30 kilos olives to get one kilo of flower of the oil.

So this is high-test olive oil.

Yeah, that's extra virgin.

No, extra extra extra virgin.

-Is it good?

-Yeah.

Would you like taste?

-Sure.

-Yeah, okay.

Huseyin has developed a regimented process for tasting olive oil, which is similar to wine tasting and uses the same glasses.

Whoa!

But with a generous serving of olive oil.

This is the first time I've toasted olive oil.

-You do like the wine?

-Yeah.

You take some and then you... Ah.

And then you take some air.

[inhales sharply] And then you take the taste.

Just a little, right?

And first you have to look at the color.

Beautiful.

And then you have to... Yep.

Huseyin has lots of instructions, and it's obvious he also has something that I lack.

Patience.

-Okay, here we go.

Ready?

-Yeah.

Finally, we get to taste it.

I only hope that I'm doing it correctly.

The swishing... the breathing... Nice.

Very smooth.

You're still going.

[chuckles] You're still going.

Homer referred to olive oil as liquid gold.

And clearly Huseyin agrees.

I like that olive oil.

I think you do.

I think I do.

[laughing] Thank you.

The village of Adatepe and Huseyin have been greatly influenced by Greek and Roman culture, and that didn't stop here.

Eighty miles from Adatepe, you can find the Greco-Roman city of Pergamon, with striking ruins perched high on a hilltop, towering over the modern town of Bergama below.

While the impressive temple of Trajan and the 10,000-seat theater draped dramatically down the hillside may catch your eye, you can easily miss what this ancient city was best known for.

A library that was once considered one of the world's main centers of learning.

Only the rubble foundation remains, but in the third century B.C., it held over 200,000 volumes, rivaling the great library in Alexandria.

This infuriated King Ptolemy, so he forbade the export of Egyptian papyrus used for scrolls, forcing Pergamon to use animal skins to create writing materials.

Although the tradition of making parchment is still practiced by an old master and his young apprentice, today Bergama may be best known for traditional Turkish carpets.

In small towns like Bergama, I like to get off the tourist track and discover where the locals like to eat.

And the best place to find a local who speaks English is often the nearest carpet seller.

-Hello.

-[woman speaking Turkish] -Hi.

How are you?

-Hi.

-Good.

-Nice to meet you.

Peter.

Nice to meet you.

-My mother.

-Ah!

Hi, Mom.

-She's here.

-Mama.

Mama.

Okay, beautiful.

Let me show you some of our rugs, which are from Bergama area.

I'm sure Feral Emir and her mama will know the best places to eat, as they've had a store in Bergama since the 1960s.

Beautiful.

-Another one.

-They are always same design but always the tools are different as you see.

But it still may be a challenge to get lunch... What do you think?

Did you like them?

-Nice.

-Yes.

...as Turkish carpet sellers rarely take no for an answer.

[speaking Turkish] In any language.

This is another Bergama carpet.

We call it Arpadaria... Arpadaria.

And with these two double-teaming me, I can't hold out for long.

But Feral can toss these heavy carpets all day.

So I might have a chance.

Peter, would you like apple tea or would you like a rug?

-[chuckles] -Maybe?

[laughs] Well, you know what, apple tea later, rug later, but we're going to get some lunch.

I know a place, follow me.

Bergama has great places for food.

Like this shop that serves fresh, creamy cheese smothered in honey.

And it's known for its meatballs, called kofte.

But Feral takes me to try a local dish with an interesting name.

Patlican chigirtma , which translates to "screaming eggplant," and a family restaurant run by Abdullah Gozkaya and his son, Muhsin.

-Muhsin, Peter.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Local chef.

He prepares aubergine chigirtma.

-Eggplant.

-Eggplant.

And the name comes from, when we put it into boiling-hot olive oil, it is screaming.

Whooo!

Like that.

-It almost explodes, okay.

-Yeah, if you like to see?

[Peter] Yeah, let's do it.

All right.

What's cooking?

[Muhsin] This is soup.

What kind of soup?

-This is sheep.

-Sheep?

Yes.

I actually prefer it when my soup doesn't look back at me, so I'm going to stick with the chigirtma .

Okay, ready?

Just put it in?

-[sizzling] -Whoa!

-Oh!

Very dangerous.

-I know.

-It's angry.

-Yes.

With this boiling-hot oil, it's not just the eggplant that's screaming.

-Oh, man, I can feel it.

-Yes.

And in no time, it's nicely browned and ready to come out.

-They're still screaming at me.

-Yes.

Then we quickly fry some green peppers.

-Just throw them in?

-Yes.

[Feral] Attention, please.

And tomatoes with garlic.

Can never have enough garlic.

Okay.

We got it.

And put it all together.

So you put the peppers on the eggplants?

Okay.

-Good.

-Good.

Oh, yeah, look at that.

-The whole thing?

-Yes.

The whole thing!

-Done.

-This is chigirtma.

Wow.

Whoa!

-[Muhsin laughs] -Beautiful.

-Beautiful.

-Yes.

-Okay, one for you.

-[laughs] -One for you.

-Thank you.

And two for me.

I like it.

You approve?

-Yeah.

-Good.

[rhythmic music playing] There's much more to Bergama than restaurants and carpet stores, as it also has history dating back thousands of years.

These ancient Roman ruins, known as the Red Hall, may have originally been built as a temple to the Egyptian gods in the second century A.D.

But 300 years later... a Christian basilica was built inside the massive hall, one of the infamous seven churches of the Apocalypse mentioned in the book of Revelation.

Bergama also has the longest-running outdoor market in Turkey, which is a popular hangout for the locals and filled with much of what you might expect.

Tea shops, coffee shops.

[Peter] Yep, and the dog.

[Feral laughs] But Feral wants to show me something further off the beaten path.

What catches my attention first is a sign that says parking costs seven Turkish lira a day.

-Merhaba.

-Merhaba.

[Peter] That's about 40 cents.

Definitely not a New York City rate.

Of course, Feral has something else in mind.

Surprise!

Carpets.

These are being made by master weaver and teacher Hat ice Tok using a special knot that is a Bergama tradition.

-Merhaba.

-Peter, may I introduce you to my friend Hatice?

She is master of knitting.

And she will show us double knot.

-This is the double knot.

-Gordian knot also we call it.

[Peter] The term "Gordian knot" comes from an ancient Greek legend about Alexander the Great.

It was such a complex knot that no one could undo it.

Until Alexander came and sliced it in half with a single stroke of his sword.

The double knot isn't as complex but it doesn't look easy.

-Do you want to try?

-Do I want to try this?

-Mm-hmm.

-Okay, I'm coming.

I'm coming.

I'm not an arts and crafts guy, so I definitely need some instruction.

-Double line.

-[Peter] Double line.

[Hatice] Show you that it should be... -Then I put that through there?

-Bottom.

[Peter] Oh, bottom.

-Uh, look at me.

-Yeah.

Watching Hatice, it's clear she's the master weaver.

[Peter] Oh, I see.

And I need more practice.

Okay, we'll try again.

-Okay, I do that like so.

-Uh-huh.

[Peter] Right?

Then I put this down below.

-Uh-huh.

-[Peter] Yes?

[Hatice] Yes, exactly.

Then I pull it all the way down and I did it?

-Yes.

-[Feral claps] Wow!

I was able to tie one double knot, but there are thousands to go, so I'll let the pro finish this carpet.

I'll see you in two weeks, when it's done.

And even though I won't be weaving a carpet, I can't avoid buying one.

Oh, thank you.

Feral may offer a fair price for her carpets, but I have a little trick to make sure I get the best deal for my purchases.

-Hello again.

-Hello.

-Now a carpet.

-Now a carpet.

All right, how much for that one?

This is $700.

$700.

All right.

I get the best price by starting with a credit card.

-American Express?

-American Express?

No.

Mom says no, okay.

Uh... a discount for Visa?

Visa...?

And then I ask for the cash discount.

All right, how much for cash?

Cash, I can do it for $600 for you.

-Okay, deal.

-It's good.

-Deal?

Thank you.

-Good?

Good.

Very good.

Much of the Aegean coast is dotted with small towns like Bergama.

