MEDITERRANEAN REGION XANTHOS LETOON PATARA KALKAN KAŞ KEKOVA MYRA FİNİKE ARIKANDA OLYMPOS PHASELIS KEMER ANTALYA BEYDAĞLARI TERMESSUSBURDUR SAGALASSUS ISPARTA EĞİRDİR YALVAÇ BEYŞEHİR PERGE ASPENDUS SİDE MANAVGAT ALANYA ANAMUR SİLİFKE KIZKALESİ NARLIKUYU MERSIN TARSUS ADANA KARATEPE TOPRAKKALE İSKENDERUN ANTAKYA KAHRAMANMARAŞ Western Mediterranean Region Click to enlarge Eastern Mediterranean Region Click to enlarge XANTHOS The ancient Lycian city is located near the village of Kınık on a hillside in a gorgious natural site overlooking the Eşen river. Xanthos long remained independent until it was taken by the Persians: according to Herodotus, the warriors of Xanthos showed an extreme bravery killing their wives, children and slaves entrenched in the burning citadel. They themselves fought to death . Only a few families that were away, survived. The city was completly burnt down between 475 and 450 BC. During excavations this was confirmed by a thick layer of ash covering the site. Rebuilt and repopulated, Xanthos, along with Pınara, Patara and other cities, surrendered to Alexander the Great. The city, which came to the hands of Antigonus, was claimed by Ptolemy I who took it from him by force in 309 BC. In 197 BC, Antiochus III , who wanted to take Lycia from the Ptolemies, made an agreement with the Xanthians, declaring the city free and dedicating it to Leto, Apollo and Artemis. After Antiochus’ defeat at Magnesia of Sypile, and because of their support to her, Rome gave Xanthos to the Rhodians. Complaining that they were treated like slaves, the Xanthians revolted many times so that Rome finally put an end to the Rhodien domination in 167 BC. During the Roman civil wars of the 1st century BC, the Lycians sided with Caesar against Pompeius. But Caesar was assassinated in Rome by Brutus and Cassius who came to Asia Minor to collect money and recruit soldiers. As the Lycians were reluctant to make any contributions, Brutus attacked Xanthos where the Lycian League’ s soldiers were gathered. He demolished the Acropolis and slaughtered the inhabitants. For the second time in their history, in the year 42 BC, the Xanthians underwent mass suicide for their freedom. Marc Antony, hoping to heal the scars left by Brutus, rebuilt their city. In Byzantines times, the city walls were renovated and a monastery was added. The city was deserted, ruined by Arab raids in the 8th century. Xanthos was discovered in 1838 by Sir Charles Fellows who had all the reliefs and finds of any significance transported to London, on a warship that anchored in Patara. The Hellenistic walls and gates of the city, the Lycian buildings and monuments, the necropolis with typical Lycian tombs and sarcophagi, the funerary pillars, the Roman theatre, the agora, the Byzantine church with mosaics, the Byzantine monastery,....are among the main vestiges of the archaeological site. The Monument of the Harpies: this sarcophagus, which dates back to 480 - 470 BC, consists of a huge piece of hewn rock 8.87 m / 29 ft high and a small burial chamber decorated on all four sides by reliefs, and closed by a stone lid. The monument’s reliefs seen today are plaster copies. The originals, as well as sculpted sarcophagi and the Nereids Monument (a temple with 12 Nereid statues between the columns) were taken by Charles Fellows to the British Museum in 1842. Details of a funerary pilar: Harpies and Sphinxes (around 480 BC) Dating to 425 – 400 BC, the inscriptions on the stone block are the longest known in Lycian language Mosaic floor of the Byzantine church LETÔON Located 4 km / 2,5miles away from Xanthos, Letôon was the religious center of the Lycian League where three temples, placed side by side, were erected. The first of these, constructed at the end of the 5 C BC in Ionic order, was dedicated to Leto, the mother of the twins Apollo and Artemis. The second temple was dedicated to Artemis whose cult is considered a continuation of the Cybele cult under a new name (her mother Leto merged with Anatolian mother-goddess Cybele). The third temple, constructed in Doric order, was dedicated to Apollo. To the south and west of the main temple is a large nympheaum connected to the sacred spring. A rectangular building, dating from the time of Hadrian (117 – 130 AD), is bordered by a large semicircular paved pool flanked on the north by two semicircular exedrae. Most of it is now permanently flooded. Part of the nympheaum was later overlaid by a church. There is also a stoa and a Hellenistic theatre. Fragments of architecture from the temples and the nympheaum, as well as a trilingual stele bearing inscriptions in Greek, Lycian and Aramaic are displayed in the Fethiye museum. This inscription dates back to 358 BC and refers