All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it.
Notes:
Page revised in January 2017.
Rome in the Footsteps of an XVIIIth Century Traveller
It all started when I spent a summer holiday on Corfu and then year after year I moved eastwards to mainland Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Israel, Jordan and Egypt. The first pages were developed in 1997 with a section on the Venetian Fortresses in Greece to which many others have been added.
Late XVth century "portolano" showing the main ports of the Levant
Below is a directory of the sections which can be grouped under the "Travels in the Levant" heading. A more detailed directory is provided at the end of this page.
| Section | Contents | Section |
 | < Venetian fortresses and other monuments in some fifty locations in mainland Greece and on the islands. > The Byzantine walls of Constantinople and the dramatic events they saw. |  |
 | < Antioch and its extraordinary Roman mosaics. > A journey on the coast of southern Turkey to discover ancient towns and medieval castles. |  |
 | < Gothic cathedrals and Venetian fortresses on XVIth century Cyprus. > The town founded by Augustus to celebrate his victory over Antony and Cleopatra. |  |
 | < The Roman monuments of Athens and the enlargement of the city by Emperor Hadrian. > Genoese trading bases and fortresses near Constantinople and in the Black Sea. |  |
 | < Trebizond and its Byzantine monuments including an evocative monastery in the mountains. > Ankara, the capital of Turkey, has an ancient Roman heart. |  |
 | < Nicaea was an important city for centuries and it retains very interesting walls. > In the XIXth century Alexandria was the most European city of Africa. |  |
 | < Visit the Christian heart of Cairo and the Coptic Pope's residence. > Chios, a Greek island, was owned by a partnership of Genoese merchants. |  |
 | < Ancient Pergamum was a strong ally of Rome in Asia and it was rewarded with large buildings and a famous hospital. > Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia and one of the largest cities of the Empire. |  |
 | < Cresus, King of Sardis, was the richest man of his time. > Most ancient capitals, reliefs and statues were made at Afrodisias, a shrine in southern Turkey. |  |
 | < Visit the fortresses the Sultans built to conquer and eventually protect Constantinople. > Join the peasants of a small Turkish village who work among ancient temples, bridges and marketplaces. |  |
 | < Olive oil was and is a precious commodity and Mytilini, a Greek island, was renowned for it. > Aka Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) for its white rocks, but Hierapolis was a holy city and a spa resort. |  |
 | < Emperor Antoninus Pius rebuilt the town after an earthquake and dedicated the forum to his wife. > Kos, the Greek island where Hippocrates was born, had one of the best known hospitals of the Ancient World. |  |
 | < The Knights of St. John built a small state on some of the most beautiful Greek islands. > Dodoni, in the mountains of Greece, was famous for its very ancient oracle. |  |
 | < Ioannina is a pretty Greek town which became important as the capital of a state ruled by cruel Ali Pacha of Tepeleni. > All the great leaders of the Ancient World came to Delphi to consult its oracle. |  |
 | < Bursa was the first capital of the Ottomans and it retains many interesting monuments. > Several ancient towns in Turkey, including Miletus, between the Aegean and the Mediteranean Seas. |  |
 | < At Adrianopolis, today's Edirne, the Roman Empire began to collapse. > Follow a section of the Silk Road across continental Turkey and see its imposing Seljuk buildings. |  |
 | < The main rivers of northern Turkey are named after colours. Their valleys house pretty provincial towns and Hittite memories. > A historical compendium of the monuments of Constantinople. |  |
 | < A journey across Turkey and Syria in a region which was one of the cradles of civilizations. > Eleusi, a shrine near Athens, was the site of very secret initiation rites. |  |
 | < After destroying it, the Romans made Corinth one of the richest towns of the Empire. > Apamea in Syria had one of the longest colonnaded streets of the Ancient World. |  |
 | < A forgotten Roman temple built above a mysterious Phoenician shrine in Syria. > Do the wheels of Hama in Syria chant or do they rather cry? |  |
 | < A bare tableland in Syria houses many Byzantine abandoned towns. > Small castles and large fortresses in Turkey, Syria, Cyprus and Israel did not prevent the collapse of the Crusader States. |  |
 | < The monasteries perched on the rocks of Meteora in Greece are not just a tourist attraction. > Mount Olympus in northern Greece was the seat of the Gods and it housed a famous shrine. |  |
 | < A journey in northern Greece along Via Egnatia, the road which (with Via Appia) linked Rome to Constantinople. > The splendours of this historical city in February 2011. |  |
 | < A Muslim palace in a remote area of the Syrian desert. > Small towns in Syria which house Christian communities and monuments. |  |
 | < Bosra in southern Syria was a very prosperous Roman town. > Syrian Palmyra was so rich that its queen challenged the power of Rome. |  |
 | < Delos was a floating island before the birth of Apollo and Diana. It then became the site of a famous oracle. > Olympia and its fascinating monuments. |  |
 | < A journey in Greek Argolis where Hercules performed his first labours. > Epidaurus, its theatre and its shrine. |  |
 | < Byron signed a stone of the ancient temple at Cape Sounion in Greece. > Crete was home to one of the earliest maritime powers. |  |
 | < Ancient towns on Cyprus in spectacular locations. > Follow Mark Twain and William Turner in their journey to the Holy Land. |  |
 | < Ancient towns, fortresses, necropolises and synagogues in Israel. > In 1812 a Swiss explorer in Arab attire was the first European to visit Petra and other ancient sites in Jordan. |  |
 | < Troy, the mythical town of Homer's poems. > Perched on a high rock, Assos has spectatular views over the Aegean Sea |  |
 | < The Anatolian tableland, despite its chilly winters, houses some interesting towns and beautiful landscapes. >Manisa was embellished with fine monuments by the Sultans who spent their youth there. |  |
| Country | Town | Contents | Notes |
| Albania | Butrinto (Butrint) | Main monuments | - |
| Cyprus | Amathous | Main monuments | - |
| Cyprus | Bellapais | The Abbey | - |
| Cyprus | Cirenes (Kyrenia/Girne) | The fortress | - |
