Asia Minor or Anatolia, is part of the Republic of Turkey, one of Southeast Asia counts. Cyprus is often also expected to Anatolia. The area of Anatolia is 757,000 km ². It makes around 97% of territory from. This represents about 2% of the whole of Asia. In the south, bordering the Mediterranean Sea to Anatolia. In the north, however, lies the Black Sea. West to find the Ägais in the north and west of Anatolia, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. Since 1930 the population has nearly quintupled. Today it consists primarily of Turks, Kurds and the Turkish members of other tribes. For the religions of Islam clearly dominates. Around 98% of the Turkish population belong to him. The Christians, however, are in the minority. Only about 0.2% committed to this belief. In 1910, there were still about 20%.

As a boundary between continental Europe and Asia has been ever since the Bosporus. Here lies the city of Istanbul. Istanbul is since the year 1970 by approximately 2 million people to around 12 million inhabitants to grow. The “city on the Bosphorus” is due to the intercontinental Straits divided into 2 parts. The one is European and the other part is Asian. The two parts are covered by a very tight ship traffic and 2 bridges linked. In 2009, the construction of the sea under the railway running through tunnels planned. The 2nd Straits to Anatolia, the Dardanelles. They lie between the European Gallipoli peninsula and the region of Troy and Canakkale. Are considered geologically but also Asia and Europe. The climate is strongly influenced continental. There are hot and dry summer and very cold and snowy winter.

In the east, temperatures often drop to minus 30 degrees. Sometimes they are even lower. Anatolia can be divided into eastern Anatolia, Central Anatolia, Southeastern Anatolia, the Mediterranean region, the Black and Marmara region. Eastern Anatolia is geographically the largest and regarded by the population of view the smallest of the 7 geographical areas of Turkey. It has an area of 163,000 km ² and represents approximately 20% of the territory dar. His official title is Dogu Anadolu Bölgesi. Central has a surface area of 151,000 km ². It is the 2nd enjoy the largest Turkey. Southeastern has a surface area of 75,000 km ². It is the second smallest of the 7 geographical areas. Officially, the name rings Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi, which translates Southeast Anatolia region means.

The Turkish Mediterranean region is also a geographical area of the country. The region represents approximately 15.4% of the national territory It is one of the most visited regions in Turkey. The Black Sea region represents approximately 18.1% of the national territory It is the 3rd largest region of Turkey. The Marmara Region has an area of 67,000 km ². It is the smallest but most populous of the 7 areas of the country. The official name of the Marmara region is Bölgesi, which translated means Marmara region. It represents just 9% of the territory dar. Of all the regions are the Marmara and the Mediterranean area for the most popular tourist regions in order to spend their holidays.

Turkey is in a total of 7 regions. The regions are the Marmara, Aegean region, Black Sea region, Mediterranean region, Central, Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. Here you can find significant differences between the various regions identified. The division into 7 regions was predominantly based on similar climatic features. That is also the landscape as well as the land of the territories in the region are very similar. Each region is distinguished by its climate but also through their land. Also important are the location, the vegetation, fauna and the Erdbeschaffenheit. So it is crucial to whether the ground is rocky, or can be easily managed. 4 of 7 regions were under the seas bordering the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Aegean and Marmara named. The remaining 3 regions were named after the location. Thrace is located west of the Bosphorus on the European side. Here is the river Meriç a natural border with Greece.

In the east of the Bosporus to find the Marmara region. The Marmara Sea separates Europe from Asia and the Aegean Sea from the Black Sea. In the Mediterranean, you will find the Dardanelles. They lie on a length of 60 km. Lies directly on the Bosporus Ä°stanbul. Here is the landscape of forests and hilly or at least covered by bushes. The very fertile arable soil in the east in a steppe landscape. The millions of Bursa is a spa and very famous for its sulfur and hot springs. In the Aegean region is heavily agricultural land use. The very hilly landscape stretches from the west coast between Çanakkale to Bodrum. This region on the coast is one of the best-developed regions of Turkey. Here not only cypress trees and vines but also the landscape. You’ll also find many ancient buildings. For example, Troy, Assos, Pergamon, Ephesus, Priene, Miletus, and Didyma Euromos.

The Black Sea region is the northern coastal area of Turkey. This region is a mild and humid climate characterized. The landscape is very mountainous and heavily forested. Here thrive tea, tobacco, corn and hazelnuts. Zentralanatolischen in the region of Tuz Gölü salt lake and a large mountain chain. It soars in some places over 3,900 meters into the sky. Cappadocia is situated further east. The tourists visit like this place because of his tuff. Here you can find many Wohnhölen rock and a church. Inneranatolien is overwhelmingly dominated by steppe landscape. The region is very dry. In the area around Tuz Gölü is the desert-like landscape. The agricultural use in this region of the country is not as strong as in the rest in the area around Tuz Gölü is the desert-like landscape. Particularly wheat, barley and fruit are grown here. He is very hot and dry summers and cold winters.

The Mediterranean region in the north of Taurus and in the east of Amanosgebirge framed. Here are most of citrus fruits, tomatoes, bananas, peanuts and especially cotton. Southeastern is considered the oldest cultural region of Turkey. The Taurus Mountains characterizes this landscape. Here are the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Here, wheat, barley, grapes, olives and pistachios grown. For agricultural cultivation will be along the Euphrates and the Tigris more than 22 dams built.

Among the tribes migrating from the Aegean were the lonians. Reaching as far north as the middle coast of western Anadolia, they settled down around the Kusadasi gulf where the Maeander rivers discharged into the Mediterranean, and the ancient Latmian gulf, now the entrance to the Soke plain. The lonians appear to have fused with the local inhabitants and then proceeded to establish twelve seaside settlements, among them Miletos and Priene.
Through expanded maritime trade and colonization, they eventually established a strong trading network that encompassed the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Black Sea and they rapidly grew wealthy. The original small settlements grew, each one becoming an independent city-state.
Under the protective wing of the powerful Lydian kingdom, these city-states flourished in freedom, achieving high levels of activity in the fields of trade, art, scholarship, philosophy, architecture, and the political and social sciences. Rich and prosperous cities of gleaming white marble like Miletos and Priene apeared.
Yet these city-states failed to establish any political unity among themselves and thus in the 6th century B.C., at a time when they were at the peak of their development, they were forced to submit to the might of the Persian armies from the Iranian plateau and the bright and legendary sunlight of Ionian civilization was dimmed. Nevertheless it had a deep-rooted influence that persisted for ages. The uniquely Anatolian structures of the Graeco-Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods appeared as a continuation of Ionian culture and art on a much larger scale.
The western reaches of the province of Aydin today encompass an important part of what was known in ancient times as Ionia and we will be providing more detailed information on this in the pages that follow.

Since earliest times, the province of Aydin has been an important center of habitation owing to its geographical  position.  The  province is located between 37° 30′ and 38° 03′ north latitude and between 27° 00′ and 28° 57* east longitude. It measures 8,007 square kilometers in area and represents 1% of the surface area of Turkey. Aydin borders on the the provinces of Izmir and Manisa to the north,  Denizli  to the east,  and Mugla to the south while its western border is defined by the Aegean seacoast. The population according to the 1985 census was 746,992.

Climate

A moderate Mediterranean climate prevails in the province of Aydin. Winter is the season with the greatest precipitation while there is hardly any rainfall at all during summer. Snowfall is rare. Aydin is particularly exposed to weather coming from the west. Prevailing winds tend to be easterlies followed by winds from the southwest and west.