Assos, in the Çanakkale province of Türkiye, is famous for its ancient ruins and for being a quiet seaside getaway. It is also famous for being the home of the Greek philosopher Aristotle and where the Apostle Paul, walking from nearby Troas, met his companions who had made the same journey by sea.
Assos is especially worth visiting because of its Temple of Athena and theater. It is also a pleasant holiday retreat, combining the majesty of its ruins with a quiet and relaxing experience with its small harbor beach, hotels, and fish restaurants.
In biblical times, Assos was the only good harbor along the 80-kilometer (50-mile) southern coast of the Troad, which made it important for shipping and trade.
Who was Aristotle, and What Did He Do in Assos?
Aristotle was one of the greatest philosophers and the first scientist in history. He made pioneering contributions to all fields of philosophy and science, including inventing formal logic, Identifying the various scientific disciplines, and developing their relationships with each other.
Aristotle and his group founded a school of philosophy at Assos. They carried out observations, particularly in zoology and marine biology, just two of many fields of early science in which he is known. He probably began his works “Politics” and “On Kingship” (which are now lost) at Assos.
Today, when entering Assos, you will see a statue of Aristotle near the entrance.
Early History of Assos
Foundation of Assos
1000—900 BC: Aeolian colonists from the nearby Greek island of Lesbos settled in the area.
c. 530 BC: The Aeolians built the Doric-style Temple of Athena on the Acropolis.
348 BC: Aristotle Moves to Assos
The ruler of Assos (and the Troad peninsula), Hermias, who, like Aristotle, was a student of Plato, encouraged other philosophers to live in Assos. One of them was Aristotle, who lived and taught there for three years and founded an academy of philosophy.
341—340 BC: The Persians Take Assos, Aristotle Becomes the Tutor of Alexander
The Persians invaded Assos after a general revolt by the Greek colonies on the Aegean coast, which included Assos. They captured Hermias and sent him to Persia for interrogation to learn the Greek battle plans. Unwilling to divulge what he knew, the Persians tortured Hermias to death and crucified everyone in Assos.
Aristotle escaped the massacre and fled to Macedonia, where he met his friend King Philip II of Macedon. King Philip hired Aristotle to tutor his son Alexander, who would later become Alexander the Great.
334 BC: Alexander the Great Expels the Persians
Alexander and his army campaigned against the Persians. Alexander was victorious at the Battle of Granicus, chased the Persians back to Persia, and then occupied Persia.
323 BC: Alexander’s Generals Divide the Conquered Lands
Alexander the Great died without naming an heir. His generals, collectively called The Diadochi, divided the lands they conquered between themselves. Then, they began fighting each other over the spoils.
301 BC: Lysimachus Gets Assos
Lysimachus, one of Alexander’s generals, took Western and Northern Asia Minor and Thrace as his new kingdom, including Assos.
281 BC: Philetaerus Becomes King of Pergamum
Philataerus, a lieutenant of General Lysimachus and commander of Pergamum deserted Lysimachus and offered the kingdom and its treasury to Seleucus, another of Alexander’s former generals. Seleucus then killed Lysimachus in battle. Soon after, Seleucus was killed in battle. This left Philataerus as the uncontested ruler of Pergamum.
Why is Pergamum Important?
Pergamum is important in the history of Assos because Philitaerus, who couldn’t bear children, appointed his nephew Attalus (Atalus I) his successor. This created a line of Pergamene kings called the Attalid Dynasty, which became a loyal ally of Rome.
241—133 BC: The Kingdom of Pergamum Gets Assos
Pergamene King Eumenes II, a descendant of Attalus I, fought alongside the Romans and helped defeat Antiochus III, a descendant of Seleucus I Nicator (another of Alexander’s generals). As part of the resulting Treaty of Apamea, the Romans gave Eumenes II most of western Asia Minor, including Assos.