| Cyprus | Famagusta | The walls The churches | With regional map. - |
| Cyprus | Kourion | Main monuments | - |
| Cyprus | Kolossi | Main monuments | - |
| Cyprus | Larnaca | Main monuments | - |
| Cyprus | Limassol | Main monuments | - |
| Cyprus | Nicosia (Lefkosa) | Main monuments | - |
| Cyprus | Paphos | Main monuments | - |
| Cyprus | Salamis | Main monuments | - |
| Egypt | Alexandria | Some monuments | - |
| Egypt | Cairo | The Walls of Babilonia | - |
| GREECE | Map of the Aegean and Ionian Seas | It shows the location of the following towns | - |
| Greece | Alonissos | General view | - |
| Greece | Andimahia | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Andro (Andros) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Antiparis (Andiparos) | The fortified village | - |
| Greece | Argo (Argos) | The fortress Ancient Argos | - |
| Greece | Arhangelos | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Arta | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Asso | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Athens | Some monuments Monuments built during the Roman rule | - |
| Greece | Azio (Aktion) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Calamata (Kalamata) | Some monuments | - |
| Greece | Calimno (Kalymnos) | The fortresses | - |
| Greece | Candia (Iraklion) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Castel di Morea (Rio) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Castel di Rumelia (Antirio) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Castelfranco (Frangokastelo) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Castelrosso (Karistos) | The fortresses | - |
| Greece | Castelrosso (Kastelorizo) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Castel Selino (Paleochora) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Castel Tornese (Hlemoutsi) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Cefalonia (Kephallonia) | The old fortress | - |
| Greece | Cerigo (Kythira) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Corfu | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Chielefā | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Corinth | Acrocorinth Roman Corinth | - |
| Greece | Corone (Koroni) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Crete | Introductory page | With regional map. |
| Greece | Delos | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Greece | Delphi | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Greece | Dion | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Greece | Dodoni (Dodona) | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Greece | Egina (Aegina) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Eleusis | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Greece | Epidaurus | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Greece | Folegandros | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Githio | The tower | - |
| Greece | Gortyn | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Grambusa | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Ierapetra | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Ioanina | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Itaca (Ithaki) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Kalambaka (Meteora) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Kasteli | The walls | - |
| Greece | Kastoria | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Kavala | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Kimi | A view | - |
| Greece | Knossos | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Kos | The Asclepeion The Fortress Ancient Kos | Oracle/Shrine - - |
| Greece | Kremasti | Tower | - |
| Greece | Kritsa | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | La Canea (Xania) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Lemno (Limnos) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Lepanto (Nafpaktos) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Lero (Leros) | The fortresses | - |
| Greece | Lindos | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Malvasia (Monemvassia) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Metelino (Mytilini) | The fortress | With regional map. |
| Greece | Metimno (Molyvos) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Milo (Milos) | Some monuments | - |
| Greece | Micono (Mykonos) | Some monuments | - |
| Greece | Mistrā (Mistras) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Modon (Methoni) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Moni Arkadi | The monastery | - |
| Greece | Mycenae | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Napoli di Romania (Nafplion) | The fortresses | - |
| Greece | Nasso (Naxos) | Some monuments | - |
| Greece | Navarino (Pilos) | The fortresses | - |
| Greece | Negroponte (Chalki) | Some monuments | - |
| Greece | Nikopolis | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Nissiros | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Olympia | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Oreo | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Paleocastro | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Parga | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Paris (Paros) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Passavā | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Patmo (Patmos) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Patrasso (Patra) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Paxo (Paxi) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Phaistos | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Philippi | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Platamonas | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Preveza | The fortresses | - |
| Greece | Rettimo (Rethimno) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Rhodes (Rodos) | Main monuments | With regional map. |
| Greece | Samothrace | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Santa Maura (Lefkada) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Santorino (Thira) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Schiatto (Skiathos) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Schiro (Skyros) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Scio (Chios) | Main monuments | With regional map. |
| Greece | Scopello (Skopelos) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Sfakia | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Siro (Syros) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Sittia | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Sounion | Main monuments | Oracle/shrine |
