Assos, Asia Minor (Turkiye)
“…we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land.” Acts 20:13
The acropolis of Assos, with its 530 BC doric temple to Athena, is an impressive and beautiful site. It is visible for miles by land and by sea. Unlike other port cities on the western shores of Asia Minor, the rocky port of Assos did not silt in and remains much like it would have been when Paul passed through here. The Biblical account in Acts 20 doesn’t tell us why Paul opted to walk alone from Alexandria Troas to Assos and meet his companions who were making that leg of the trip by boat. Perhaps Paul was thinking of what he would say to the elders of Ephesus when meeting with them at Miletus and of what lay ahead for him in Jerusalem.
The temple originally had 38 doric columns. Six of them have been restored and are standing today. Much of the 4th century BC city walls are still standing including gate towers. On the slopes of the mountain were built the usual features of Greek cities: agoras, gymnasium, grand homes, theater, stoas with shops. Although Rome eventually ruled here, little was done to alter the Greek city, unlike other important cities of Asia Minor.
The pictures are from our visit in May 2025. We had time to get to the north and south stoa this visit and to catch a glimpse of the baths. The lower tourist entrance was not open, so like our prior visit, a climb through the steep little village was necessary to get to the entrance at the top, and a scramble / jump over the fence required to exit at the bottom!
View of Assos acropolis, slopes, city walls and port
