A-Z Guidebook: Visiting Lycian Tombs in Turkey

L is for Lycia

Although Turkey is filled with ancient ruins and temples, one of the best areas to see these historical sites is the former region of Lycia.

Lycia existed as an independent state from 1250–546 BC in the area of present day Turkey between the bays of Antalya and Fethiye, a compact, mountainous territory along the Mediterranean Sea. Lycia has a complex history with various rulers over the years, but was granted autonomy as a protectorate (controlled and protected by) of Rome in 168 BC and remained so until becoming a Roman province in 43 AD under Emperor Claudius. In Homer’s writings, he frequently referred to Lycia as an ally of nearby Troy, located in Troad along the Aegean peninsula. (See Lycia map here.)

When we lived in Istanbul, we road tripped to see some of the ancient Lycian cities including Tlos, which I wrote about before. Tlos, perched high up on a hill overlooking the beautiful Xanthos Valley, is one of the oldest and largest settlements of Lycia. This ancient city later was inhabited by the Romans, Byzantines and eventually the Ottoman Turks, making it one of few Lycian cities to be continually inhabited until the 19th century.

At Tlos, you’ll find dozens of Lycian-era rock cut tombs and sarcophagi – some as old as the 3rd century BC. What’s interesting about the Lycian tombs is that they often were carved directly into the rocky hillside complete with slanting roofs and intricate columns. Researchers have counted about 1,085 rock-cut tombs in the entire Lycian region.

Top left, you can see the Lycian tombs carved into the hillside and the sarcophagi below.
(It was difficult to choose only one photo for this travel post.)

Researchers also think that the Lycians believed that the souls of their dead would be transported from these tombs to the afterworld by a sort of winged siren-like creature. That’s why the tombs often were placed along the coast or at the top of cliffs. At Tlos, in a steep cliff inaccessible by humans, is one tomb, said to be that of the Greek Mythology hero, Bellerophon and his immortal winged flying horse Pegasus.

These elaborate tombs are visually striking and should not be missed when you visit the Southwest coast of Turkey!

I’m linking this post to the monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “L.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more travel stories!

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Exploring the Tlos Ruins Near Fethiye

Hearing friends talk about the lovely weather lately in Fethiye got me thinking how it’s already been a year since our grandparents visited us in Turkey.

We are fortunate to still have one set of grandparents living. And at age 90 and 84 years old, respectively, grandpa and grandma have promised to come visit us in Warsaw next summer. I hope they continue to have good health so that visit comes to fruition. I also can only hope that my husband and myself still are traveling around the world at that age!

Last year around this time, we took our grandparents to Fethiye for a weekend getaway from the hecticness that is Istanbul. Grandpa loves the water and was ecstatic about our hotel located in the Fethiye Marina.

I wrote about how they spent An Afternoon at Yakapark, but what I didn’t tell you about was our visit to the nearby ancient Lycian ruins of Tlos, about 38 km from Fethiye. Well, we left grandpa and grandma to relax at Yakapark because climbing around “a pile of rocks” just isn’t their idea of fun anymore.

Part of the necropolis tombs and the Ottoman-era fortress at Tlos.

Tlos, perched high up on a hill overlooking the beautiful Xanthos Valley, is one of the oldest and largest settlements of Lycia. This ancient city later was inhabited by the Romans, Byzantines and eventually the Ottoman Turks, making it one of few Lycian cities to be continually inhabited until the 19th century. You’ll find Lycian-era rock cut tombs and sarcophagi, dating back to the 3^rd century BC, as part of the necropolis, as well as remnants of the Ottoman-era fortress and stables on the hilltop.

The climb up isn’t easy going so I definitely recommend wearing a good pair of athletic shoes and lots of sunscreen and bringing a bottle of water. Imagine our surprise when we found ourselves entirely ALONE climbing amongst the ancient ruins and overgrown pathways of wild thyme! These are just a few of the reasons why I always enjoyed exploring all the ancient ruins in Turkey – there are no barriers. You are free to wander and explore!

Don't do this if you have a fear of heights!

Did you know that Tlos also is home of the mythological hero Bellerophon and his winged flying horse Pegasus? How could you not want to visit here? Unfortunately, we missed seeing his tomb, located on the northern slope of the Acropolis.

Below the fortress, you’ll see a large open field home to a recently-excavated Roman stadium with a capacity of 2,500 people, complete with a swimming pool in the middle, and a 150 meters-long agora (market) next to it.

Looking out over the stadium, swimming pool, Roman baths and the theatre in the background at Tlos.

