Arriving Greek Mainland: Neapolis

 The seaport Neapolis

Neapolis means the New City in Greek, today the city is called Kavala. The city in Roman times was situated on the ancient route of Via Egnatia; which was a continuation of the Via Appia from Rome, after crossing the Adriatic Sea, stretching all the way to Byzantium (later Constantinople, today Istanbul).

It was 160 km east of Thessaloniki and 14 km south of Philippi. 

The Via Egnatia and the seaport set its significance as a trade hub.

Today it is still a small but interesting city of about 56,000 people. 

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Let's Go to Greece!!

Going over to Greece

Paul and his team confirmed that it was God's leading that they should go west into Macedonia (Greece) to preach the Gospel, therefore they immediately took action.

So putting out to sea from Troas, we sailed a straight course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we were staying in this city for some days.     (Acts 16:11-12)

As mentioned before, Alexandria Troas was a major sealine hub of the region. Merchant vessels were going in all directions.

They embarked on a ship going west, the first stop is at an island called Samothrace.

This is a rather small island, today the population is less than 3,000 islanders. In ancient times, there were settlements, not of any significance, the only attraction was the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, now an archaeological site of important Hellenic and pre-Hellenic religious importance.

The most famous artifact from the temple complex is the 2.5-metre marble statue of Nike (now known as the Winged Victory of Samothrace), which dates from about 190 BC.  It is now located in Room 703 (Daru staircase), Denon wing, Level 1, at the Louvre in Paris. 

source

Source

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Photos #6 Alexandria Troas: coastline

 Alexandria Troas was the best harbor of that region in her golden days. This was the hub of traffic in 3 directions: 

1. to the west: towards Traces, Macedonia and Greece.
2. to the south & east: towards the Roman Province of Asia, along all the coast of Anatolia
3. to the north &east: through the Dardanelles Straits to the Marmara Sea and further east to the Black Sea.
   
   
   

This once famous and busy harbor was choked up with sand and led to the collapse of the city. Many of the stones from the ruins of the buildings were shipped to Constantinople for reuse.

Here are some of our photos along the coast and modern pier of Dalyan.

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Photos #5 Alexandria Troas, the Forum

There are some archaeological excavations done in another area across the road to the east. There are temple, a fountain, and an ancient forum. The excavation is still in the very early stage, perhaps in the future, more impressive finds can be discovered as Troas was the largest metropolitan in the area at its prime time.

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Photos #4: The Journey Between Alexandria Troas and Assos

 From Alexandria Troas to Assos

We were there!!

Finally arrived Troas after driving from Assos. There is no highway connecting between the two places, we have to go on to the smaller country roads.

But we went on ahead to the ship and put out to sea for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For having made arrangements in this way, he himself was intending to travel by land. (Acts 20:13)

Paul, during the return leg of the Third Missionary Journey, after arriving from Macedonia to Troas and meeting with the local disciples,  preferred to travel by land, to Assos; whereas the rest of the team went by ship. 

It would take him a good 12 hours walking, assuming that he walked by foot, It should be an easy walk, no steep hills.  The scenery is just what we show you in the photos, it is the same, though we were driving from Assos to Troas.

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Photos: Herodes Atticus Bath at Alexandria Troas #3

 The Herodes Atticus Bath

The bath complex (approximately 84m by 123m in size) was built in 135 CE by Herodes Atticus who was a close friend of Emperor Hadrian. In 125 CE, Hadrian appointed him prefect of the free cities in the Roman province of Asia. Atticus also built many famous structures, among them were the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens and the Nymphaeum in Olympia.

This Bath cost some 3 million drachma. It was the largest of the period of the Roman Empire structures. For a long period until the 17th century, travelers mistook and visited it as the ancient city of Troy.

According to the head of the excavation team and Ankara University Archaeology Department member Associate Professor Erhan Öztepe, this significant structure in the ancient city largely collapsed to the present state in an earthquake in the winter of 1809-1810.

Water is delivered to the structure through aqueducts northeast of the bath. The bath should have a gymnasium next to it according to Roman customs.

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Pamphlet of Alexandria Troas

Visitor's  Pamphlet

Map of the ancient city, showing the archaeological finds.

source  ( ⬅click here to download)

There is a pamphlet of Alexandria Troas written by the Turkiye Ministry of Tourism in these last few years.

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