The Story of the Land of Light
The Story of the Land of Light
Discover Apollonia, the hidden treasure of Kaş, named after the god Apollo. Explore the story of this cult center—home to the world-unique prismatic Heroon monument, early-period pillar tombs, and the only theater within its union.
Discover Aperlai, the hidden port between Kaş and Kekova. The fascinating story of a city that defies time, home to the production of the 'Imperial Purple'—the essential dye of Roman nobles—with its submerged streets and silent sarcophagi along the shore.
Antiphellos, the ancient face of Kaş, is a fascinating port city of the Land of Light, featuring a unique sea-facing ancient theater, the Lion Tomb in the marketplace, and mysterious rock-cut tombs.
Andriake was the ancient harbour of Myra. Its Roman granary now houses the Museum of Lycian Civilisations, and the site also has purple-dye workshops, a synagogue and churches.
Located at Asarcık near Fethiye, Aloanda is a Lycian city whose name was only recently confirmed by inscriptions. The Lycian and Greek inscriptions found here shed light on both its local Lycian identity and its community life in the Hellenistic period.
Lycian architecture: rock-cut tombs that turn wooden houses into stone, sarcophagi with pointed-arch lids, the pillar tombs of Xanthos and the Nereid Monument, and the theatres and council houses of Lycian cities.
Belief in Lycia: a layered heritage of faith, from gods of Anatolian origin to Letoon and the oracle of Patara, and from St Nicholas to Yörük shrines and the lodge of Abdal Musa.
Lycian ancient water structures: the Delikkemer inverted siphon that carried water to Patara, pear-shaped cisterns in the mountains, the great underground cistern at Andriake, and the skill of managing water in a dry land.
The Lycian League: a federation of 23 cities voting according to their size, praised by Montesquieu, echoed in the debates over the US Constitution, with its council house at Patara. An account based on the sources.
In our dossier on Lycian Geology and Earthquakes, explore the seismic fate of the Land of Light, the story of Kekova's submergence, and the awe-inspiring resistance strategies developed by ancient architecture against tremors. Embark on a tectonic journey with the latest 2026 seismological data.