The small gulf of Sığacık on the shore of the peninsula south of İzmir was described by the famous 16th century Turkish navigator and cartographer Piri Reis as ‘an anchorage with water like yufka’, in other words waters as soft and calm as the paper thin pastry, yufka. Ancient seafarers discovered this hospitable shelter from storms 3000 years ago.
Sığacık lies between the headlands of Doğanbey Burnu and Teke Burnu. Its shores have been home to many of the peoples who made their home in Asia Minor, bringing their rich array of cultures, and the inhabitants of this region were aptly described by the ancient Egyptians as ‘the people who live in the heart of the sea’. Today Sığacık is a magnet for windsurfers, sailors and, less predictably, rock climbers attracted by the challenge of towering cliffs on a small island.
To get there from İzmir or Kuşadası head for Seferihisar, and then follow the signs to Teos and Sığacık. The road leads through tangerine orchards until you reach the coast for your first spectacular view of Sığacık, with its calm bay, tiny castle at whose foot are moored colourful fishing boats, and the delicious fragrance of grilling fish filling the air.
It is thought that the 16th century Ottoman castle was constructed on the advice of Piri Reis. The castle originally had two storeys, but only one remains today. If you climb the staircases concealed in the two towers to the top of the walls, you will be rewarded by unforgettable views to every side. Dignified yachts alongside cheerful fishing boats, the picturesque traditional houses of Sığacık inside the citadel walls to the east, and a white tomb on the opposite shore. Local legend has it that sailors seeking refuge one stormy night saw a light on the spot where the tomb now stands, turned the helm towards it, and so found their way to safety in Sığacık Harbour. The ship’s captain asked to be buried there when he died, and his tomb is a memorial to both the captain and the miraculous light.
The road climbing the hill behind the tomb marks the site of the ancient city of Teos, and the distant cliff visible on the east side of the bay is actually an ancient quarry. Archaeological finds in the harbour show that stone quarried here was exported by sea. To the west is the beach of Altınkum (the appropriately named Golden Sands), and dotted on the water windsurfers gliding to and fro absorbed in the delights of their sport and surroundings. To reach the ruins of Teos take the road past the Ministry of Forestry staff holiday camp.
Teos was founded in 1050-1000 BC, one of twelve Ionian cities. In this beautiful part of the Aegean coast the people of Teos built magnificent architectural monuments, such as the Temple of Dionysos which stands at the edge of the road. The temple was built at the beginning of the 2nd century BC by Hermogenes of Priene and is the largest of all temples to Dionysos in Turkey. It was repaired several times during Roman times but fresh earthquakes took their toll. Walking along the paved road of Teos your eye is caught by a column capital here, and a water conduit there.
Five hundred metres to the northwest you discover Hellenistic walls, a theatre, acropolis and gymnasium. Inscriptions found here reveal that the gymnasium had three classes and three teachers, two for sport and one for music. Looking south from the gymnasium you see a tiny jetty with bobbing rowing boats. This is the remains of the ancient breakwater of the South Harbour. Beyond is a tiny island known variously to local people as Çıfıtkale, Çifte Kale or Korsan Adası today, but in the 16th century it was called Cüneyd Kalesi by Piri Reis. Your tourism leaflet is likely to give yet another alternative, the ancient Myonnessos. To reach this island, so generously blessed with names for such a small place, you must return along the road to Seferhisar and head south.
Hekataios of Miletus described Myonnessos as a town in the 6th century BC, and it is thought to have subsequently become a pirate stronghold (recalled in the name Korsan Adası, Pirates Island). The only remains from the archaic period is a 5-6 m piece of wall on the northwest side. The other ruins and cisterns date from Seljuk and Ottoman times. The names Çıfıtkale or Çifte Kale (kale meaning fort or castle in Turkish) refer to the time when the last ruler of the Turkish Aydınoğulları principality Cüneyd Bey made his last stand in his fort here before being defeated by the Ottoman sultan Murad II (1421-1451).
To see the island at closer quarters you do not need to take a boat, but can walk along the 80 metre long ancient submerged pier lying 25-30 cm beneath the surface of the water. This is the way used by mountaineers who come to climb the towering 62 metre high rock cliffs on the south side of the island.
Just as Sığacık Bay is a calm refuge for storm battered sailors, so Çıfıtkale attracts climbers and those wishing to enjoy the delights of clear blue sea and superb scenery. And in Sığacık harbour another surprise awaits visitors, delectable gilthead bream, red sea bream and sargo, accompanied by glasses of ice-cold cloud white rakı, the perfect conclusion to a glorious day.

* Text and Photos Ömer Faruk Üründül / Turkish Airlines Skylife Magazin September 1999

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