| Greece | Spezzia (Spetse) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Spinalonga | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Stampalia (Astipalea) | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Symi | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Thassos | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Thessalonica (Thessaloniki) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Tino (Tinos) | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Tiryns | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Veria | Main monuments | - |
| Greece | Vonizza | The fortress | - |
| Greece | Zante (Zakynthos) | Main monuments | - |
| ISRAEL | Israel | Introductory page | With regional map. |
| Israel | Acre (Akko) | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Belvoir (Kokhav Hayarden) | The fortress | - |
| Israel | Bet Alpha | Synagogue | - |
| Israel | Bet She'arim | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Caesarea Maritima | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Caesarea Philippi (Banias) | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Capernaum | Holy Sites Synagogue | - |
| Israel | Diocaesarea (Zippori) | Main monuments Synagogue | - |
| Israel | Ein Gedi | Synagogue | - |
| Israel | Herodion | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Jaffa | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Jerusalem | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Kaifah (Haifa) | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Korazim | Synagogue | - |
| Israel | Mamfis (Mamshit) | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Masada | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Megiddo | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Mount Tabor | Catholic church | - |
| Israel | Nazareth | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Nimrod | The fortress | - |
| Israel | Oboda (Avdat) | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Rosh Haniqra | The rocks | - |
| Israel | Scythopolis (Bet She'an) | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Tel Aviv | Main monuments | - |
| Israel | Tiberias | Main monuments Synagogue | - |
| JORDAN | Jordan | Introductory page | With regional map. |
| Jordan | Ahl al-Kahf | Cave of the Seven Sleepers | - |
| Jordan | Ajlun | The castle | - |
| Jordan | al-Mazar | Mausoleum | - |
| Jordan | Amman (Philadelphia) | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | Aqaba | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | ar-Rabbah | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | Dana Valley | Views | - |
| Jordan | Dead Sea | Some views | - |
| Jordan | Iraq al-Amir | Palace of the Slave | - |
| Jordan | Jerash (Gerasa) | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | Kerak | The castle | - |
| Jordan | Khirbet et-Tannur | Views | - |
| Jordan | Madaba | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | Mount Nebo | Some mosaics | - |
| Jordan | Pella | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | Petra | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | Qasr al-Azraq | The castle | - |
| Jordan | Qasr al-Hallabat | The castle | - |
| Jordan | Qasr al-Hamra | The palace | - |
| Jordan | Qasr al-Kharanah | The castle | - |
| Jordan | Qasr al-Mushatta | The palace | - |
| Jordan | Showbak | The castle | - |
| Jordan | Umm al-Jimal | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | Umm Qays (Gadara) | Main monuments | - |
| Jordan | Wadi al-Mawjib | Views | - |
| SYRIA | MAP OF SYRIA | It shows the location of the following towns | - |
| Syria | Ain Dara | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Aleppo | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Apamea | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Arwad | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Baetocece (Hosn Suleiman) | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Bosra | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Brad | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Cyrrhus | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Damascus | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Ezra | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Hama | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Krak des Chevaliers | The Castle | - |
| Syria | Maaloula | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Marqab | The Castle | - |
| Syria | Palmyra | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Philippopolis | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Qalb Lozeh | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Qanawat | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Qara | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Safita | The Castle | - |
| Syria | Saone | The Castle | - |
| Syria | Sergilla | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Shaqqa | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | St. Simeon | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Tartous | Main monuments | - |
| Syria | Zabadani | Rock cut tomb | - |
| TURKEY | MAP OF TURKEY | It shows the location of the following towns | - |
| Turkey | Adana | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Adrianopolis (Edirne) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Afrodisias | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Turkey | Afyonkarahisar | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Aizani (Cavdarhisar) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Alanya | The castle | With regional map. |
| Turkey | Alexandretta | Some monuments | - |
| Turkey | Amastri (Amasra) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Amasya | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Andriake | Hadrian's granary | - |
| Turkey | Anemurium | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Ankara | Roman monuments | - |
| Turkey | Anadolu Hisar | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Anadolu Kavagi | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Antalya | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Antioch (Hatay) | Some monuments Roman mosaics | With regional map - |
| Turkey | Antiphellos (Kas) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Aspendos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Assos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Bakras Kalesi | The castle | - |
| Turkey | Birecik | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Bodrum | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Bor | Some monuments | - |
