Priene Antik Kenti
Priene Antik Kenti
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Once an ancient city of Ionia, Prine, with its well-preserved remains of the Temple of Athena, theater, gymnasium and many excavated houses, form one of the best examples of the grid type of town-planning.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
432 reviews
Excellent
274
Very good
128
Average
27
Poor
3
Terrible
0
nycexpatagain
Albuquerque, New Mexico109 contributions
Whenever I'm asked to return in my mind to a place of peace and transcendent calm, I imagine Priene. This utterly magical place deserves far more than pedestrian reviews. Priene was a small planned city with grid-patterned streets, for which nearby, larger and decimated, Miletus was famous. Priene, once a port city, is now located far up a plne-clad hillside. The sea has receded far, far away since ancient times, leaving almost half a km below the port's fish market, in distant fields, the River Meander. It twists and turns back on itself in the very way that gave us the word: "meander." Close by the market great tall white temple columns are set off by gigantic deep-green conifers. Even once-peopled streets and the small, refined amphitheatre are now filled with pine trees that sigh and whisper and scent the air.
This is a place to satisfy the senses -- even taste if you chew on the pine needles -- as your mind wanders back through the thousands of years and millions and millions of lives that have preceded ours. Memento mori, but do so in this gorgeous melding of the natural and human-made that will make you glad to be alive.
Would I recommend Priene to a friend? Only to a friend or another who had the capacity and calm to appreciate a small, sublime and somewhat out-of-the-way gem on Turkey's bustling tourist circuit.
(Of course, avoid all tours, if you possibly can. Hire a taxi.)
This is a place to satisfy the senses -- even taste if you chew on the pine needles -- as your mind wanders back through the thousands of years and millions and millions of lives that have preceded ours. Memento mori, but do so in this gorgeous melding of the natural and human-made that will make you glad to be alive.
Would I recommend Priene to a friend? Only to a friend or another who had the capacity and calm to appreciate a small, sublime and somewhat out-of-the-way gem on Turkey's bustling tourist circuit.
(Of course, avoid all tours, if you possibly can. Hire a taxi.)
Written 6 August 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
malholme
Lewes, UK522 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
As other reviewers have mentioned we were warned by our guide that this was a steep climb, that could be slippery, particularly coming down. Although we are in our seventies, we found the climb achievable, and the views from the top were extensive, from its commanding position on Mt.Mykale. It is smaller than Miletus, and perhaps less impressive as far as the ruins are concerned. As you progress along the steep path yo see the street remains at right angles (Hippodamus system). The Temple of Athena stands out against the sheer slopes of the mountain.
Written 16 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mihaela c
bucharest427 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
We visited Priene on a one day trip as part of the 3 important ancient sites - Priene, Miletus and Didima. We went by our car but there are also organized tours offered by local travel agencies in Kusadasi. If you go by your car from Kusadasi keep the road to Soke, then to Gullubahce. From then on you'll find road signs indicating Priene.
The place is well preserved, with many interesting ancient stones, walls and roads.
The entrance fee is 5TL/person (about 3 EUR) and no parking fee. Also, at the entrance you can find restrooms.
It takes about 1-2 hours to visit the entire site so it's good to have some cold water with you, along with confortable shoes, sun hat and sun glasses.
The place is well preserved, with many interesting ancient stones, walls and roads.
The entrance fee is 5TL/person (about 3 EUR) and no parking fee. Also, at the entrance you can find restrooms.
It takes about 1-2 hours to visit the entire site so it's good to have some cold water with you, along with confortable shoes, sun hat and sun glasses.
Written 23 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
scipio777
England27 contributions
Apr 2011
we took the dolmus from Kusadasi to Soke for 5YTL each, then from there to Prienne for 3YTL each. The staff and customers at the Dolmus stations were very helpful in pointing you in the right direction. Entry to Prienne was 3YTL. We enjoyed this place, less hassle than Ephasus, nice atmosphere, nice views and good ruins with information boards (though we did have a guide-book too). The Dolmus station at the bottom of the hill has cafes, carpet weaving and a small onyx "factory". well worth a visit.