Near the stadium, you’ll find the ruins of the Roman baths with stupendous views overlooking the Xanthos Valley. Here you’ll also find the dramatic set of seven stone arches called Yedikapi (Seven doors or gates in Turkish). I’m always amazed at how these architectural pieces have survived over the centuries!

 

 

On our way back to the car, we bought a few souvenir trinkets from a nearby stall and walked over to take a few photos of the Roman theatre, which was closed off to the public. The what-looks-like-badly-damaged theatre once seated 6,000 viewers and dates back to 141 A.D.

We only spent 90 minutes at Tlos, but easily could have spent at least 2-3 hours. We rushed back to Yakapark only to find grandpa drinking his Efes beer and grandma with a glass of red wine. Grandpa asked us why we were back so soon.

Gotta love grandparents!

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Return to Ölü Deniz in Turkey

We’re lucky that we have grandparents that still love hanging out by the beach.

So we spent one afternoon together relaxing, reading and sunbathing on the beach at Ölü Deniz near Fethiye. The beach, known as the “dead sea” in Turkish, is only 14 km (9 miles) from the city center.

“Now, this is what I’m talking about,” said Grandpa, as we walked across the small pebbled beach at Ölü Deniz. They found the stones more difficult to walk on compared to the fine sandy beaches of Florida that they frequent.

For two months every winter in the U.S., our grandparents usually hightail it down to Florida (like other seniors their age). Grandpa, who’s Italian heritage means he tans as soon as he even looks at the sun, loves being by the water. 

The slightly overcast sky meant the beach wasn’t overcrowded during our late September visit. Last year, we visited the beach in mid-October and it was just as quiet then.

You can watch yachts sail in and out of Olü Deniz.

There also were plenty of people taking advantage of the perfect weather temperatures and paragliding at Ölü Deniz. Every now and then while Grandma and I were reading our books, we’d look up and comment on the paragliders that we saw in the sky. It’s definitely one sport I’d rather be a spectator safely on the ground than a participant.

Eventually with trepidation, I stepped into the aquamarine glass-like sea water. The sun had warmed me enough to where I needed to cool off. However, the water was a bit colder than I would have liked and goose bumps instantly formed on my skin. Grandpa and my husband were already chilling out in the water.

This is one of my favorite photos of grandpa and my husband sitting in the beautiful water together at  Ölü Deniz. 

Grandpa thought it was cool that he could now say he’s “dipped his toes in the Mediterranean Sea in Asia.” Wait until all his retired friends back in the US here that!

Grandparents say the darnedest things.

On the other side of where we stayed at the beach is the lagoon area of Ölü Deniz. 
This area is mainly populated by families with small children. 

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Fethiye Marina: Photo Post

All you have to do is take a stroll along the Fethiye Marina and you will see hundreds of yachts in all shapes and sizes.

I don't know anything about boats or yachts or what I would have called a sailboat. Apparently, there are dry sailing yachts, weekender yachts, cruising yachts, luxury sailing yachts and racing yachts. I'm sure you can find all of these varieties while you are vacationing in Fethiye.

I just like to sit back and admire the yachts from afar. I would've liked to take a day tour on one of the wooden yachts, but we just didn't have enough time during our recent trip here. There are plenty of companies offering day and sunset cruises.

Instead, I took several photos, mainly from our hotel room at the Alesta Yacht Hotel, where we had a perfect view of the Fethiye Marina.

This is definitely a pleasant place to spend a weekend.

A lone sailboat takes off at dusk in the Fethiye Marina.

I loved the way the sky looked in this photo.

A classic sunset photo taken in the Fethiye Marina.

One of the prettier wooden yachts that I admired in the Fethiye Marina.

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An Afternoon at Yakapark near Fethiye

After nearly running into a passing car on a narrow bridge, we continued on a rough “village” road filled with potholes and bumps.

Grandpa kept asking where we were taking them. He thought we were in the middle of nowhere in Turkey. We were only 30 km outside of Fethiye.

“Don’t worry, grandpa. We’ve driven on roads here that are a lot worse. One time, Jason almost drove into a herd of sheep crossing the road in the middle of the night,” I told him.

My response was not reassuring as we continued on the hole riddled road.

When we drove past the ruins of Tlos perched on a hill, all I could say was “amazing.” For a moment, I gazed at the Lycian tombs carved in the rock in the hillside. I couldn’t look long because I was driving.

On the left-hand side, you can see some of the Lycian tombs at Tlos, Turkey.

“We’re going to go hiking up that hill and explore Tlos while you and grandma rest at a nice park,” I told grandpa.

Jason and I could tell the grandparents still didn’t know what to think of the situation.