But just 70 miles to the south, you'll find the thriving metropolis of Izmir... [upbeat music playing] ...Turkey's third largest city and home to the country's biggest port.

The city's roots go back 8,500 years.

Once known as the ancient Greek city of Smyrna, it was a cosmopolitan center of trade that numerous cultures called home.

During the Roman era in the 4th century B.C., the agora was constructed, an open-air market thought to be the biggest of its kind in the ancient world.

Today, you can see its remains, as well as its sophisticated Roman plumbing.

And the agora has evolved, along with the growing city, into the Kemeralti, the biggest outdoor market in Turkey.

Oh, merhaba.

Oh, thanks, man.

Appreciate that.

The Kemeralti is home to 15,000 shops, three times the amount in Istanbul's grand bazaar.

Down these labyrinthian corridors, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the aromas of endless fresh produce and meat and the clatter of artisans at work.

But some of the merchandise needs to be handled very carefully.

[electric sharpener buzzing] Ooh, sharp.

Very sharp.

I know.

Whoo!

[Asian music playing] Out on the streets, it's easy to spot the mosque soaring above the bazaar.

But right in the middle of this bustling market, there's an almost forgotten hidden corner, with some amazing history if you know where to look or you have someone to show you.

-Tilda?

-Hi, Peter.

Nice to meet you.

So, where are we going?

Well, come with me, I'll show you, because it's not easy to find on your own.

[peaceful music playing] Once you enter Havra Street, turn at the fish vendors and walk less than 50 feet and you will see the beginning of a wall.

That's just the first synagogue.

Tilda Koenka is leading me into the old Jewish quarter, an almost forgotten enclave where her mother grew up, that's filled with historic synagogues.

Boy, lots of surprises here.

And I have here even more for you.

Here is something not everyone sees, Peter.

-You see these three walls?

-Yeah.

These are the outer walls of three different synagogues.

-Right next to each other.

-Right next to each other.

And you only have to turn your head to see a fourth synagogue, a strange cluster in the heart of the city.

[Peter] So why were they all so close to together?

Well, the Jewish community did not come to Izmir at once.

They came in different time periods.

Sometimes even in different centuries.

Tens of thousands of Sephardic Jews made their way to Ottoman territories after being expelled from Spain and Portugal, at the height of the Spanish Inquisition.

The Jewish population in Izmir peaked at nearly 40,000 at the end of the 18th century.

But as the community dispersed, the synagogues were abandoned and almost lost.

But not forgotten.

So, are all the synagogues in this area in this state of disrepair?

[Tilda] No.

Let me show you.

We know there are nine synagogues in the area.

We are now working on restoring as many as we can.

It is a process that will take years, but we at least have started.

[woman singing folk song] The Jewish population today, less than a thousand.

But Tilda's work with the Jewish Heritage Project is helping to build what remains of these historic synagogues and their disappearing culture.

-[music continues] -You hear that?

Yeah.

Come with me.

[singing in Ladino] This traditional music is sung in Ladino, the language of the Sephardic Jews who were exiled from Spain and Portugal.

The song, "Adio Querida," is a farewell to a former love and perhaps a former home.

[Tilda] Most people never see these hidden synagogues and never hear this music in its original language, but we try to keep them all alive so we can celebrate and remember our history, our religion, our culture.

It is something that we should never forget.

Beautiful.

Beautiful, thank you.

-Isn't that great?

-Yeah.

-And you knew all the words.

-Yes.

[Peter] These hidden synagogues are an unexpected escape from the modern city, but to really get away, the locals head out to the nearby Cesme peninsula.

Just an hour west of Izmir, you'll find the picturesque town of Alaçat1, a 19th-century village, once know for its olive oil and soothing breezes, that has now become a mecca for wind surfing and food.

The cobblestone streets are lined with small cafes, and it's not hard to find a great farm-to-table restaurant, sometimes right on the farm.

But I head further east, into the sprawling farmland along the coast, near Urla, using the giant wind turbines to guide me towards a piece of history that few people get to see.

It sounds easy enough.

You just hang a right before the third turbine, then follow the dirt road to the giant olive tree.

