The International Blue Flag Jury has announced the 2020 Blue Flag awards for Turkey. This year, 486 beaches in Turkey, 22 marinas and 7 individual facilities have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag. In Didim and Akbuk, Blue Flags have been awarded to: Didim Belediyesi Akbük Halk Plajı (Akbuk Beach) The Holiday Resort Hotel, Sahte…
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It was at this time last year that I had first heard, from a Turkish friend who works alongside the archaeologists, the whisper that the ‘small finds’ house, next to the Temple of Apollo precinct, was to have it’s contents moved to the Miletus Museum or the Excavation House in Didyma, Glenn Maffia writes. Upon…
Read More With the surprising revelation from the staff at the Miletus Museum, we have ascertained the continued closure of the Sacred Road is, according to them, squarely at the feet of the Director of Excavations, writes Glenn Maffia. Though, I wasn’t going to accept a singular source, nor one that appeared hesitantly given. It was with…
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This closure of the ancient road to visitors has perplexed me for many years, primarily, because I could see neither rhyme nor reason for it to be so, writes Glenn Maffia I continuously questioned locals, the local Tourist Information Centre and resident archaeologists and historians, all were at best vague, proffering a variety of equally…
Read More My feelings are probably dismissive of the gravity of this pandemic we continue to ease free from, though I certainly have sorely missed my usual visits to the Temple of Apollo. By Glenn Maffia A small window of opportunity offered itself recently and was hungrily devoured. Nothing much has changed upon the archaeological site; the…
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Today we are all living in uncertain times with the arrival of the Covid-19 virus, and there are many people who suffer from respiratory illnesses and may not survive this infection during these dark days. Text: Glenn Maffia. Research: Jay Jean Jackson These viruses blight humankind throughout random periods of history and while the human…
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Last weekend presented a surreal landscape. A diktat from upon ‘high’, hugely criticised for its inopportune timing, was to my amazement scrupulously observed from what I could tell from my topmost balcony, writes Glenn Maffia. I reside overlooking one of the three major thoroughfares which feed traffic into and out of Didim and I was…
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Help-in-Hands has bid a fond farewell to one of its main members. Members convened at Cash’s Terrace Bar to say farewell to Zilpha Griffiths and to wish her all the very best in her retirement. A plaque was presented in honour of her selfless contribution to the local community. When the group first began,…
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All flights to the Britain and Ireland will be banned from 8am tomorrow (Tues Mar 17), Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has just announced. He said that flights will be banned to Britain, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates. Turkey ‘s flight ban imposed announced that the number of countries rises to 20. The…
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Turkey announced it will provide citizens of Ireland and other EU countries and Norway, 90-day visa exemption for tourist travel. “In order to sustain unity in our visa regime towards the members of the European Union and Schengen area, Turkey has decided to exempt visa requirements for the citizens of Croatia, Ireland, Malta, Portugal and…
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