Arykanda is one of the most dramatically situated ruin sites in Turkey. The setting is breathtaking as the city was built over five terraces at the foot of a rocky cliff, the Şahinkaya (Falcon Rock), overlooking the major valley between the Akdağ and Bey mountain ranges.
History
Most of the ruins on the site are from the 6th century BCE through the 3rd century CE. However, the name Arykanda is of Luwian origin and the city was originally named Arykawanda, meaning "place near the high rocks" which suggests a much older origin. From the 2nd century BCE, Arykanda was a member of the Lycian Federation. Ancient sources claim that Arykanda's citizens were lazy and hedonists tending to live lavishly beyond their means. When Antiochus III tried to invade Lycia in 197 BCE, Arykanda took his side in the hope of financial benefits to pay their debts. Like the rest of Lycia, Arykanda was incorporated into the Roman Empire and later the Byzantine Empire. It continued to exist, though in a much-reduced form, until the 11th century.
Charles Fellows, a British researcher and explorer, discovered Arykanda in 1838, basing his discovery on grave inscriptions and coins that he collected from the surface. By the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, Arykanda was spotted by many travellers. However, the city remained forgotten for many years due to transportation difficulties. Since 1971, a Turkish team of archaeologists, headed by the late Dr. Cevdet Bayburtluoğlu, has been excavating the city.
Sights & Photos of Arykanda
Near the car park, some stairs and a doorway lead to some ruined buildings on a hill called Nal Tepesi (Horseshoe Hill). This area originally contained the monumental grave of Hermaios, a Lykian Governor. After its collapse, it was turned into a basilica and, in late antiquity, into a bath complex. Turning back to the main entrance, there are the remnants of a Sebasteion or imperial cult temple built during the reign of Emperor Trajan. Remnants from this temple were reused to construct a late Roman basilica church and bishop’s palace in the 5th century CE which still contains traces of wall paintings and floor mosaics. Among the other remains of Arykanda from the Hellenistic and Roman period, are the impressive peristyle of a Roman villa complex from the 4th Century CE, a bath complex, two necropolises, a Hellenistic theatre, an odeon, which was also used as bouleuterion, and a state agora.
After our visit of Arykanda, we had a short stop at Limyra, where we visited the ancient theatre.
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Travel Information & Travel Tips
Arykanda is situated at some 150 km from Antalya and 34km north of Finike, from which it is easily reached from there by car or taxi. Additional info and photos of Arykanda can be found.
Finike is a small (around 12,000 people) agricultural town on the southern shore of the Teke peninsula. Finike has a wide sandy beach which makes it a popular tourist destination, although free from the mass tourism that has spoiled so many places in the Antalya region.
History
Finike, known to the Greeks as Phoinix, was named after its founders the Phoenicians, who established a trading post here in the 5th century BCE. Finike developed as a trading port for the nearby capital of Lycia, Limyra. As part of Lycia, it was incorporated into the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Later it became part of the Empire of Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, and the Byzantine Empire. It was taken by the Seljuk Turks and, after their decline, it was governed subsequently by the Beyliks of Menteşe and of Teke. Finally, in 1426, it ended up in the hands of the Ottomans.
Sights & Photos of Finike
Finike is famous for its sweet oranges. With the plains east of the town full of orange orchards, the cultivation of oranges has become the main source of income. It is no surprise that the orange was taken as the symbol of Finike. East of the town, there is a wide sandy beach that stretches for over 20 kilometers. As is the case for many other places on Turkey's coast, the beaches are nesting grounds for the Caretta Caretta loggerhead sea turtles. Also, the highly endangered Mediterranean monk seals are sometimes seen resting on the rocks.
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Travel Information & Travel Tips
There are plenty of locals buses that connect Finike to other coastal towns such as Demre or Kaş. From Antalya by bus, it takes around 1h45m.
We had a pleasant stay at Hotel Şimşek (Tel. +90 242 855 57 71, in 2014 single room € 25,0). As for dinner, we enjoyed some nice meals and friendly service at the Petek Restaurant near the Marina.
Finike is a good base for excursions to Arykanda.
The Kurşunlu Waterfall National Park (Kurşunlu Şelalesi Tabiat Parkı) is located at about 25 km from Antalya's city centre on the road to the neighbouring Isparta province. An area of 30 hectares around the 18 m high Kursunlu Waterfall was declared Forest Recreation Area in 1979. Later, in 1991, the area was enlarged to approximately 400 hectares and given the status of a Natural Park. In the park, which is rich in flora and fauna, there are 7 ponds connected by waterfalls. The setting of the 18 m high Kurşunlu Waterfall in the midst of a pine forest is of exceptional beauty. Today, Kursunlu Waterfall Nature Park is a very popular recreation site in Antalya province. It offers opportunities for a variety of recreation activities and receives some 400,000 visitors each year.
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When I first visited Alanya back in 1982, it was a sleepy coastal town with only a handful of hotels. Now, Alanya has become a booming and popular tourist destination, especially for package holiday tourists and is one of the major holiday resorts on the Mediterranean coast. For independent travellers like us, we would rather skip it entirely if it weren't for the great views. The dizzying scenery from the İç Kale fortress, the old district with the Kızılkule and Tersane were just enough to hold us here for one day.
History of Alanya
Little is known about Alanya's early history. It is thought that Greek colonists founded the town. In the 2nd century BC, Alanya was known as Coracesium and Cilician pirates used it as a basis to strike the Pamphylian coast. The pirate chieftain Diototus Tryphon had his castle built on the top of the mountain. Eventually, the pirates were defeated by the Romans in 67 BC. During the Byzantine period, the town was named Kalonoros meaning beautiful mountain. In 1221, the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin (Alaaddin) Keykubad I conquered Kalonoros and renamed it to Alaiye, which means the City of Ala, after himself (Ala Eddin). After the declaration of the Turkish republic in 1923, the name of the city changed finally in Alanya.
Sights and Photos of Alanya
The most prominent of Alanya's landmarks and a major tourist attraction is certainly the Red Tower or Kızıl Kule. The Red Tower is an octagonal structure with an overall diameter of 28 meters at its base and a maximum height of 33 meters. The building was constructed in 1226 by a Syrian Arab architect named Al-Halabi under the reign of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad. The Red Tower was restored to its former glory in 1951 and now houses an ethnographic museum. The old Seljuk shipyard (Turkish tersane) dating from 1228 is the last of its kind in Turkey. It is a long winding climb of more than one hour to reach İç Kale, the castle of Alanya castle. We were wise and took a taxi the way up and descended by foot. Inside the stronghold, there are the remains of a Byzantine church of central plan church and constructed inside of a larger earlier basilica. Based on the architectural features, the church is dated to the 11th century. The platform at which tourists now enjoy breathtaking panoramic views originally served as a point from which prisoners were thrown to their deaths on the rocks below. Ehmedek or Ehmediye is a small village with a few Ottoman houses on the way up towards İç Kale. The dilapidated Süleymaniye Camii dates from the 16th century.
Travel Information & Travel Tips
We visited Alanya during our 2004 tour along the Mediterranean coast (Mediterranean Turkey - Travel Report) and stayed one night in Hotel Temiz, Iskele Caddesi 12, (Tel. +90-(0)242 - 513 10 16), conveniently located in Alanya's old town district and on walking distance from the Kızılkule. The hotel was indeed very clean (temiz means clean in Turkish) and had comfortable nicely decorated rooms with air-con, television, and breakfast. The hotel's staff was very friendly and helpful.
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