-Hi.

Welcome, Peter.

-Thank you, John.

-This is quite a place.

-Thank you.

That's quite a tree.

It is the oldest olive tree here, 1,800 years old.

Wow!

Still produces olives?

Very tasty ones, but I have older things to show you.

Can Orbitach started the Uzbas Arboretum in 1996, to grow 1900 different types of plants.

But as they tilled these grounds, they made a surprising discovery.

[Can] One day, when we were digging up here, we found this, amphoras.

More than 2,000 years old.

-Still smelling of wine.

-Amazing.

The culture was lost, but the proof was here.

So you knew they'd made wine.

Yes, yes, people were making wine for centuries here in Anatolia.

Although the Egyptians may first come to mind when you think of ancient viticulture, archaeologists have found evidence of wine production dating back nearly 10,000 years, at the site of the world's first city in Anatolia.

So these ancient vessels, with the scent of wine, inspired John to take a chance.

The terroir, night and day differences.

Sea breezes, soil.

We knew we can do it again.

And you did.

[relaxing music playing] In 2000, Can started his first vineyard, using historic varieties of local grapes.

Today, the vines are thriving and in need of constant attention.

So, how many vines are we talking about here?

170 acres.

That's a lot.

And those ladies out there, what are they doing?

[Can] They are getting ready for green harvesting.

[Peter] And that's where you work directly with the grapes?

With the grapes, to have more concentration.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, during green harvest, unripe grapes are pruned from the vines.

This allows the remaining grapes to thrive and produce a more concentrated wine.

Can wanted me to give it a try, but my experience is drinking wine, not making it.

So I just come right over here to the bunches here?

-[Can] Mm-hmm.

-So, what, I cut this one?

-[Can] Peter, you decide.

-Okay, this is the one.

Yes, this is the right one.

-Okay, I just throw that out?

-Yeah.

And go on.

[Peter] This one right here.

Okay.

Right?

-Okay.

-Yes.

This one.

-Right.

-Out it goes.

-Of course.

-How many vines are out here?

[Can] We're going to be here for a while.

With ancient vineyards that are older then Egypt's, and Greek mythology that didn't happen in Greece, the Turkish Aegean makes me reconsider my entire understanding of world history.

And just 60 miles down the coast from Urla is the ancient city of Ephesus, where you'll find one of the world's best preserved Roman ruins.

Set on a strategic trade route, Ephesus was once a cultural and religious crossroads and the most important Greco-Roman city in the eastern Mediterranean.

These days, the ancient city is besieged by nearly a half million tourists that pour off cruise ships each summer to see the ruins, including the original version of a pay toilet.

So if you gotta go... every pun intended... it's best to get there on a day when the cruise ships aren't in port.

And if you want to skip the crowds altogether, you can head an hour down the coast to Lake Bafa and the Buyuk Menderes, also known as the Meander River.

If the name sounds familiar, it's because the word "meander" was inspired by the winding course of this river.

Originating from springs nearly 200 miles inland, the Meander takes a sinuous path to the coast, depositing silt that created fertile farmland and filled an ancient bay.

Three thousand years ago, the Aegean pushed almost 20 miles up this river valley, but silt carried by the Meander slowly filled the ancient bay, leaving only the isolated Lake Bafa.

This pocket of salty water has managed to retain all of its Aegean culture, transporting you to another world far from the throngs of tourists and the pressures of modern-day life.

Along its shores are thousands of years of history.

From the ancient port city of Herakleia, to the prehistoric Kerdemlik cave paintings, as well as monasteries and frescoes created by the Byzantines.

If the shores are a monument to the distant past, out on the water is a living present.

Fishermen like Akin Karakaya set out every day from the nearby village of Sercin in pursuit of an unexpected delicacy.

We try to catch the eels.

-You've got traps all over here.

-All over here are traps, yeah.

To catch these Lake Bafa eels, Akin comes in the afternoon to set the traps and then returns in the early morning to check them.

-Aha, you got some.

-Yep, yep.

Yeah, now we're going to use the net.

There we are.

So, now into the basin.

[Peter] Wow.

-[eels splash] -Okay.

