Feb 26

Welcom to Faralya

Faralya is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt scenic areas in Turkey. It has woods, mountains and always a view of the sea. It is full of historical monuments and authentic villages and you can walk for hours and hours without ever meeting other people.
The area is about twenty kilometers long and leads on one side across the mountains to Patara and on the other to Fethiye. The Lycian Way, a footpath of five hundred kilometers from Fethiye to Antalya, runs right across Faralya.
Faralya is far from the madding tourist crowd, but the touristic area is close enough (Oludeniz sixteen kilometers and Fethiye 28 km) for a nice evening out.
Faralya is the ideal place for your ‘alternative’ holiday trip without you having to miss out on modern conveniences. (internet)

Feb 26

Butterfly Valley in faralya near Oludeniz

Butterfly Valley opens onto a cove near Fethiye on Turkey’s southwest coast. This deep steep-sided valley has a floor of approximately ten hectares in area where almost all the butterfly and moth species of the Mediterranean coastal region are to be found, making it an open-air natural history museum. The abundance of lepidoptera is owing to the humid microclimate created by waterfalls in the valley, and also to the hundred or so different plant species found here. The butterfly which inspired the valley’s name is the so-called leopard butterfly (Euplagia quadripunctaria), one of the loveliest members of the Arctiidae family. Between June and October hundreds of these butterflies gather in a large colony here

For nine or ten months from late winter onwards it is possible to follow the full life cycle of the butterflies of the valley. Here naturalists have identified around 35 butterfly and 40 moth species, the latter including some of the Mediterranean regions most strikingly patterned species, Sphingidae.

Most people make day trips to the valley by boat from the Ölüdeniz lagoon, a trip of 30 minutes. The boats usually stop off on the way at the Blue Cave, and if the captain of your boat stays here long enough for a swim, do not miss the chance to swim into the cave and experience the full impact of its beauty.

The valley lies in the foothills of the 2000 metre high Mount Babadağ and runs between soaring rock walls. An alternative way to arrive is by hang-glider off Babadağ, so making a spectacular flying start to your visit.

There are two paths through the valley, one leading to the waterfalls and the other to the village of Faralya. The first path leads you past many different plants, flowers and trees, and the fragrance of thyme and other aromatic plants saturates the air. As you walk deeper into the valley the rock walls close in. If you are lucky you will come across flocks of butterflies which scatter at your approach. During our walk, I and my friend Rıfat Kılar, a keen amateur entomologist, chanced upon a pair of large tailed Machaon butterflies in the process of mating. This type of butterfly is a rare sight under any circumstances, and we were lucky that they posed for us for several minutes, preoccupied with their own affairs.

The valley comes to a dead-end at high sheer cliffs, down which two waterfalls cascade to the ground. We showered under the falls as a reward for reaching our destination. The second path leading to the village is so extremely steep that as a safety measure ropes have been left at a couple of critical points. If panic does not get the better of you, negotiating this difficult route is well worth the exertion. As you climb higher magnificent views over Butterfly Valley are spread at your feet. When you eventually reach the village you see a sign reading George House. The first Americans who came here years ago stayed in the house of Rıdvan Karaburun, and dubbed his house after their friend George whom they likened to their host. Foreigners who came to the valley subsequently on their recommendation began to ask for George House, and so Rıdvan Karaburun put up a sign. During your visit to George Rıdvan’s house you can eat a delicious meal of local village cuisine accompanied by a refreshing drink of ayran (yogurt and water).

Over recent years many people have come to Butterfly Valley not just as day trippers from the lagoon, but to stay and enjoy its scenery wildlife at leisure. They include naturalists doing research and young visitors and students who come here for alternative holidays. Building development is prohibited in the valley, but those who wish to stay overnight may use the shelters covered by branches and leaves, platforms built in the trees, or bring tents with them. In the evenings as a camp fire blazes on the beach, you can watch the stars.
There is no electricity, telephones, television, buildings or roads in Butterfly Valley, proving that tourism can thrive without any of these modern conveniences, and that unspoiled nature alone is what many come to Turkey.

Turkey is a country at the junction of three continents, and both its flora and fauna are exceptional in their diversity. Some of the most spectacular members of the world of butterflies and moths, Machaon and Podalirius of the Papilionidae family, are widely found in every region of Turkey. A rare butterfly, Alexanor, which is not found in Europe at all, is found in some areas of the country. Endemic species found in limited areas of the country are an important illustration of Turkey’s biological diversity, such as Maniola telmessis found.�

In Fethiye which is a subspecies of the more widespread Maniola jurtina. The name telmessis refers to the ancient name for Fethiye. Apollo butterflies are a Turkish species which lives at an altitude range of 2000-2500 metres and is larger than its European counterparts. Cabbage whites – Pieris rapae, the chrome yellow Colias, and red admiral Vanessa atalanta are widespread all over Turkey.Painted ladies are found across much of the world and migrate in large flocks. Another migrating species, Danaus chrysippus, is one of the Mediterranean regions loveliest butterflies. The tiny Yptima is common in southern Turkey but unknown in Europe, while Krinia roxelana and Archon apollinus are only seen in Turkey and Greece.