to a decree made by Pixodares, the satrap of Caria and Lycia. This site illustrates the union of Lycian traditions and Hellenic influence, especially in the representation of funarary art. The epigraphic inscriptions are crucial in the understanding of the Indo-European language and the history of the Lycian people. Both Xanthos and Letôon have been declared by UNESCO to be one of the Eminent Heritage of the World. PATARA Patara is one of the oldest and most important ancient cities of Lycia, as it was already known by the Hittites as Patar. Patara was the birthplace of Apollo : her mother Leto, fleeing from the island of Delos and Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus, the father of the twins Artemis and Apollo, said that in fact she would have given birth in Patara. The city was famous for the Oracle of Apollo only kept open in winter (in summer the oracle was held in Delos). Patara was the main Lycian port (today a swamp) and it was saved from destruction by opening its gates to Alexander the Great . During the Hellenistic period, it was a naval base used in turn by Antigonus in 315 BC, the Ptolemies (under their rule and for a short while Patara was renamed Arsinoe after Ptolemaios II’s wife), and Antiochus III in 190 BC. The saying “Caput Gentis” or “the Ancestor’s Capital” uttered by Roman admiral Livius to describe Patara, shows that it outshoned all the other cities. Patara had a three – vote right in the Lycian League. It became the juridical seat of the Roman governors who turned it into a port from where the Roman fleet maintained contacts with the eastern provinces. Also crops were stored here and kept for shipment to Rome. During this period, Patara became the capital of both Lycian and Pamphylian provinces. From here, St Paul sailed for Phoenicia. Patara, where St Nicholas was born, became a Christian center. About this period, the harbor of Patara was totally silted up and the city progressively lost its importance. Since then the place has been gradually covered with sand dunes. Turkish prof. Fahri Işık and his team from Akdeniz University have been trying to dig the city out from under the sand. Among the most significant vestiges there are: The Necropolis with Lycian sarcophagi and Roman tombs. The Harbor Church whose remains emerge from the water. The Arch of Triumph, or monumental gate which was the entrance to the city, was built in 100 AD by Roman governor Mettius Modestus. At the same time this arch was used as a part of the aqueduct that brought water to Patara. The Roman Date Baths, whose name was due to the date trees nearby, had a floor decorated with mosaics. The Road Sign, showing the distances between the Lycian cities, was ordered by Emperor Claudius. It is the world’ s oldest and most comprehensive road sign. The Vespasian Baths are located behind a church and next to the Tomb of Marcianus. The Main Avenue, 12.5 m / 41 ft wide, was the widest avenue in Anatolian ancient cities. Today it is partly flooded. The Central Baths are located at the eastern end of the avenue. The Walls of the Byzantine Fortress and a Corinthian Temple outside. The Theatre, built in 147 AD, still shows traces of sand under which it was half buried. The Ecclesterium was Anatolia largest administration building. The Cistern, located at the top of the hill behind the theatre, has been carved into the rock. Nearby is a part of the walls of the harbor lighthouse. Hadrian’ s Granery (granarium) can be seen in a swamp next to the harbour. The Temple Tomb and other monument tombs of various size. A large bust of Apollo, discovered on the hill beyond the City Gate, indicates the existence of an Apollo Temple which has not been yet localized. Patara, which is an ideal place to spend a vacation away from the crowd, has a superb fine sand beach stretching on 22 kms / 14 miles which allows the practice of sports such as surfing on sand. KALKAN Kalkan is a small, lovely port and a peaceful place of holiday. Once called “Kalamaki” , it was given the Turkish name Kalkan after the Greeks had left following the exchange of population of 1925. The white-washed houses, overlooking the large bay, have typical roof terraces, and the narrow streets wind down to the sea. There are numerous pensions, small traditional hotels as well as larger modern ones, and good restaurants. Like Kaş, Kalkan has become a favorite stopover for the blue voyagers. Diving is popular around Kalkan. There are a few caves in the surroundings, but Kapıtaş Cave, located 6 km / 3.7 miles from Kalkan, near the beautiful sandy beach of Kapıtaş, is the largest and has incredible hues of green and blue. It is possible to take a ride inside with a small motorboat. The Bezirgan plateau, located just above Kalkan, is a good place for trekking. The ruins of the ancient city of Pirha can be seen in the hills above the village of Bezirgan.   