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The Carian and Lycian coasts of western Turkey offer not only glorious blue water, but also an extraordinary tapestry of traces of past civilisations, Hittite, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, as well as the still partly mysterious Carian and Lycian kingdoms, each with their own language and art forms . The archaeology of the area constantly confronts the visitor with visions of thriving cultures, now lost and too often apparently settled into a melancholy disuse.

Richard Hunter, the Regius Professor of Greek, will introduce this part of the Mediterranean and in his talk will focus on two themes in particular: Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus) as a city of writing and myth, and Knidos, where Praxiteles' famous' statue of the naked Aphrodite attracted both visitors and a rich body of legend.

Schedule

7.00pm - Welcome from Claire Baxter and Kate Suares, Cambridge and Oxford Alumni Offices and Alice Burns, Temple World

7.10pm - Talk from Professor Richard Hunter

7.40pm - Q&A with Professor Richard Hunter, facilitated by Alice Burns

8.00pm - Finish

This talk is part of the Oxford and Cambridge Universities Alumni Travel Programme and is organised by Temple World who will be arranging the alumni tour to the coast of Caria with Professor Hunter. 

This event will be recorded.