Some Lycian Cities
PATARA
At about 10 km beyond Kalkan on the Kalkan
- Fethiye highway you turn south and continue
another 10 km along the road to Patara. The painted ceramics found in the acropolis
prove that the city existed in the 5th century B.C. Patara opened its doors
to Alexander the Great, thereby earning the
status of an important harbor city of Lycia in
Anatolia, in addition to having been the birthplace
of St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra.
The triple gateway through which one enters Patara is thought to have been
built in 100 A.D. One of its most important edifices is its theatre which
is now buried in the sand.
Today there is also the longest sandy beach of
Turkey in Patara.
XANTHOS (KINIK)
This is the oldest and largest city of the mountain province of Lycia,
settled in the valley of the Xanthos river in the Mediterranean
region of Turkey. Until the Persian invasion
it was an independent state. When the people of Xanthos, who had bravely
tried to defend their city, realized that they could not repulse the invasion,
they first killed their woman and committed mass suicide by throwing themselves
into the flames. About 80 surviving families and people who immigrated
there rebuilt the city, but a fire which broke out about 100 years later
razed it to the ground. In spite of this, the city was again rebuilt and,
as a result of establishing good relations with the west, was considered
as an important center.
However, Xanthos again met with an unfortunate end. As a result of resisting
the taxes the Athenians wanted to impose on them in 429 B.C., the city
was largely destroyed and the inhabitants were drawn into a war. And thus
Xanthos became "a city of disasters". The city itself consists of the Lycian
acropolis and the parts remaining outside it, as well as the Roman acropolis.
The most interesting building is the Roman theatre and the edifices of
the theatre's western shoreline. Of these the most famous is the Harpy
Monument, which is a family sarcophagus situated on a rock. The original
of this relief - decorated sarcophagus is in the British Museum, and every
good copy of this is in its place. Close by can be seen very interesting Lycian
sarcophagi from the 6th and 1st centuries B.C.
LETOON
To reach Letoon, you turn west one kilometer beyond the road from Kinik
to Fethiye and continue 5 km. The history of
Letoon is closely linked with that of Xanthos. It
is known to have been one of the most important religious centers of the
Lycian region in Anatolia,
Turkey. Due to the rising water level, archaeological
digs have been suspended. The remains unearthed indicate they belong to
the period between the 7th century B.C. and the 6th century A.D. The most
important edifice is the Greek style theater which has been preserved until
our day. You can also see the foundations of the temples of Leto,
Artemis and Apollo.
PINARA
A very strange and beautiful site in the Mediterranean
region of Turkey, getting here can be a little
tricky but that's one of the reasons it's strange. The views to the East
across the valley are unequalled and there's a tranquility and atmosphere
to the place that's hard to pin down.
Probably Pinara is the least visited site in the Lycian
valley. The site is dominated by a vast, east facing cliff (worth getting
there in the morning if you can) which is pockmarked with rectangular holes,
probably burial chambers although alternate explanations have been offered
at various times.
Entrance to the site is via an unmade road and after passing the guard
booth you can walk up around the base of the lower acropolis. The theatre
is on your right and makes a great spot to sit and take in the view that
the ruins present.
You can spend a couple of hours wandering around the lower acropolis
site and looking at stuff. It helps if you've brought some supplies with
you as there's nowhere to buy anything once you get here. Leaving the lower
acropolis at it's southern edge and following the little path down to the
stream bed will take you past some good tombs and bring you back to the
access road.
TLOS
Spectacular in the
spring with snow on the mountains that stand tall behind
the theatre, it's an interesting Lycian site in
Asia Minor because of the presence of the Ottoman
fortress of "Bloody Ali" (Kanli Ali), a local brigand in addition to the
Lycian and Roman remains.
The 19th century archaeologist Charles Fellows who rediscovered Tlos,
and several other nearby sites, had this to say about the approach to Tlos.
The whole ride down this upper valley is beautiful and varies continually;
it's scenery, on approaching the bold Greek like situation of the ancient
city of Tlos, is strikingly picturesque.
Nice to approach on foot if you feel up to it. A dolmus (local
transportation) running along the little road that serves Xanthos
and Saklikent can drop you at the bottom of the access road and the 4km
hike gives you a feeling for the situation of the city. It's the sort of
site you can take in quickly or linger on for an afternoon.
Here you can see the Tomb of Bellephoron.
The carvings on the tomb represent Tlos' main claim to archaeological significance,
unfortunately rather to often frequented by goats. Another feature is Yedikapi,
The seven doors or gates. Following signs for the Hamam
or baths you'll come to a very dramatic set of seven arches overlooking
the whole valley. Don't miss The Theatre. Some charming carvings scattered
about and the backdrop of the mountain range and the valley is hard to
beat for spectacle.