Divers flock to Turkish Med to see ancient amphorae

By Huseyin Yildiz

ANTALYA, Turkey (AA) - Divers are flocking to the Turkish Mediterranean to feast their eyes on historic amphorae jars buried for thousands of years by age-old shipwrecks.

Neptune Bay located in the town of Kas in Antalya, one of Turkey’s most important diving centers, is home to hundreds of millennia-old amphorae, the mainstay storage and shipping jars of the ancient world.

The delicate amphorae dot the sea floor of the blue waters of Kas, known for its rich undersea plant and animal life.

The amphorae fell into the sea during long-forgotten merchant ship accidents millennia ago, the cargo lost, perhaps even a crew of sailors struggling against a storm.

“Most visitors to Kas want to go diving in the shipwrecks,” said Mutullah Yardimci, a diver and archeologist.

“Kas is a good place for shipwreck diving.”

“The amphorae at the Neptune diving points are about 2,000 years old and carry the traces of various civilizations,” such as the Greeks and Romans, he explained.

People from all over the world come to Turkey to enjoy some of the world's best free-diving centers and unique underwater activities.

Turkey became a leading nation of sea tourism after it established state-of-the-art scuba diving centers and hundreds of diving facilities in recent years.

The country boasts more than 250 diving centers, offering water sports to both tourists and locals. The Mediterranean Sea region alone has more than 80.

The hottest diving spots include Kas, Kemer, Canakkale, Fethiye, Ayvalik, Antalya, Mersin, and Bodrum.

Kas is a very popular destination for underwater sports fans.

The Kas underwater activities center, co-founded by the World Confederation of Underwater Activities (CMAS) and Turkish Underwater Sports Federation (TSSF), is considered one of the world’s best.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz