Packing up the camp early I loaded up the bike and rode about 60km south and high into the mountains to Sagalossos. From Isparta there is no direct route as to the south there is a huge range of mountains, so you have to circle around to the east or the west. Its just over an hour riding whichever route you take so took the west route as it looked like it maybe an interesting ride. When you get to the south of Sagalossos you turn off the main road, the D685, and then start climbing into the mountains on the small road for about 8km, with lots of very sharp bends, with most going up and with a sharp drop to the left or right of you. No barriers, so it was a fun ride.
Sitting at around 1600m high in the mountains, Sagalossos is a truly remarkable ancient city. I just can’t get my head around how a city was built out of nothing using simple bronze and iron tools, skill and muscle. Especially so high in the mountains with very cold winters and hot summers.
Sagalossos was established about 180BC and its main export was pottery because of the availability of local clay. During the Roman Period (around 117 AD), the city was rebuilt in the Roman Style, with a large square and an ornate water fountain. It also had baths, an ornate library, a gymnasium and many temples. It even had a large amphitheatre dug into the nearby hillside. It was a thriving small city, and like most cities in Turkey, it was devastated by the earthquake of 610AD.
I was there early, but by the time I finished it was after 1pm so rather than travelling I decided to go back to my woodland campsite near Isparta. It was cheap, it was near, and it was too damn hot to start travelling. After riding down from the mountains I joined the main road and decided to take the eastern route back, as I wanted to call into Isparta to get some food and milk from a supermarket.