The next one.

[Peter] You just string them right along.

Akin has ten traps, all connected underwater.

But not all of them catch.

[Akin] Oh, this is empty.

They don't like this one.

-[Peter] Okay.

-Maybe the other one.

But he doesn't get discouraged.

His family has been in Sercin for 800 years, surviving off the land and the water.

You got anything in there?

Ah, we do.

-These are fresh-water eels?

-Fresh-water eels.

But they came from salt water too.

[fisherman] Came from salt water.

-Great.

-[Peter] There we go.

These eels are somewhat unusual, as they live in both fresh and salt water and they take an astounding route to get to Lake Bafa.

Hatched in the Sargasso Sea in the west Atlantic, they spend three years crossing the ocean, the Mediterranean and the Aegean, then swim up the Meander River and into the lake.

-[Akin] This is the last one.

-[Peter] Last one.

Whoa!

Well, that's one big eel.

How old is that guy?

[Akin] Maybe 15 years old.

[Peter] Seriously, 15 years old?

[Akin] Yeah.

I'd never seen an eel that big, so I wanted to try and get a closer look.

Okay.

Oops.

Oh, my God.

You can't.

Whoa!

Oh-oh-oh!

-[Akin] Almost.

-[laughs] That's why they say "slippery as an eel."

Just for that, dinner.

Not a bad morning's work.

With the traps empty, we head back to shore.

Sercin has less than a thousand residents and one restaurant.

But the chef was happy to cook our fresh catch.

-He's taking the backbone.

-Uh-huh.

And then after, we're going to put them to fire, grilling.

Pretty simple.

[Akin] It's the easiest thing in the world, cooking eels.

Some people think eels are gross and slimy and wouldn't even touch them, while others think they're a delicacy.

I'm going to try the local variety and decide for myself.

Here we are.

-Wow.

-Yep.

-Pre-oiled.

-Yep.

Ready to go.

One-stop shopping.

The fish that comes with its own oil.

Delicious?

While fresh eel and the rugged remote landscapes of Bafa may not be for everyone, 60 miles south of Lake Bafa is one of the most popular destinations along the Aegean.

The port city of Bodrum.

Its two scenic bays are separated by the majestic Bodrum Castle, which was erected in the 1400s by the crusading knights of Saint John.

The castle was constructed using stones and marble from the ruins of the ancient Carian city of Halicarnassus, which included the tomb of Mausolus, a massive mausoleum, built around 350 B.C., that is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

But one of the most interesting ancient sites on this peninsula is far off the tourist track, so you'll need the right gear and the right guide to get there.

-Hey, man.

-Good morning, Peter.

-How are ya?

-I'm great.

How about you?

-Good.

Let's do it.

-Why not?

Let's go.

My guide is Deniz Kilic, a former motocross and enduro racer who has traveled by motorcycle all the way from Turkey to the southern tip of the African continent.

Today we're just climbing a local mountain, not crossing an entire continent, so Deniz has suggested electric mountain bikes for this trip.

We're heading up a route called the Leleg Way, named for the aboriginal people that inhabited this region as early as the 15th century B.C.

115 miles of trails connect ancient Lelegian sites across the peninsula, and Deniz is taking me to one of the lesser known and best preserved spots in the region.

So, this is it?

For the bikes.

It turns out we'll need to do some hiking as well.

-How far to the top again?

-Just around the corner.

That's what you said ten minutes ago.

But Deniz swears it will be worth it.

Wow!

That's a wow.

Yes.

Here we are.

This is Gebe Kilise.

[Peter] And that means?

This means pregnant belly church.

Interesting name.

Yeah, but there is not any connection with church.

This is grave, this is tombs.

[Peter] Well, they picked the right location.

[Deniz] Perfect location, top of the hill.

-A tomb with a view.

-Yeah.

It's a real place for peace.

Archaeologists believe this tomb was constructed over 2,600 years ago, but unlike the city of Halicarnassus, it has withstood the test of time.

Mind your head.

You go first, please.

-Mind my step too.

-Yes, please.

[Peter] Another wow.

This is a lot deeper than I thought.

Outside, it's a huge dome as you see.

