In any romp through ancient history we come across the names of renowned Milesians who, more that anything else, have made the city famous. The philosopher-scientist Thales of Miletus, said to have originated the wise phrase "Know Thyself", was the first to measure the height of the Egyptian pyramids. He also postulated that the material basis of all things is water - not so far off when we consider its importance for all things living. Anaximander and Hecataeus, both Milesians, were the world's first known cartographers. The spirit of such men can be sensed among the ruins of Miletus while the eye is drawn to the testimony of its Roman heritage, the Baths of Faustina. This wife of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius has been much maligned by gossip of the time, but she was probably thought of fondly by Milesian bathers - and we remember her to this day for this gift to the city.

Curiosity about what the future will bring is as old as the human race, and one of the first and most important known oracles of the ancient world held sway in the sanctuary of Apollo in Didyma. The remains of the great temple visible today cover the original smaller shrine of the oracle, but with the advent of Christianity the rites were forbidden on pain of death and a Byzantine church was erected on the pagan site. During Didyma's golden age the city of Miletus was the guardian of the oracle who, it is reported, forecast the victory of Alexander the Great of Macedon at Gaugamela. The visitor can also see the remains of a stadium which is believed to have hosted a great festival held every four years in honor of Apollo.

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Tucked in the northeastern corner of the Gulf of Mandalya (Gulluk) are the extensive remains of the ancient city of Iassus. Recent excavations show that the site has been continuously occupied from even before the Mycynean era until the end of antiquity. Italian archaeologists, not totally blinded by Classical Hellenistic bias of many other western scholars, have unearthed and identified artifacts of Lelegian and Minoan provenance which show that a great culture thrived here before the invasion of the region by Argive Greeks. The visitor will be deeply touched when standing on the summit where vestiges of human settlement as early as the Early Bronze Age near the end of the third millennium. The excavations continue adding to our store of knowledge.

The ancient city of Myndus stood on the western extremity of the Bodrum peninsula where the village of Gumusluk now stands. Myndus never approached the status of the great city of Halicarnassus, the capital of Caria, and it was the butt of disparaging jokes on account of the poor quality of its wine which was mixed with sea-water to make it drinkable. The wines served today in the village of Gumusluk are of much better quality and many summer visitors come here to enjoy the seafood and fish of its restaurants situated at the water's edge. Snorkeling is popular because parts of ancient Myndus have slid under water in some past cataclysmic event and are visible clearly through a diving mask.

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Ancient Halicarnassus, as Bodrum was once known, was renowned for its Mausoleum, the great monumental tomb of King Mausolus which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today, Bodrum is a lively, lovely, thriving holiday resort proud of its heritage while it looks confidently into the future. Standing guard over the harbor is the medieval castle built by the Knights of St. John, now restored and used as a museum of nautical archaeology. Lifelike exhibits of recovered ancient shipwrecks have received international praise. Inhabited since the Chalcolithic Age, the Bodrum peninsula is one of the great favorite haunts of the jetsetter as well as the backpacker. It has something for everyone.

The origins of the Blue Voyage lie in the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Gokova, the aptly named "Plains of the Sky". Its islands, bays and shores are treasured jewels. Among them are:

This large bay on Gokova's northern coast is a favorite of cruising yachtsmen. Its wooded mountains provide shelter from the winds and its restaurants and bars are venues where tall sea stories are traded over good meals and refreshing drinks. It is also the place where water and provisions are replenished for further explorations of the gulf.

Actually called Sedir or Sehir Island, it was known as Cedrae in antiquity and the remains of the ancient settlement are still much in evidence. Legend has it that the fine silver sand found on the beach was shipped here from Egypt by Cleopatra for her pleasures with her lover Mark Anthony. Believe it or not - but see it.

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The other lovely spots along the coasts of Gokova, such as Sogut, Seven Islands or Cati, we'll leave for the reader to discover on a Blue Voyage.

The southern shore of the Gulf of Gokova is bounded by the peninsula of Datca. On the western extremity of this peninsula is Cape Crio, dreaded by ancient mariners. Just near the tip is the harbor of Cnidus. The city, excavated and clearly visible on the hillside, but most of its sculptures are now in the British Museum sent there in several hundred cases by Sir Charles Newton in 1857-58. Cnidian amphorae, the shipping containers of old, can be found wherever ancient trading ships went, but the major claim to fame - on the naughty side - was its possession of the first fully nude statue of Aphrodite by the celebrated sculptor Praxiteles. It was a great tourist attraction of the age and the subject of exhaustive searches in modern times. It can also be suspected that such eminent Cnidians as Eudoxus the astronomer, mathematician, geographer and physician, appreciated the charms of Aphrodite disrobed.

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On the southern shore of the Datca (or Resadiye) peninsula is the little town of Datca with its lovely picturesque harbor lined with restaurants and shops. Archaeologists continue to argue whether this was the site of an earlier location of Cnidus which was later removed to the excavated venue near the tip of the peninsula, but this doesn't bother today's inhabitants of Datca - they are happy with the location of their town and are pleased to cater to visitors anchoring in the harbor. The streets away from the waterfront remain unaffected by tourism and here one can savor the ethnic life of a small Turkish town.

The town of Loryma was located on the shore of a small bay known today as Bozukkale, in loose translation "Ruined Castle", referring to the impressive old fortress that guards the entrance. This castle may be of Rhodian construction, as George Bean claims in his popular book on the region, or it may be a Byzantine structure as suggested by other writers, but its huge solid blocks inspire admiration for whoever the ancient builders may have been. The sheltered bay, we are told by Bean, provided refuge for Athenian ships during the Peloponessian War. It is mentioned by the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus as an arsenal, and indeed it bore that name (Oplosika) - now it is a wonderful spot to anchor for the night.