133 BC: The Romans Get Assos
King Attalus III, son of Eumenes II, died without an heir. He bequeathed his kingdom to the Romans to prevent civil wars over the throne.
133 BC: The Romans incorporate Assos into the Roman Province of Asia
The Romans created the Province of Asia (not to be confused with the continent of Asia) in western Asia Minor and incorporated the Pergamene kingdom, including Assos, into it.
Assos in the Bible
The Apostle Paul visited Assos during his third missionary journey. He walked overland from Troas to Assos, a hike of some 48 kilometers (30 miles), while his seven colleagues made the trip by ship. No reason is given for the walk. It may have been because Paul wanted to pray and think, which would have been difficult in the confines of a ship.
At Assos, he met his colleagues. Together they sailed to Mitylene on the nearby island of Lesvos (Lesbos), then to Samos, then to Chios and Miletus, where Paul met with the elders of the Church of Ephesus. Paul was in a hurry and had no time to visit Ephesus because he wanted to be in Caesarea before the day of Pentecost.
The Book of Acts doesn’t say whether Paul spent much time in Assos or if he preached there.
Biblical References
Acts 20:13—14.
Where is Assos?
Assos is on the northwest (Aegean) coast of Türkiye (Asia Minor). It is on the south shore of the Biga Peninsula (called “The Troad” in ancient times) and on the south side of the modern town of Behramkale, in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale province.
Assos Map
Important! If you’re on-site at Assos, you can use your mobile device with the navigable version of this map to see exactly where you are in relation to the various buildings there. CLICK HERE for the large Google map.
What to See at Assos
To reach the Assos archaeological site, you will first enter Behramkale. Bayramkale is a charming, traditional Turkish town, a great place for lunch and refreshments and shopping for handmade lace.
You will be greeted by a 2.5-meter (8.2-foot) Aristotle statue erected by Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry in 2009. Walk up the rather steep, narrow main street to the entrance near the Assos Acropolis. You will then be walking downhill into the rest of the archaeological site.
Acropolis
The Acropolis is a steep 238-meter (781-foot) hill surrounded by walls, some up to 14 meters (46 feet) high, that stretch some 3.2 kilometers (two miles). Overlooking the Adramyttian Gulf of the Aegean Sea, the Acropolis offers a spectacular view, including the Island of Lesvos. You will also see the oft-photographed Temple of Athena and, further down the hill, the remains of the ancient harbor.
Temple of Athena
The Temple of Athena at Assos is the only Archaic-Doric temple in Türkiye. It is made of andesite, an igneous rock with a darker color and rougher texture than marble.
The temple’s foundation measures 14 x 30.5 meters (46 x 100 feet). It originally had 13 columns on each of the two long sides and six columns on the two shorter sides, with two more on its front porch. Five of the columns have been restored.
Reliefs from the temple, featuring scenes such as the Struggle of Hercules and the Centaurs and various animals, can be seen in the Çanakkale and the Istanbul Archeological Museums, The Louvre in Paris, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Necropolis
The necropolis runs along the road leading to the gate. Walking that road away from the sea, you will see several large Hellenistic and Roman sarcophagi and monumental tombs. The oldest of these dates to the 7th century BC.
Ancient Gate of Assos and the Defensive Walls
Walking toward the sea, you will pass a well-preserved fourth-century BC wall and gate flanked by two towers measuring 14 meters (46 feet) in height. These are some of the best-preserved ancient walls in Türkiye. Note the vertical slits from which archers could fire their arrows.
Gymnasium and Church
Walking east into the ancient city, you will find a gymnasium from the second century BC. It measures 52 x 52 meters (170 x 170 feet) and has a paved courtyard measuring 32 x 40 meters (105 feet x 131 feet) surrounded by colonnades on all four sides. During the Byzantine period, a church was built on the northeast portion.
Agora
The agora contains the remains of shops and other buildings from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It has stoas on the north and south sides.
The north stoa had two stories and a roof. It was approximately 111 meters (363 feet) long and 12.5 meters (41 feet) wide.