| Turkey | Bursa | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Candarli | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Cape Anamur | Mamure Kalesi | - |
| Turkey | Central Region | Introductory page | With regional map. |
| Turkey | Cavusin (Cappadocia) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Cismes (Cesme) | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Cunda (Alibey) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Didyma | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Turkey | Divrigi | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Diyarbakir | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Edirne | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Egirdir | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Elaiussa | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Ephesus (Seljuc) | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Turkey | Eski Gumus | Rock-cut town | - |
| Turkey | Euromos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Fochies (Eski Foca) | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Gaziantep | Main monuments/Roman mosaics | - |
| Turkey | Giresun | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Goreme (Cappadocia) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Harbiye (Daphne) | Some monuments | - |
| Turkey | Harput | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Harran | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Hattusa | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Hierapolis (Pamukkale) | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Turkey | Iasos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Ihlara (Cappadocia) | Some monuments | - |
| Turkey | Imbro (Gokceada) | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Isparta | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Istanbul | The walls Basic Istanbul Galata | - With Istanbul map With Black Sea map. |
| Turkey | Ivriz | Hittite relief | - |
| Turkey | Kahramanmaras | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Kale Sultanieh (Canakkale) | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Karaman | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Karatepe | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Kastamonu | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Kaunos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Kayseri | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Kemerhisar | Roman aqueduct | - |
| Turkey | Kilis | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Kilitbahir (Eceabat) | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Kilyos | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Kizkalesi | The castles | - |
| Turkey | Konya | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Kutahya | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Laiazzo (Yumurtalik) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Lampron (Camlilaya) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Letoon | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Turkey | Malabadi Koprusu | Old Bridge | - |
| Turkey | Manisa (Magnesia) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Mardin | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Marmara Sea and Straits | Introductory page | With Marmara Sea Map |
| Turkey | Milas | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Miletus | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Mut (Alahan Monastery) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Myra (Demre) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Nemrut Dag | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Nicaea (Iznic) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Nigde | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Niksar | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Olba (Uzuncaburį) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Patara | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Payas | Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Caravanserai | - |
| Turkey | Pergamum (Bergama) | Main monuments | Oracle/Shrine |
| Turkey | Perge | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Phaselis | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Priene | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Rumeli Feneri | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Rumeli Hisar | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Safranbolu | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Sagalassos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Sanliurfa | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Sardis (Sart) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Seddulbahir | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Seleucia Pieria | Some monuments | - |
| Turkey | Side | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Silifke | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Silvan | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Simena | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Sinope (Sinop) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Sis (Kozan) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Sivas | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Smyrna (Izmir) | Roman monuments | - |
| Turkey | South-eastern Region | Introductory page | With regional map. |
| Turkey | South-western Region | Introductory page | With regional map. |
| Turkey | Sumela | The monastery | - |
| Turkey | Tarsus | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Taskopru | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Telmessos (Fethiye) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Tenedo (Bozcaada) | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Termessos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Tirebolu | The fortresses | - |
| Turkey | Tlos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Tokat | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Trebizond (Trabzon) | Main monuments | With regional map. |
| Turkey | Troy (Truva) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Turhal | Turhal | - |
| Turkey | Uchisar (Cappadocia) | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Unye | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Xanthos | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Yasilikaya | Main monuments | - |
| Turkey | Yilanli Kale | The fortress | - |
| Turkey | Zile | Zile | - |
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