Inside it's a beautiful pyramid.

Who knew?

So this has stood here for 2,600 years even with earthquakes.

But with little damage.

-Human damage.

-Yes.

Used to be one piece, but it's huge damage.

-Thieves, burglars.

-Grave robbers were coming here.

[Deniz] That's right.

They were looking for treasures.

-Did they ever find them?

-I hope not.

[laughs] Very little has been found to reveal more about the Lelegian people and this tomb, so for now it remains a beautiful mystery.

I gotta say, definitely worth the trip up.

Well, one more thing left.

What?

We need to go down.

Why are you laughing?

Down is easier than up, as gravity works in my favor, bringing me back to the waters of the Aegean... and the most popular mode of transportation.

Boats.

Boats have long been part of the Aegean culture and so important to the city's history that the Bodrum Castle is now home to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which contains artifacts and reconstructions of ancient shipwrecks dating back to the 14th century B.C.

Historically, boats were even used as currency here.

Around 500 B.C., the ancient city of Halicarnassus actually paid taxes to Egypt with a trireme, a large ancient warship with three rows of oars.

But it wasn't until sponge diving became prominent in the 1800s that boats were an integral part of Bodrum's economy and its culture.

After World War II, sponge diving and boat building were at their peak and boatyards were popping up across the Bodrum peninsula to meet the growing demand of professional sponge divers.

But by the 1980s, artificial sponge production had eroded the demand for natural sponges, and the divers, as well as the boatyards, began to disappear.

Today in Bodrum, the boatyard is often a backyard, and a stroll through the back streets can reveal some impressive home projects.

Hello!

Anybody home?

-Hey, Mustafa, how are you?

-Hi there, welcome.

-Can I come onboard?

-Sure you can.

Okay.

Mustafa Ozkeskin is the latest generation of master boat builders in Bodrum, and he's currently working on his 23rd boat.

All right, we're on.

It's a traditional wood tirhandil, which was the boat of choice for sponge divers.

The name is thought to come from the Greek word for "three to one," which relates to the boat being three times longer than it's wide.

-Beautiful boat.

-Thank you.

-All wood.

-It's all wood, yeah.

What, mahogany?

Mahogany and teak.

But usually it's mahogany.

And how long will it take you to finish this?

-It's about 10, 11 months.

-Almost a year.

-Yeah, nearly a year.

-And you designed it?

Sure, we design it, but it's built by eye.

So, what, no blueprint?

-Nothing.

-No computer.

-Nothing, nothing, no, no.

-Amazing.

So, what are you working on today?

-Come, I'll show you.

-All right.

Over the years, Mustafa has developed an instinct for how all the pieces come together to create one beautiful boat.

These are heavy.

Yeah, it's important for the boat.

The heavier the wood, the better the boat?

Yeah, it is very strong.

Not very, very heavy.

His best known boat was named Hizir, which has won several prestigious awards at the Bodrum Cup regattas.

But for Mustafa, it's the tradition of wooden boat building that's far more important than any prize or award.

-That's it?

-After about eight hours.

Took you eight hours to do this?

-Yeah.

-Wow.

But the thing is I'm talking about this boat, the thing is, they are carrying a very important cargo.

It's the heritage of the Ottoman Empire.

So we have to spend time on it.

-And keep your tradition alive.

-Exactly.

But people don't make wood boats that much anymore.

Because people love easy things, easy to build.

But this, it's my biggest hobby.

-It's your love.

-It's my love, exactly.

Exactly.

This passion for building traditional boats has been passed down for generations in Bodrum, starting with the master builders of the 1970s.

Ziya Guvendiren and Nami Mehmet.

But few of the masters still remain.

My master, now he's about 76 years old.

And he learned it from his master, so it goes like that.

And who are you teaching?

Actually, there's nobody with me because it's a difficult business, it's not easy.

-You have to live it.

-Yeah.

You have to spend your time, your money.

You can't make big money with this business.

So, what keeps you doing it?

Love.

Love.

[upbeat music playing] Here in Bodrum, the best way to understand the passion for wooden boats is to take one out on the water.

And people come from all over Turkey and the world to do just that.