The south stoa was four stories and roofed. Its top story was level with the agora. The lower three floors were below the agora level and set against the vertical south-facing terrace wall. These lower floors were used as storage and also contained a cistern. It was 69.9 meters (229.3 feet) long and 10.59 meters (34.7 feet) wide. To see the lower floors, go down to the lower part of the city and look back toward the agora.
At the west end of the agora is a second-century BC temple that was later converted to a church. At the east end is a Hellenistic bouleuterion (city council chamber). In front of the bouleuterion was a bema, a platform for public announcements and speeches.
Theater
The theater is Greek style, built into the hillside. The Romans later modified it for gladiatorial contests and wild animal shows. It had a capacity of 4,000–5,000 spectators and is oriented toward the sea, providing an unforgettable view that includes the Island of Lesbos. This theater is where Aristotle first presented many of his ideas and findings to the world. Much of the seating has been restored.
Harbor
The Assos harbor is where the Apostle Paul’s colleagues arrived to meet him and where they departed for Lesbos. The actual ancient harbor no longer exists. The harbor there now is modern. There is a small pebble beach and excellent restaurants (especially fish restaurants), which are said to be better than those in the town of Behramkale. There are also hotels and pensions if you want to stay the night. Most recommended is the Assos Behram Hotel and Restaurant.
How to Go to Assos
By Air
Assos is 44.6 kilometers (27.7 miles) west of Balıkesir Koca Ceyit Havalımanı (Endremit Airport). From Endremit Airport, you can board one of the regular minibusses for a one-hour ride to Küçüçkuyu, then take another minibus or taxi for a 30-minute ride to Assos.
By Car
From Endremit Airport
- Drive the E-87 Highway west for 41 kilometers (25.5 miles) to Küçükkuyu. On the far side of Küçükkuyu, take the exit with the brown sign reading “Behramkale (Assos).”
- Drive six kilometers (3.72 miles) to Behramkale.
From Izmir
- Drive the E87 coastal Highway E87 for 235 kilometers to Küçükkuyu. On the far side of Küçükkuyu, take the exit with the brown sign reading “Behramkale (Assos).”
- Drive the coastal road for 19.4 kilometers (12 miles) and turn left at the sign for Behramkale (Assos).
- Drive six kilometers (3.72 miles) to Behramkale.
From Istanbul
- Drive Highway E80 west for 64.5 kilometers (40.07 miles).
- Exit onto Highway E84 at the sign reading “Silivri Ceza, İnfaz Kurumları, Marmara Ereğlisi, Tekirdağ, and İpsala.”
- Continue on Highway E84 for 131 kilometers (81.4 miles) and exit onto Highway 0-6.
- Drive south on Highway 0-6 for 76.7 kilometers (47.7 miles) and cross the bridge over the Dardanelles.
- Continue on Highway 0-6 for another 22.6 kilometers (14 kilometers).
- Exit onto Highway E90 South. As you pass through Çanakkale, it will become Highway E87.
- From Çanakkale, drive Highway E87 south for 69.5 kilometers (4.2 miles) to Ayvacık.
- Turn right (south) at the brown sign for “Behramkale (Assos).”
- Drive 12.2 kilometers (7.58 miles) and turn right at the sign for “Behramkale (Assos).
- Drive six kilometers to Behramkale.
By Inter-City Bus
There are inter-city bus services to the stations at nearby Ayvacık and Küçükkuyu. From there, you can take a minibus or taxi to Assos.
Assos Archaeological Site Address: 17860 Behram, Ayvacık, Çanakkale, Türkiye.
Google Coordinates: 39.49179319374067, 26.33666083274813
Ken Grubb
I’m a retired US military investigator and crime scene specialist who has lived in Türkiye for over twenty years. I love learning about and investigating Türkiye’s ancient Christian sites. My archaeologist friends tell me that my old job is much like theirs!
