Ancient Turkey: A Traveller's History (Paperback)

~ Seton Lloyd (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An elegantly written account of Turkey's history by one of the greatest living authorities on the subject. . . The historically minded visitor would be well advised to pack this beguiling book." -- British Archaeological News

Product Description

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 Huyuk 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 Catal Huyuk to the temples of Ephesus and the churches founded by St. Paul.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (April 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520220420
• ISBN-13: 978-0520220423
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #209,977 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Going to Turkey? Read this first...., December 25, 2000

By	steve estvanik (seattle, wa USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was one of our best preparations for our tour of Turkey ( cascoly.com/tours.htm) It covers an enormous period from prehistoric times to the Christian era, yet manages to set everything in perspective. Lloyd traces 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. Plus, it addresses the history as a traveler will see it. Archaeological landmarks discussed include the discovery of the Alaca Huyuk 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 Catal Huyuk to the temples of Ephesus and the churches founded by St. Paul. In our month long trip we only managed to visit about half the sites that he discusses, although we saw many of them represented in museums. But that just means we'll still be using this book on our next trip. My only wish would be that he could follow with a book covering the last 2000 years of Turkish history

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent combination of history, art and archaeology!, September 7, 2000

By	Robyn (New York) - See all my reviews

I read this book prior to and during a recent trip to Turkey and Greece. Although I have studied this area in art history classes, I was blown away by the breadth and scope of what remains today of ancient civilazxations in this part of the world! This book enabled me to undertand the importance of what is currently still in existence, but what had been there before. Ephesus, following this book, was an a truly incredible experience. This book was exaraordinarily readable as well, not overy text book like. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to know more about Turkey and its very imoprtant place in ancient history as the croos roads of many incredible civilizations.

35 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Study of Ancient History of Turkey, January 5, 2001

By A Customer

Seton Lloyd is known to American public by his commentaries on Public Television documentaries about Turkey. He is a well informed scholar, and trustworthy. Therefore I was offended by the Amsterdam, Holland reviewer who, trying to push his own political agenda, tries to kick dirt on Seton Lloyd. Seton Lloyd writes what is Turkey most famous for: its Greco-Roman, ancient Hittite, and Mesopotanian heritage. Most Americans I know want to go Turkey to see the earliest churches of Christianity, likewise many Europeans enjoy discovering their Christian-Greco-Roman heritage as well. There are a lot of Armenian relics in Turkey, a country with the history of many peoples and cultures. Visitors to those regions know where they are and they go to visit them as well.