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Known to the ancients as Physcus, today's Marmaris is a bustling tourist resort with the largest yacht marina in the Eastern Mediterranean. The entrance to the bay on which it lies is narrow, so when viewed from the town the bay has the appearance of a lake and departing boats seem to disappear into the mountains. Its lively night scene and good shopping opportunities make Marmaris one of the favorite stops of a yachting cruise. The walls of its old castle enclose the Old Town with lovely crooked narrow streets and marvellous views. In 1522 the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent embarked his troops here for his conquest of the island of Rhodes then held by the Knights of St. John. Nothing remains today to remind us of this event and the boats that sail between Marmaris and Rhodes carry not soldiers but holidaymakers and may it always be so.

The most famous and indeed awe-inspiring remains of antiquity in Caunus are the superb rock tombs carved into the cliff face of the mountain, across the river from the town of Dalyan. These are dated to the fourth century B.C., though some inscriptions indicate that several have been reused in Roman times. In antiquity the sea reached inland right up to the hill of the acropolis, but even then some of the surrounding area was marsh which bred mosquitoes and gave the city an unhealthy reputation. This factor, as well as the conquests and reconquests of Alexander's squabbling successors, prevented its development and growth. Today, eradication campaigns have tamed the mosquito and it is a grand adventure to take a trip to Caunus from the bay of Ekincik by an excursion boat winding its way through the high reeds of the delta.

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The town of Gocek, located at the north extremity of the Gulf of Fethiye, is a popular yachting center due to the proximity of the international airport in Dalaman, although it has lost some of this attraction since the inauguration of the new Bodrum airport. Gocek's three marinas, the variety of provisioning its shops offer and the numerous restaurants - not to mention the wonderful waters and shoreline of the gulf - still make it a preferred anchorage when cruising in the region. There are no significant historical sites nearby, but the natural beauty of the many anchorages all around, including the lovely scattering of islands, is breathtaking. In these quiet spots, like in other coves located far from the lights of cities, the brilliantly starlit night sky is a source of incredulous wonder.

Thee town of Fethiye, on the eastern shore of the gulf to which it gives its name, was once the Lycian city of Telmessus whose history can be traced at least as far back as the fifth century B.C.. There are strong indications, however, that the Lycians were the Lukka people referred to in Hittite records as early as the 14th century B.C.. Wars and invasions - especially Arab raids from which the city never quite recovered - and earthquakes of more recent times have left little for us to see of this ancient civilization except the imposing Lycian tombs carved into solid rock. Today Fethiye is a town with a character that is more Anatolian than most other coastal towns, but tourism is slowly changing the scene.

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The Turkish town of Kas nestles among the remains of the ancient Lycian city of Antiphellus. A great amphitheater, a seawall, rock tombs, a temple and a superb Lycian sarcophagus dot the landscape. In its pre-Hellenistic existence, we are told, the city had other names like Habesus and Vehinda, but Classicist bias has chosen to ignore that earlier native heritage. About one nautical mile from the Turkish coast lies the Greek island of Castellorizon (Turkish: Meis). When relations between Greece and Turkey are not strained, and when the local Greek authorities see fit to allow it, a visit to the island is possible during a Blue Voyage, but, unfortunately, this is not always the case.

The excellent, well-protected anchorage of Kekova Roads is one of the highlights of a Blue Voyage. Submerged ancient ruins are clearly visible to the naked eye but snorkeling above them is even more thrilling. The whole coastline and the islands are dotted with sites of ancient cities like Teimussa, Simene and Cyaneae, each with its own impressive monuments, each in a superb setting. The whole region of Kekova Roads has so much beauty and charm, and so many places to see, that cruising yachts often anchor here for several weeks at a time. It's a place to which one can easily become addicted. Anchoring in the little bay of Andriace places the visitor near to the ancient city of Myra where the church of St. Nicholas stands. The good bishop's anonymous generosity became legend and, in time, he became the Santa Claus of today.

Famous for its oranges and standing on the site of ancient Phoenicus, today's Finike is primarily an agricultural area that supplies much of Turkey with its fruit and vegetables. It can also be a base for exploring the nearby countryside, including the ancient cities of OLYMPOS and PHASELIS which can also be approached from the sea. Both of these Lycian settlements evolved into Hellenistic cities and both were ravaged by Cilician pirates. The Romans, who ruled the country at this time, responded with punitive military operations which added to the destruction. In spite of this and later pirate raids, the remains of these cities set against the towering coastal mountains are truly impressive.

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Usually the furthest eastern terminus of a long Blue Voyage, Antalya is a large, modern city with just a few remains to remind us of its long history. Once known as Attaleia, after the Pergamene king Attalus who founded the new city, Antalya has a lovely inner harbour for yachts, located at the sea front of the Old Town which has been lovingly restored. Nothing is left from the passages of the Persian Darius or Alexander of Macedon, but Roman domination is manifested by Hadrian's Gate and the Seljuk interlude by the distinctive fluted minaret of the mosque. This latter landmark was built during the reign of the famous Sultan Alaettin Keykubat. The Antalya Museum is certainly worth a visit as are the sites of ancient cities easily reached by road. Shopping, culinary delights and varied night-life - not to mention its numerous modern hotels - are among the features that attract thousands of visitors from all over the world.