A Mediterranean Voyage in Turkey

Antalya has been open to settlements since paleoantic age. It was under the throne of prevailing Lidas in the 7th.cen.B.C. of Persians in 546b.c., of alexander in 333b.c., during the king attalos era of bergama, a new city was constructed named attelia. Until the 4th .cen.a.d. it remained dependent to roman empire. In the 7th cen.a.d. it has been devastaded by arabian incursions. It has been invaded by seljukians in 1207a.d. the most important ruins of the city are; hadrianus gate, city walls, kesik minarete and yivli minaret mosque which is a accepted as the city symbol.

Patara is one of the most beautiful, and longest, beaches in the Eastern Mediterranean, with 18km of deserted white sands. Nearby are the ruins of the Lycian city of the same name - a major harbour and trade centre and the sanctuary of the God Appollo. Patara is renowned as the birthplace of St Nicholas, the bishop of Myra, now known and loved in the west as Santa Claus.

Xanthos was the greatest city of ancient Lycia and suffered the gruesome fate of being destroyed several times by its inhabitants to save it from falling to attacking forces. It was less well defended against the historic looting during the 1800s, when numerous articles were shipped to the British Museum - their ownership is still under dispute. Nevertheless, the impressive ruins are still well worth a look.

Kalkan is a quiet port town built on the steep hillside leading down to the harbour. Its very pretty, with charming, winding streets lined with old buildings, quaint shops and streetside quiet restaurants and bars. From Kalkan, its not far to Patara, Xanthos and Letoon, another Lycian settlement, which was named after the goddess Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis.

The Gulf of Kekova is one of the most picturesque stretches of the coast and has several bays and villages to explore. The charming village of Üçagiz has a few remains of the Lycian village of Teimiussa. On Kekova, there is no trace of the city which once dominated the island - its ruins and foundations can now only be seen under the surface of the clear water on the northern side of the island. On land, there's nearby Kale, a village on a steep hillside leading up to the medieval fortress and theatre of ancient Simena. The local landscape is dotted with the ruins of Lycian tombs, forts and Greek settlements.

Olympos was an important Lycian city built on the banks of the river. Its inhabitants worshipped the god of fire - on the side of Mount Olimpos are springs of continually burning methane gas.