Ancient Turkey: A Traveller's History

by Seton Lloyd

Seton Lloyd's lively account of Turkey's early history is for the ever-increasing number of people visiting the ancient sites of this fabled land. Written by an archaeologist who has spent much of his life in the Near East, the book is not a conventional "guide" to the antiquities of Anatolia, nor is it a textbook. It is instead Lloyd's attempt to share his profound interest in an antique land, its inhabitants, and the surviving monuments that link the present to the past.

Lloyd traces the many different cultures that have been a part of Turkey from prehistoric times to the Christian era. He recounts the exploits of the Hittite kings, the confrontation of Croesus and the Persian king Cyrus, the conquests of Alexander the Great, and Mithridates' epic resistance against Rome. Archaeological landmarks discussed include the discovery of the Alaca Hüyük tombs, the attempts to establish the location of Troy, and the opening of the Tomb of Midas. Lloyd shows how each successive culture has left its mark on an astonishing variety of sites, from the shrines of Çatal Hüyük to the temples of Ephesus and the churches founded by St. Paul.

Genres: History, Travel, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 1989

Reviews

[Viv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book as I am preparing for my first trip to Turkey, pursuing my interest in Hittitology and witness the remains of this great civilization that had once dominated Asia Minor. The book provided about 3 chapters worth of infomation about Hittite civilization in Turkey, which is quite short. Yet, I think this has to do with the fact that much about this civilization are still yet to be discovered and interpreted. The author did include a good amount of information about the Middle period from Suppiuliumas to Mursilis II, which is what I am particularly interesed in. All in all, I got enough information that will make my frist trip to Turkey a fun journey. I can't wait to see those sites mentioned in the book.

[Semih · Rating 4 out of 5]

Türkiye üzerine kitaplar yazmış ve de senelerini Türkiye'de geçirmiş bir arkeolog olarak bilgisi her ne kadar derya olsa da Seton Lloyd bazı eleştirilere göre ideolojik anlatılarda ve taraflı bakış açılarında bulunmuştur yazdıklarında. Ben kendi okumamda bunu hissetmedim ancak diğer eserlerini okurken daha eleştirel gözle bakacağımı belirtmeliyim.

Kitaba gelirsem, Truva bölümüne kadar çokça coğrafya ve arkeolojik anlatı edebi bir dille aktarılırken sonrasında gelen 7-8 bölüm romalılara kadar karışık bir tarih anlatısı içermekte. Takip etmesi zor olan bu kısımlarda bir görsel, çizelge ya da harita olmadığı için zaman zaman kaybolduğumu, ardı ardına sıralanan yabancı isimleri ancak bir yabancı dili iyi bilmeyen bir yabancı gibi, ara ara kelimeleri seçerek takip ettiğimi belirtmeliyim. Yeniden coğrafya ve arkeoloji anlatısına dönen kısımlarda tasvir biçimi, edebi kabiliyeti ne denli nazara alınsa da tarihte geçen olayların gerçekleştiği bölgeler arasındaki geçişlerin çok hızlı gerçekleşmesi takibi gerçekten zorlaştırıyor. Bilinçakışı arkeoloji deneyimi yaşatıyor.. Bir cümlede Pontus Rum Krallığı, sonra Likya arkasındaki cümlede Kappadokia... Bağları kurmak ancak ön okumalar yapmış birisi için kolay olabilir. Buna rağmen konu üzerine okunacak ilk değil fakat iki ya da üçüncü kitap olarak listeye alınmalı. Tübitak'ın zamanında yaptığı güzel çevirilerden.

Yazarın bir sonraki okumak istediğim kitabı "ANCIENT TURKEY A TRAVELLER'S HISTORY".

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

This relatively brief book tracks the history of Turkey from Neolithic times through Paul's journeys in early AD, complete with descriptions and photographs of some of the most interesting locations. It was my first contact with this subject, and so particularly interesting. It's somewhat embarrassing to have reached this age, think of myself as reasonably educated, and yet still find a general knowledge subject about which I know so little. Oh, well. Anyway, this is a good primer, although a little dry in the early going. It picks up speed when it reaches the time of Alexander and beyond. Turkey is indeed a fascinating place.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very academic in tone (read: dry and detailed), and much more narrowly focused than I expected. I imagine that if you're already versed in the history of pre-Islamic Anatolia, this would be a very interesting deep dive. If you're looking to get just a basic grasp of the broad strokes of ancient Turkey, though, I'm not sure this is the book to start with.

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this history of Turkey. It put into context some barely remembered ancient history with the sights from my recent trip. The tour guide recommended this book, but then he had a PhD in Economics!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the sort of book I can read straight through, but great for my trip. I read sections pertaining to the places I will visit. Can't believe how much history there is in Turkey.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

good traveling companion if you are going to the region