"Hey! What happened? Do you need some help?" were the words I heard someone behind me saying. As I was heading to the ancient city of Pessinus, located 16 kilometers (10 miles) south of downtown Sivrihisar in northwestern Eskişehir province, I got a flat tire and pulled over to replace it with the spare wheel.

Mehmet, a shepherd with his flock, saw that I had a problem and approached me to ask if I needed anything. I told him I was nearly done fixing the tire. But since he was a friendly local who seemed like the type with whom one can easily chat, I decided to make use of the moment to get some insight into the area. He must have gotten bored herding his flock alone, so he was very talkative. As today’s article suggests as well, locals are the real gems in Turkey. They are the most authentic guides you could ask for.

"Abi (an informal way of addressing a slightly older male in Turkish), I have been working in husbandry for years, and no one knows these areas better than me. There is so much history here in Ballıhisar (the village where the ruins of Pessinus are found)," Mehmet told me.

"However, recently in the remote suburbs, I have run into many illegal excavation sites dug by treasure hunters. The other day, in the middle of nowhere, I found the broken lid of a sarcophagus with lion carvings on it. Of course, for these people, it’s easy to come here at night and try their chances because there is no one around," he explained.

Getting to Pessinus

After we bid farewell and parted ways, I drove about 10 minutes and reached the ruins of the ancient city. Although there is no security in the ancient site of Pessinus, the overall tourism organization of this small Anatolian village is very impressive. At every ancient spot, you can find signboards providing detailed information both in Turkish and English.

The roads are in perfect condition until Ballıhisar. However, the dirt roads in the village might be a little challenging for standard vehicles. Please note that visiting Pessinus is free of charge.

Although the site seemed to be open 24/7, I would still suggest you come here between the regular working hours, which are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A quick overview

In the Phrygian era, Pessinus was an important cult center for the goddess Cybele (Kybele). The settlement lived its golden age during the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus I (27 B.C.-A.D. 14). Pessinus started to decline in the A.D. ninth century and subsequently was completely deserted.

Exploring Pessinus

The signboards to Pessinus are abundant on the way, so you do not need any online map service to reach the site if you are coming from Sivrihisar. Though if you are planning to get to Pessinus from a different spot, I suggest you use a GPS. The location of Pessinus is marked accurately on Google Maps. As long as you follow the GPS, you will be fine. The other option is to drive all the way to Ballıhisar and ask a local for directions.