Turkey/Greece Trip May 26, 2025 - Assos and Alexandria Troas
“But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, of so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land” Acts 20:12
Paul traveled seemingly alone by land from Alexandria Troas to Assos at the end of his 3rd missionary journey. Perhaps he knew what awaited him in Jerusalem this time.
The remains at Assos are largely Greek remains, which makes it a unique site. Although Rome gained control of it when Attalis III gave his kingdom to Rome, Rome didn’t alter the city significantly. The majority of the city walls are 4th c BC. The doric style temple to Athena at the top of the acropolis dates to 530 BC. Assos was known for production of sarcophagi in their native stone andesite. Great portions of the city wall towers are still visible. After visiting the acropolis, a path winds around the back of the mountain leading to terraced stoas (north stoa and south stoa) which were both multi - story structures. There is a gymnasium, Odeon, theater, guest houses near the western gate complex. Follow the road out the gate complex and it passes through the necropolis with many intact sarcophagi. This road joins the Via Tauri which Paul took between Alexandria Troas and Assos. We drove out into the country side to visit a visible section of the road. It’s a goosebump moment to walk that road, with Assos visible in the distance, and to know that Paul walked on those very stones.
Our next stop was Alexandria Troas. This was an important port at the start of the Hellespont (the Dardanelles). Having control of this area gave control of the sea passage from the Aegean to the Marmara Sea and on to the Black Sea. Excavations here are on going. There is a large bath and nymphaeum complex at the east entrance that are not excavated. Drive a little further down the road and a central agora has been extensively unearthed with a temple at the center of the forum or agora. Buildings all around, with opus reticulatum walls, are taking shape, as are arched support structures of lower levels of the city. The city stretches from the harbor up a hill back to the city. The harbor has abundant evidence of piers / stoas / sea walls from ancient times. All around an inner area of water one can see that this inner port was heavily used. It was in Alexandria Troas that Paul had the vision of a man from Macedonia urging Paul to come to Macedonia (now Greece, and his first time on what we now consider European soil) and preach the word.
Acropolis at Assos