After passing olive, pine and pomegranate trees, we finally found and stopped at the Orjinal Tlos Yakapark Restaurant. I had read about this green park on Turkey’s For Life blog and thought it would be a pleasant place for the grandparents to relax while we explored nearby Tlos. At 89 and 83 years old, respectively, hiking is not something they want to do anymore.

The Orjinal Tlos Yakapark Restaurant near the ruins of Tlos, Turkey.

We walked by the manmade waterfalls in the restaurant, saw the trout swimming at the bar and found a comfortable place for them to sit. I spoke to a server in Turkish and explained the situation, asking him to take care of our “büyükanne ve büyükbaba.”

We all took turns petting or tickling the trout that swam in the middle of the bar at Yakapark Restaurant.

Relaxing huts and manmade waterfalls at Yakapark Restaurant.

Grandma and grandpa urged us to go. They were fine. Jason and I trekked off to Tlos for about 90 minutes.

When we returned from Tlos, the grandparents were having a good time. They liked the shaded hut where they were sitting, listening to the water and watching the people come and go.

“I have to tell you I didn’t know where you were just leaving us, but this has been really nice,” grandpa quipped.

Jason and me with our grandparents at Yakapark Restaurant.

Yakapark is a lovely shaded park and restaurant where you cannot help but relax. It also reminded me of a similar restaurant we went to near Olympos two years ago. At both, you can order the restaurant’s trout for lunch.

We ordered a few drinks and snacks instead of the trout as we weren’t that hungry. Grandpa liked drinking Turkish Efes beer. So do we.

Snacks - French fries and sigara böreği, a Turkish fried pastry filled with
 cheese and herbs. 

All in all, we spent about 3 hours at Yakapark, but I could have stayed even longer. In fact, I thought the huts or the hammock would be a fantastic place for a little afternoon nap.

The roads may be a little rough to get to Yakapark, but the drive is definitely worth it.

How could you not want to take a little nap in the hammock by the water here at Yakapark?

How to get there:

From Fethiye, follow the Antalya-Fethiye Yolu (D400) road for about 20 km, turn right when you see the brown sign for Tlos. Once you pass the ruins on your right-hand side, you have about 6 more km to go before you reach Yakapark.

Beware of the Yakapark imposters because two other restaurants have copied the name and you will see the signs for all three. Turn left and follow the road past a cemetery. Then, you will see a large “Hoşgeldiniz” sign and a parking lot.

Approximate GPS coordinates: 36.571372, 29.441275

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Fethiye Marina at Night

Fethiye is an excellent place in Turkey to get away from the big-city life in Istanbul.

In fact, out of all the beachy areas we've traveled to in Turkey, I think Fethiye is my favorite place. Antalya and Bodrum, though both beautiful, are just too touristy for my liking.

This charming resort city, located along the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean Sea, has a relaxed, friendly vibe that made me wish I could stay longer.

Since we visited at the end of September, there weren't as many tourists here and it wasn't crowded. Grandma and grandpa were quite happy to have a quiet weekend outside of Istanbul.

If you decide to travel to Fethiye to relax as well, I'd highly recommend staying at the Alesta Yacht Hotel, located along the Fethiye Marina. We were very pleased with the staff, service and our room, and thoroughly enjoyed several cocktails and dinner one night on the rooftop. The view, as you can see in my photo, is spectacular especially at night.

A view of the Fethiye Marina at night taken from the rooftop bar of the Alesta Yacht Hotel.

Right now, I'm far away from Turkey, waiting for my connecting flight to Nebraska and taking advantage of the free wifi at the Charlotte International Airport in North Carolina. I'll be spending a week with my family and hope to catch up on some writing when I have time.

Cheers!

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Good Morning From Fethiye

Grandpa is happy to be away the craziness of Istanbul. 

"That city is nuts!" he exclaimed. Yes, it's a bit different than New Jersey.

I have to agree with him, especially when you wake up to a view like this one in Fethiye.

We woke up to a full marina in Fethiye this morning.

Both Grandma and Grandpa love being by the sea, so we planned a weekend get-away to Fethiye. There's a whole different vibe here. My stress instantly melted away once I got the car parked in front of the Alesta Yacht Hotel. (I took this photo from our 4th-floor hotel room.)

Yes, I'm driving once again in Turkey, but there's far less traffic here. Today, we are venturing out to Ölü Deniz so we can relax on the beach for a bit.

More coming soon. For now, I gotta go knock on their door and head to breakfast.

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Abandoned Greek Churches of Kayaköy, Turkey

As a follow up to Monday’s post about Kayaköy, I wanted to devote another post solely to the abandoned churches left standing here.

