erkan

erkan

  • Joined: 4 September 2025
  • Articles: 140

Tyberissos Ancient City

The ruins of the Temple of Apollo of Tyberissos Ancient City and the landscape of Çevreli.

Located near the Çevreli town in the Demre district of Antalya, rising just north of the Teimiussa harbor, Tyberissos Ancient City (Tubure) is one of the most strategic fortress settlements of Lycia hidden away on mountain summits. Possessing an ancient indigenous identity recorded on the Xanthos Inscribed Pillar, this city stands as a wild and noble historical route far from mass tourism, featuring adjacent traditional Lycian and Doric Apollo temples, a central agora, Roman-era defensive walls, and a magnificent 360-degree view of the Kekova bays.

Tlos Ancient City

Tlos antik kenti akropolü Bellerophontes kaya mezarı ve antik tiyatro Seydikemer

Located on the western slopes of the Akdağlar Mountains in the Seydikemer district of Muğla, Tlos Ancient City (Tlawa) is one of the oldest, largest, and most continuously inhabited metropolises of the Lycian civilization. Presenting a unique historical stratification extending from the land of "Dalawa" in Hittite texts to the Ottoman-era "Kanlı Ali Ağa Castle," the city stands as a magnificent monument of history commanding the valley, featuring its famous tomb where the myth of the winged horse Pegasus and Bellerophon is carved into stone, a colossal theater, a stadium, and a rugged acropolis.

Teimiussa Ancient City

teimiussa üçağız ancient city

Located between the Demre and Kaş districts of Antalya, seamlessly intertwined with Üçağız Village, Teimiussa Ancient City is one of the most pristine and mystical natural harbor settlements of the Lycian civilization. Serving as the gateway to the sea for the four-city federation led by Aperlai, this boutique port town stands as one of the most dignified historical stops in the Kekova region, featuring hundreds of monumental Roman-era sarcophagi lined up like an army along the shore, a massive 2,400-year-old rock-cut pier, and a living village fabric.

Telmessos Ancient City

Telmessos Ancient City, the Amyntas rock tomb, and Fethiye ancient theater.

Located right in the center of the Fethiye district of Muğla, Telmessos Ancient City (Telebehi) is an ancient harbor city where modern urban life and ancient heritage are integrated in the most striking manner. Hosting the most famous dream interpreters and seers of antiquity, this legendary "oracle center" stands as a living monument of history, featuring the monumental Amyntas Rock Tomb commanding the Fethiye Gulf, an ancient theater right behind the harbor, and thousands-of-years-old Lycian sarcophagi that suddenly appear in backstreets and apartment gardens.

Sidyma Ancient City

The Roman stoa of Sidyma Ancient City and Dodurga village houses, Seydikemer.

Antalya ile Muğla sınırındaki Seydikemer ilçesinde, Dodurga Köyü ile tamamen iç içe geçmiş olan Sidyma Antik Kenti, Likya medeniyetinin yaşayan tarih niteliğindeki en özgün yerleşimlerinden biridir. Bizans İmparatoru Marcian'ın hükümdarlığını müjdeleyen meşhur kartal kehanetine ev sahipliği yapan kent; köy evlerinin bahçelerini süsleyen anıtsal ev tipi lahitleri, İmparator Claudius dönemine ait stoası, Artemis tapınağı ve sarp akropolüyle Likya Yolu'nun en yeşil ve en mistik duraklarındandır.

Sura Ancient City

Sura Ancient City, the Apollo oracle center, and the giant Lycian sarcophagus, Demre.

Located in the fertile valley right behind Andriake Harbor in the Demre district of Antalya, Sura Ancient City is one of the most extraordinary cult centers of antiquity. Hosting the Temple of Apollo and the oracle pool where the globally unique "fish oracle" ritual was performed, the city stands as the sacred and mystical oracle gate of Myra, featuring a watchtower on its acropolis, one of the largest monumental sarcophagi in the Lycian geography, and rich Byzantine heritage.

Simena Ancient City

Simena antik kenti deniz içindeki lahit ve Kaleköy kalesi Kekova

Located between the Kaş and Demre districts of Antalya, at the heart of the Kekova Specially Protected Environmental Area, Simena Ancient City (Kaleköy) is a fairytale settlement where nature and history are seamlessly integrated within the clearest waters of the Mediterranean. Although situated on the mainland, this isolated paradise can be reached almost exclusively by sea; it stands as one of the most spellbinding stops of the Land of Light, featuring its globally renowned Lycian sarcophagus rising alone out of turquoise waters, the mysterious ruins of the Sunken City submerged by ancient earthquakes along the shores of Kekova Island, and the 300-capacity theater—the smallest in Lycia—hidden at the summit of its medieval castle.

Rhodiapolis Ancient City

Rhodiapolis Ancient City, the Opramoas Monument, the theater, and rock-cut tombs with Lycian inscriptions, Kumluca.

Situated in the Kumluca district of Antalya, Rhodiapolis Ancient City is an ancient center established by Rhodian colonists that beautifully mirrors the highest spirit of social solidarity in antiquity. Serving as the homeland of Opramoas—the wealthiest benefactor in Lycian history—the city functions as a literal "diplomatic archive" with its monumental Opramoas Tomb, which is accepted as the longest official inscription of the ancient world. Commanding a sweeping view of the Kumluca Plain, its theater, uniquely inscribed Lycian rock-cut tombs, and structural cisterns form a magnificent exploration route for history enthusiasts.

Pydnai Ancient City

Patara plajının batı ucunda yükselen Pydnai Antik Kenti’nin kale surları ve deniz manzarası.

Located in the Seydikemer district of Muğla, right at the westernmost tip of Patara beach on the hill where the Özlen Stream meets the sea, Pydnai Ancient City is one of the most intact surviving military outposts of the Lycian civilization. Functioning as a garrison to protect the Xanthos Valley and the capital Patara against pirate raids from the sea, the settlement stands as a pristine defensive heritage discovered by Lycian Way hikers, featuring magnificent fortress walls blending rectangular and polygonal techniques, bastions, and scattered Lycian sarcophagi.

Podalia Ancient City

The ruins of Podalia Ancient City and the view of the Elmalı Plain.

Accepted to be positioned on Buralye Hill to the north of Lake Avlan in the Elmalı district of Antalya, Podalia Ancient City is one of the most mysterious outposts on the northwestern border of the Lycian civilization. The settlement, which has not yet been systematically excavated, is highly renowned in the archaeological world for its unique coin featured in the famous Medici collection and the massive silver "Podalia Hoard" discovered in 1957 that shed light on the financial structure of the Lycian League. It stands as a surface survey route awaiting future discovery with its mountainous geography and lake views.