KAŞ Kaş is a charming small port with white-washed houses. The town was established over the ancient Lycian city of Antiphellos which was the harbor for Phellos located above it. During the Hellenistic period, while Antiphellos grew rich on account of the ceddar and sponge trade, Phellos lost its importance. Of this period, to the west of the modern town and overlooking the sea, stands the Hellenistic Theater which had a seating capacity of 4,000 spectators. Above the theatre is a house-type rock tomb, unique of its kind, known as the Doric Tomb. Of the few preserved sarcophagi, is the elegant one called by the local people “King’s Sarcophagus” . It has a long inscription in the Lycian language which has not been deciphered yet, like the one on the Xanthos monolith. This sarcophagus stands at the upper end of Uzun Carşı Street which is lined by traditional Turkish architecture houses, carpet and souvenir shops. From Kaş, stretching out into the sea, is the narrow Çukurbağ peninsula with a beautiful nature and modern hotels. One can enjoy the nearest beaches of Kaş (Büyük Çakıl, Küçük Çakıl, Akçagerme), but in addition shuttle-boats take the tourists to the beautiful Çayağzı beach. Opposite Kaş is the Greek Island of Meyisti. Diving is popular around Kaş. Kaş is a favorite stopover for the blue voyagers, but it is also a very nice place to spent a great holiday. Kaş offers most lively night life with the numerous terraced bars and restaurants. Kaş is a favorite stopover for the blue voyagers, but it is also a very nice place to spent a great holiday. Kaş offers most lively night life with the numerous terraced bars and restaurants. Although there is not much left of Phellos (remains of the city wall, sarcophagi and rock cut Lycian tombs, a free standing house - type tomb), it is worth seeing the beauty of its surrounding landscapes. The site can be reached either by foot (12 km / 7.5 miles trek) or by car towards Çukurbağ – Pınarbaşı. Between Kaş and Kekova, there are a number of ancient minor inland cities such as Isinda, near the village of Belenli, Aperlae and Apollonia, near the village of Kılıçlı. Hinterland in Gömbe, located 70 km / 43 miles from Kaş at the bottom of the Akdağ Mountains, sporting activities like trekking, mountain climbing and rafting can be done around Yeşil Lake and Uçansu Waterfalls. Also, the ancient cities of Komba in Gömbe and Nisa in Meryemlik can be encountered. KEKOVA Located on the Turquoise Coast, Kekova is the most scenic area in Lycia. Kekova is a set of picturesque islands, bays and small ancient cities that the blue voyagers love to explore. For those enjoying a holiday on shore, it is recommended (when not staying in one of the nice pensions of Kaleköy) to visit Kekova by excursion boat or rented small motorboat from Kaş or from Demre (Myra). This way is easier and more enjoyable than driving along the winding road which ends in Üçağız where one still has to rent a motorboat . Kekova, which is an incredible place of beauty where nature mingles with the past and the present, consists of: The village of Üçağız and its harbour where the ruins of ancient 4 C BC Theimussa can be encountered. The majority of the sarcophagi and rock-cut tombs of the necropolis date back to the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The village of Kaleköy where the Lycian and Roman vestiges of the 4 C BC ancient sunken city of Simena are located. In addition to a surprising Lycian sarcophagus emerging from the sea and which has become the symbol of Kaleköy, on the shore ruins of Roman baths, rock tombs and sarcophagi, a citadel with a small rock-cut theatre inside (the smallest theatre in Lycia with a seating capacity of about 300 people) and cisterns can be seen. Kekova Island has given its name to the surroundings. The place is also called the “Sunken City” as most of the ancient buildings sank in the sea as a result of various earthquakes. Along the shore one can see the foundations of submerged buildings and houses as well as staircases descending under the water. Tersane Bay , where yachts and boats may anchor, was a shipyard. Very near is a Byzantine church whose apse is still visible today. In the Kekova area there are many ancient cities located very close to each other: Aperlae and Istlada along the coast, Apollonia in Kılıçlı, Tyberissos in Çevreli. As these cities were very small, some of them, such as Simena, Apollonia, Aperlae and Isinda, or Theimussa, Cyaenai and Myra merged to be represented as one entity in the Lycian League.   Copyright © 2002-2009 GUIDE MARTINE. All rights reserved.