In this “ghost town” near Fethiye, there are two Greek Orthodox Churches that date back to the 17^th Century. After buying your 8 TL admission ticket, first you will approach the large-domed Lower Church (Aşağı Kilise).

The Lower Church (Aşağı Kilise) of Kayaköy.

It is possible to walk around and inside of the lower church, which features an inscription of 1888, which is believed to indicate the last time the church was restored.

Inside the church, parts of the walls are painted a Robin’s eggshell blue, and you can see some religious frescoes and stone carvings if you look up.

Once upon a time, this was a beautiful church in Turkey.

Religious frescoes inside the Lower Church (Aşağı Kilise) of Kayaköy.

Floor mosiac inside the church.

Behind the lower church, you will find an eerie surprise at the bottom of an old stone cellar – human bones! Well, if you’re curious like we are, you must look down the hole to see what’s inside.

Eerie! An old bone depository behind the Lower Church (Aşağı Kilise) of Kayaköy.

According to the posted sign in Turkish, English and German, the bones were kept in this cellar when the graves needed to be reused. The locals washed the bones in wine and left them to air-dry. An odd custom! We hope they saved the good wine for drinking at least.

I climbed up a stone wall to capture this view of the Lower Church in Kayaköy.

If you trek up the hill from the lower church about 20 minutes, you will find a non-descript little chapel perched above the hilltop. You’ll also be rewarded with a stunning view of the Mediterranean Sea and the valley, which is what we did.

We could see another whitewashed chapel in the distance, but you had to hike up a much larger hill, filled with a dense forest. We didn’t have the time.

Later, after wandering through the crumbling houses of Kayaköy, we stopped at the High Church (Yukarı Kilise). The churches were aptly named because of their relative elevation difference to each other.

The courtyard outside of the High Church (Yukarı Kilise) of Kayaköy. 

The High Church, unfortunately, looks like it has been stripped of much of its former beauty, especially when compared to the Lower Church. 

Inside the High Church (Yukarı Kilise) of Kayaköy.

Still, it’s worth a look to visit an old church that probably saw hundreds of baptisms, first communions, weddings and funerals in the past.

Are there other churches you recommend seeing in Turkey?

Other places I’ve seen churches in Turkey:

• Cappadocia
• Cunda Adası
• Istanbul - Oh, there’s also several churches in Istanbul I still need to photograph.

View of the surrounding countryside from the High Church in Kayaköy.

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Kayaköy : Turkey’s Greek “Ghost Town”

Seeing images of ghost towns around the world filled with abandoned buildings recently sparked a memory.

Last year, when we visited Fethiye, a popular resort city along Turkey’s Mediterranean Sea coast, we spent a few hours exploring the “rock village” of nearby Kayaköy. I promised to share more photos from our trek and I didn’t, but I am now.

Kayaköy, perched up in the hills outside of Fethiye, is filled with hundreds of abandoned stone houses, two churches and several chapels in what once was a thriving Greek village. The village’s roofless buildings stand quietly on the steep hillside, aging and crumbling, but open to those who like to explore.

Kayaköy, Turkey 

In 1923, Kayaköy, known as Levissi in Greek, was abandoned because of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Today, several houses have been restored and are occupied by local residents.

One of the restored village homes in Kayaköy.

You’ll also find a few small cafes and restaurants in the area as well as a pansyion or two if you want to stay the night.

Exposed to the elements and the effects of the 1957 earthquake in the area means the buildings have fallen into ruin. Still, it’s possible to identify certain features such as staircases, the kitchen area, several chimneys and entryways of the stone houses.

Former hearth and chimney at one of the homes in Kayaköy.

Taking a well-worn cobblestone path, my husband and I walked up to the top of one of the hills and were rewarded with a spectacular view of the sea. I wonder if donkeys or goats once were led up this same path.

I think the sign was referring to the long hike down hill to Ölü Deniz seen at the bottom right.

Although it saddens me to think about all the residents who were forced to leave here, Kayaköy is beautiful in its own way.

And it’s eerily silent if you can avoid the tourists.

We pretty much had the village to ourselves during our Sunday hike. When we returned to the otopark, there was a large group of tourists eating lunch at one of the cafes.

We sat down at a table and ordered two Efes beer and shared a gözleme. Not a bad way to end a wonderful morning together before we headed back to Istanbul.

A Turkish woman rolling out fresh dough for our gözleme.

Kayaköy Admission: 8 TL

Here’s the recent article about ghost towns that inspired today’s post: 28 Freaky Ghost Towns You Can Visit on Matador.

You can read more about Kayaköy on Turkey’s For Life, written by fellow Turkey bloggers Julia and Barry, who live in Fethiye.

I've seen these in Greece too! Using old oil containers for flower planters.

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