[woman] When we come out here, it's to get away from the hustle and bustle.

It's to find yourself, to find what's important to you.

Because when you're out here, you're one with nature.

And you are exposed to all the elements.

Sight, smell, sound, feeling.

And it's something you cannot capture when you're running around doing your daily life.

And that's what brings us out.

For American ex-pat Dina Street, the pull of the Aegean got her over 30 years ago, when a major earthquake shook up her life back in California.

And after the earthquake, I had the opportunity to sort of reshift my life, so to say.

So I bought a one-way ticket and said, "Let's see what happens."

-Was it really a one-way ticket?

-It was a one-way ticket.

And most of my friends from our university were shocked that I was throwing away my education, I was throwing away my life to come and live in a fishing village.

Now, everyone's like, "Dina, when can I visit?"

[Peter chuckles] Bodrum was a small fishing village at the beginning of the 20th century, with less than 10,000 residents.

But with the rise of the Turkish republic and just a little tourism, the city has grown dramatically.

Well, since you first came here, Bodrum's gotten a little crowded.

It has indeed.

We've jumped from an official population of about 20,000 people to about one million when all the Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara people come down to their summer villas.

So, how do you escape it?

You get on a boat and you come out here and you have the whole sea to yourself.

And the real beauty of a traditional tirhandil, it's a sailboat.

Once you raise the sails... and cut the engine... you eliminate all the background noise of the modern world and sail back into a time when these boats dominated the Aegean.

In the 21st century, there's something special about a wooden boat.

Absolutely.

There's nothing artificial about it.

You're one with the sea.

The sound of the water, the sound of the wind.

And it's better than any psychiatrist could ever do for you.

[chuckles] Now you expect me to go back to California?

[Dina laughs] Up to you.

I've got a boat for sale.

[chuckles] You may have a buyer.

[Dina laughs] I can make you a deal.

Now, that's American.

No, I take that back, that's Turkish.

Exactly.

It's certainly tempting to have a boat here, as the coastline heading south and east to the Mediterranean is known as the Turquoise Coast... named for its beautiful beaches and stunning blue-green water.

The word "turquoise" comes from the French word for Turkish, after the gemstone of the same color that was first brought to Europe through Turkey.

From Bodrum, the Aegean wraps around the southwestern tip of Turkey, connecting to the deeper waters of the Mediterranean, along the edge of a small tectonic plate bounded by the Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes, then intersecting with the Turkish coastline near the historic fishing village of Dalyan.

Off the beaten path of Turkish vacationers and cruise ships that can inundate other coastal destinations, Dalyan is a hidden gem.

The town sits on the winding Dalyan River, between the great expanse of Lake Koycegiz and the protected sand beach of Iztuzu, which is a preferred nesting site for loggerhead sea turtles.

Across the river, 3,000-year-old tombs, carved into the cliffs, tower over the ancient city of Kaunos, which was an important port before silt from the river filled up its bay.

The word "dalyan" means fish weir, which look like wooden fences placed in the water to catch fish.

The river has long been the lifeblood of this community and boats remain the main mode of transportation.

I take a boat to the beach.

I take a boat to the market.

And this isn't me, this is, like, the whole expat community.

About 40% of the population in Dalyan are expats.

Leyla Ergil is an American expat, who came to Turkey back in 2004 on a Fulbright scholarship and never went back.

Today she's invited me onboard a boat owned by expats and filled with expats, that's heading across the lake on their weekly grocery run.

We go to the Koycegiz market, because that market is spectacular.

And they let us off for, like, two hours, and we sort of walk around the market and do our shopping and then some of us go swimming in the lake, like me, and then some go and sit at the café, and then the boat comes back, picks us all up, and then brings us back to Dalyan.

So, let me see if I get this straight.

It's boats to beaches, to shopping, to eating.

-Yes.

-Not a bad lifestyle.

[Leyla] No, not at all.

This may sound like a vacation, but it's everyday life for a digital nomad like Leyla, who travels the country researching and writing stories for the biggest English-language newspaper in Turkey.

You know, I'm nearing into, like, my thousandth article on Turkish culture, history, expat endeavors, or anything that interests expats.

