3 Best Sights in The Central and Southern Aegean Coast, Turkey

This small museum has one of the best collections of Roman and Greek artifacts found anywhere in Turkey. The well-displayed and labeled holdings date from the Neolithic to Ottoman periods and include fine sculptures, friezes, mosaics, and reliefs. The elaborately carved white statues of Artemis are particularly notable, while the exhibit of jewelry, cosmetics, medical instruments, and housewares from Ephesus's terrace houses gives an intimate glimpse into day-to-day life in the ancient city. See it after the Ephesus site.

Though badly in need of refurbishing, İzmir's showplace for archaeology holds some notable treasures. Look over the railing in the lobby, down at what must have once been a spectacular classical mosaic of lions, peacocks, and other brightly colored creatures, then wander down haunting (but pitiably lit) halls of statuary, which include a front-row Hellenistic theater seat carved with griffins and evocative Roman faces. Upstairs you'll find unusual painted ceramic sarcophagi (and the heartbreaking skeleton of a Byzantine newborn) and a Hellenistic bronze of a running athlete—and there's a neat view of the city. An English-language audio guide is included in the price of admission and is highly recommended.

This small museum makes for an interesting break from the summer heat, with models of famous local boats on the ground floor, and a massive collection of seashells of all shapes, sizes, and colors, arranged in showcases upstairs. Don’t miss the old black-and-white photos of sponge divers and sponges being delivered from Bodrum harbor—it’s what the town was known for in its pre-tourism days.