Written 22 April 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jwgbusiness
Thornhill, Canada146 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
I pre-arranged our tours with Turkey Ports of Call several weeks in advance of the October 27, 2014 docking of our ship at Kusadasi. We were 39 tour participants and were divided into 3 groups, each group to a mini-bus with driver and guide. We chose this tour because all of us had been to Ephesus before and wanted to see something different and unique. This tour did not disappoint.
Our guides were fluent in English and extremely knowledgeable about Priene, Miletus and Doganbey Village. We were fascinated by the ruins at Priene, an ancient Greek holy city and the home of an important temple of Athena. Miletus is one of the most important commercial and governmental cities from 700 BC to 700 AD. It is among one of the ancient Ionian cities. Doganbey Village is a place where time stood still although many of the original Greek homes dating back to 19 AD are being restored to their former beauty.
Two of our highlights were stopping for a beverage snack supplied by a local vendor at one of the sites. His freshly squeezed pomegranate juice hit the spot. We also had a lovely lunch, fresh from the grill, at a carpet school factory complete with demonstration and final products if you wanted to buy.
Our sincere thanks and appreciation to Hazem Abbas and his lovely wife Ghada, tour operators of Turkey Ports of Call, and to all the drivers and guides who made our day both educational and enjoyable.
Our guides were fluent in English and extremely knowledgeable about Priene, Miletus and Doganbey Village. We were fascinated by the ruins at Priene, an ancient Greek holy city and the home of an important temple of Athena. Miletus is one of the most important commercial and governmental cities from 700 BC to 700 AD. It is among one of the ancient Ionian cities. Doganbey Village is a place where time stood still although many of the original Greek homes dating back to 19 AD are being restored to their former beauty.
Two of our highlights were stopping for a beverage snack supplied by a local vendor at one of the sites. His freshly squeezed pomegranate juice hit the spot. We also had a lovely lunch, fresh from the grill, at a carpet school factory complete with demonstration and final products if you wanted to buy.
Our sincere thanks and appreciation to Hazem Abbas and his lovely wife Ghada, tour operators of Turkey Ports of Call, and to all the drivers and guides who made our day both educational and enjoyable.
Written 6 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PeterReigate
Otley, UK408 contributions
May 2014 • Couples
Everybody compares this to Ephesus but in reality it is completely different. First of all it is set on a hill and it is much smaller. as well as having rather less still standing. Access, car parking and toilets are all first class. The climb from the car park to the site is quite steep and not for anyone with mobility problems. The main sights are the Temple of Athena (five columns still standing) and the amphi-theatre. If you look, there are other interesting features but you have to know what you are looking for asthere is not brochure or leaflet telling you what you should see. It is important to buy a book of the three sites - Priene, Miletus and Didyma - before you visit.
Written 12 May 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dushi-NY
NY, NY6,423 contributions
Oct 2013 • Friends
This was the last stop on our port day in Kusadasi. After exploring Didyma an Miletus, we were sufficiently tired by the time we arrived at Prienne. Entry is 5 TL per person. Restrooms are at the opposite end of the parking/drop off area and 1 TL pp.
Once past the gate, the walk uphill was gradual climb. Then we saw it, the dreaded stone steps that were uneven and steep - in some areas, the steps were up to 8 inches high. Once you reach the top, turn right, then a left at the end of the wall to get to the amphitheater. It's much smaller than Ephesus' and Miletus' amphitheaters but still nice to see as it contains several stone chairs around the lower perimeter. We then happened to follow some people and found the section containing the 5 standing columns.
Unless you are in tip top shape, the walk uphill is tiring. Just stand to the side and take occasional breaks. As everyone else has said, the climb is worth it.
Once past the gate, the walk uphill was gradual climb. Then we saw it, the dreaded stone steps that were uneven and steep - in some areas, the steps were up to 8 inches high. Once you reach the top, turn right, then a left at the end of the wall to get to the amphitheater. It's much smaller than Ephesus' and Miletus' amphitheaters but still nice to see as it contains several stone chairs around the lower perimeter. We then happened to follow some people and found the section containing the 5 standing columns.
Unless you are in tip top shape, the walk uphill is tiring. Just stand to the side and take occasional breaks. As everyone else has said, the climb is worth it.
Written 27 October 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rudy K
128 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
It was amazing because you can see the ruin under the mountain. It would be perfect on the sunny day and the blue sky. What are the point of interests here? The temple of athena, the parliament theatre, and the magnificent view towards the field. If you like history, i think you will like Priene. Dont forget to visit Didyma and Miletus. Ephesus is a must if you are around Kusadasi amd Selcuk, but visiting Ephesus only is a mainstream.
Written 28 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mtngo_ca
Sunnyvale, CA31 contributions
Nov 2014 • Couples
The overall site is a little disappointing with a few good ruins here and there. It is wheelchair accessible for some parts and has a view of the valley below. Other than a few pillars and a decent sized theater, I wouldn't go out of my way to get here. We took a taxi to Priene, Miletus, and Dydima for 300 Turkish liras, which we bargained down from 350 they originally quoted us. I'd recommend to just skip this and go straight to Miletus and Dydima and probably get a better bargain.
Written 24 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LadyoftheMoon
Seattle, WA132 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
Visited with another couple and this was our favorite ancient site near Selcuk, even over Ephesus. I strongly recommend going, but you will need to do research in advance or have a guide.
Good:
- It's not crowded! This gives it an air of peace and tranquility, and greatly enhanced our impressions of the place
- The layout is such that you can easily tell how it functioned as a city in its time, so it has high educational value
- it is small enough not to be overwhelming
Good to Know:
- Wear good hiking shoes as you will be hiking over broken stones, up hills, etc
- Restrooms are in the parking lot, none in the site
- Bring your own water
- Research it in advance as there is not much interpretation at the site itself. Or bring a competent guide.
Good:
- It's not crowded! This gives it an air of peace and tranquility, and greatly enhanced our impressions of the place
- The layout is such that you can easily tell how it functioned as a city in its time, so it has high educational value
- it is small enough not to be overwhelming
Good to Know:
- Wear good hiking shoes as you will be hiking over broken stones, up hills, etc
- Restrooms are in the parking lot, none in the site
- Bring your own water
- Research it in advance as there is not much interpretation at the site itself. Or bring a competent guide.
Written 9 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Добрый день! Как прощать с Акбук до Этого места?
Written 21 May 2019
Just how strenuous is the climb up to the site of the ruins? I see several reviews that mention this.
Written 2 March 2019
Hello, sorry to bother you. You mention the steep climb to get there. Is it really bad? Only me, my mother and aunt, who both are in their 70's now and a bit dodgy on their feet, were planning a day out to here in July. Would you recommend 2 over 70's woman with arthritis etc to do this trip, they are not disabled as such, both use walking sticks. Any advice, thanks.
Written 7 April 2015
You don't have to climb all the way. You can just go and walk around feel the atmosphere there but in July it can be very hot since the whole place is opened. It's better to go there when it is not that hot like Autumn or Spring but even if you go there in July don't forget to take water and hats to protect from the sun. Maybe you can wear light colored shirts as well.
Written 8 April 2015
Having been to both Ephesus and the tour of Priene, Miletus and Doganbey Village, which would you recommend for first timers to Kudasi?
Written 4 January 2015
This is a tough one to reply to as both tours have their unique features. Ephesus is the big tourist destination due to easy access from ships & Izmir. I think I got more out of Priene & Miletus, due to the different settings. Priene is sensational on the side of the mountain below the impressive summit & overlooking the vast silted plain. The scale of the Temple at Miletus blows your mind plus the effort & skill of the designers & workmen.
Written 5 January 2015
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