-You running out of ideas?

-Never, not in Turkey.

There's so much history and so many different sites to see that I'm always traveling, but within an hour or two hours driving distance maximum, you can be at an ancient site, a spectacular beach, or a bustling city or boardroom.

Well, being on this beautiful water on this beautiful boat on this beautiful day, I'm almost hesitant to ask, but, is there a downside?

It's a whole different mentality here.

Things do not go according to time schedules that westerners are used to, so there is an adjustment curve for English expats who maybe want things at a certain time.

So the motto for the Aegean is, "It happens when it happens."

Exactly.

Yeah.

-But in a good way.

-In a great way.

It's a real slower way of life, especially in the villages and towns I've lived in in the Aegean.

For Leyla, it's clearly not just the natural beauty and dramatic history that draws her to this region.

It's the people as well.

The Turks have very strong values and they live by them.

They're very honorable, and they like to share.

They're very generous.

They feel gratitude for everything.

It's that personality and this mentality of the Turks that also just makes it so special here.

-So, this is home?

-Yes.

Definitely.

While the expats like to head north to the market in Koycegiz... to the south, beyond Radar Mountain, there's a little-known destination that has just about everything you need... Oh, look what you got here.

Mountain goats.

There they go.

...in a much more rustic setting.

But the rough roads are worth the trip as Kargicak Koyu is a stunning hidden bay that few travelers know about.

And if you can tear yourself away from the beach to head inland, you'll be surprised to discover rows of citrus trees and vegetables spreading back to the base of the mountains.

It's a pretty big farm.

It's 30,000 square meters in total.

And we have vegetable garden as 2,000 square meters here.

-Wow.

-Right there, around this part.

Orcun Dundar was living in Istanbul, when he first discovered Kargicak Bay in 2017 and in less than a year began this seaside organic farm that has become a simple summer home for the small team that supports it.

Orcun is happy to show off their crops and take advantage of a couple of extra hands.

We have some peppers ready here.

-Okay.

-We can grab some of them.

-Just pick them like this?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I may have grown up in New York City, but I still know my way around the garden.

-Oh, my God.

-Yeah.

And we have a different type of pepper here.

You see?

Oh, yeah.

These are hot?

-Maybe, let's see.

[laughs] -Oh, maybe.

Yeah, hot.

They grow an amazing variety of produce on this small farm, which is prepared with locally caught fish to create seasonal dishes for visitors who are lucky enough to make the journey to get here.

But I'm more at home on the water than in the kitchen.

So while they prepare the food, I head out with Mehmet, Orcun's business partner, to explore the sea.

If we continued east into the Mediterranean, we would discover the ancient city of Patara, from a historic republic that inspired our own democracy, as well as Gocek Harbor, which is as impressive as the massive yachts that dock there.

For now, I'm more interested in the hidden coves and secret beaches around Kargicak Bay.

And motoring across these blue-green waters...

I'm reminded of the mix of cultures I've experienced along this coastline.

From the city of Troy, where treasures of Greek legends have been discovered and lost, to the Roman ruins of Ephesus, so incredibly preserved, and aboriginal monuments, magnificent tombs with a view, to the hidden synagogues of Izmir, where an exiled Spanish culture is being reborn.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Although things that are uniquely Turkish stand out in my memory.

From an ancient agora that has evolved into a giant outdoor bazaar, a modern vineyard grown on terraces, from the earliest history of wines.

The Meander River, named for its bends.

And a local eggplant dish, named for its scream.

-[sizzling] -Whoa!

[laughs] Ultimately it was the history of the sea where I felt the strongest connection, from a master boat builder continuing traditions passed on for generations, to the beautiful wooden boats that have sailed these waters for hundreds of years.

And then back to Kargicak Bay, where the warm waters of the Aegean and Mediterranean mix together, uniting the past and the present, in a seascape of inescapable beauty, just a small moment in time in the realm of Turkey's hidden Aegean.

[upbeat music playing] Funding for this program has been provided by... To all of you who have been yearning to travel, it's time.

The world is reopening.

Open up to the world.

And... Virtuoso.

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