I Like My Ruins Slightly Less Ruined. Thanks.

A travel treasure isn't something you can pull up to in a tour bus, snap a photo of and leave. You need to work to find it. My travel treasure, the ancient city of Termessos, is hidden 1000 meters high on the top of Mount Güllük in Turkey. You will need comfortable shoes, body fuel and a whole day to uncover all of its magnificence. Termessos isn't as large as the other well-known ancient cities of like Bergama and Ephesus, but it is the best preserved ancient city in Turkey. No reconstruction was done to make it post-card perfect like its popular rivals. The ruins of this city, these massive pieces of history, lay as they have fallen over time. So watch your step. It is messy but it is beautiful. Termessos is not an ideal places for tourists. That's where the real appeal lies.There are no souvenir shops, restaurants or cafes here and the path is overgrown. You will stumble at some point on your way up and might even get lost and spot a deer if you're lucky. You will take a lot of selfies because there likely won't be another soul there to swap cameras with you. You will be in awe of the rock tombs and great temples and will tell yourself to read about them online later tonight because there aren't any information boards here. You will finally make it to the top and wonder how this incredible place was built and if the inhabitants ever made the 30 km trek back down for a dip in the sea. Take a moment to be blown away by the impressive theatre that once sat over 4000 people at a time. It's huge! Test out the accoustics. It's ok. I don't know all the words either. Now look beyond the theatre. To the right you will see the modern city of Antalya in the distance. You will be rewarding your efforts with a beer and live music there later tonight. Oh, and seriously look up the history of Termessos. It's fascinating, but just one of those things you forget shortly after reading so I couldn't tell you if I wanted to and you wouldn't remember if I did.