Lepidoptera species tend to show very slight variations between the northern and southern parts of Turkey. For example the Gonepteryx rhamni of the north is replaced by the Gonepteryx farinosa of the south, while the Limenitis camilla makes way for Limenitis reducta, and Argynnis paphia for Argynnis pandora. These fine local distinctions reflect the rich subspecies potential in Turkey.

Unfortunately no fully comprehensive list of all the butterflies living in Turkey has ever been drawn up, and at high altitudes in southeast and eastern Turkey no systematic research has been carried out at all. Information about Turkish moth species is even more sparse. A massive three volume work entitled Die Tagfalter der Türkei published in London by Classey in 1996 is the most comprehensive study of the subject at present.

By Faruk Akbas and Rıfat Kılar.  Source: Flying Colours in Butterfly Valley  Skylife 08/2000

Feb 26

A DAY IN KABAK VALLEY

Article From  http://www.turkishclass.com/turkey_essay_228

Kabak valley is one of the most beautiful valleys, at the Aegean Coast of Turkey, embedded between the sea and the Torus Dağlar range and untouched by tourism. A jewel in a crown of wonderful scenery and peacefulness.  Just 10 miles (around 15km) from the tourist resorts of Ölüdeniz, and Hisarönü it makes you wonder why you are the only people wandering down the Lycian Path which meanders down the valley side towards the beach.

The Lycian Path is an ancient long distance trekking route from Fethiye to Antalya and I am a little puzzled at why it takes this detour.  Then on hindsight, maybe someone discovered the beauty of this coast and decided this is where the path would go.

Kabak is an unspoilt village, with the number of houses being counted on one hand, and is the last place to be reached by car or Dolmuş from Ölüdeniz.  As you reach the end of the road, there is a restaurant at the top of the Lycian path, called The Olive Tree.  It is the sort of place that you hope no one else finds, except you also want the businesses to flourish.  Turkish law protects the valley, and a big hotel project, thankfully, was stopped several years ago.

The journey to Kabak from Ölüdeniz is, (how do I explain), a somewhat “hairy” journey in a dolmuş. Especially for those of you with a fear of heights. Leaving Ölüdeniz, you follow the mountain road, twisting past the Lykia World holiday resort, all inclusive tourist prison and negotiate what can only be explained as big hole in the road.  In fact the road was a big hole, with the bus negotiating it by driving into the forest on a path made by the regular vehicles travelling this route.

As we wound our way along the road, going up and up, we looked back at Ölüdeniz and what a magnificent view we had.  We could now clearly see the Blue Lagoon, the bays, small islands, St Nicholas Island and Gemeler Beach.  We were the only English people on the dolmuş, and unsure of where we were going, sat more or less in silence and looked out of the window in awe of the astounding views, as we made our way towards Butterfly Valley.

The man in front of us pointed out the valley, which incidentally needs no pointing out and I was actually quite glad we were on the mountainside of the road.  Safari trucks had stopped on the edge to look down into the valley, at a guess some 600m shear drop.  So far I have been calling this a road, but it was becoming what we would refer to in England as a track, and stopping to let the last passenger off, we carried on upwards until the road flattened out.

Finally the bus stopped and turned around, I paid the 5YTL fair and the driver pointing to us the route to the beach.  The route to Kabak beach? We had a climb down of some 600m or so, which the driver said “20 minutes”.  I knew the valley was pretty isolated but it was quite a surprise to find such beauty.

We stood for a few minutes just looking at the views, the mountains rising all around this magnificent valley, full of olive groves, citrus trees and we could see beehives too.  We stood at the sign, the Lycian Way, so another pleasant surprise, with a wonderfully marked trail, two painted lines, one red and one white, with every corner and turn marked with a downward pointing red line.  We are used to well marked paths in the UK, but I must say this one out does most I have walked.

Now and again I stopped to take the obligatory photos, and short video clip of the path. Just a short walk down the hillside, nestles a restaurant and small bungalows dotted amongst the olive and citrus trees, one of the most tranquil settings I have encountered.  A small swimming pool below us seemed to be beckoning us to it.  I spotted a tortoise by the side of the trail, by the wall of the restaurant.  The path took us right through the grounds and someone was sitting on the terrace, and we exchanged “merhaba” and a wave.   We thought we were walking through someone’s property, but then spotted the red and white marks again.

The sun was high in the sky by now and the heat was nearly more than we could stand, if the truth is known, and soon the 20 minutes passed.  Then 30 minutes as we followed the trail – how much longer I was beginning to think, not really equipped for the trek. After about 35 minutes we saw a sign for a campsite, which we could not see, and the sign said “beach 300m”.  Now that made us laugh as the sign at the top of the trail also said “300m”.  We eventually passed by a couple of tents and a small restaurant, which looked closed.  There was absolutely no one about.

Suddenly the path changed, marking going from red and white to orange on one stone and white on another – now which way??  We could not see the sea yet, so were unsure were we where and just followed the orange trail, passing through a farmyard.  There was a woman sitting on the edge of a field of sweet corn, traditionally dressed, long clothes and scarf, and as we approached she turned away from us.  It amazes me in this heat, around 30 deg C, how they can bear all those clothes, but I expect they are as used the heat as we are to the cold.

Ahhhh the beach – with a clamber over some broken steps, we had made it and there was no one!! We were alone.  So where shall we go, no shade except for a few big rocks, so we put down our bags beside the rocks.  We spent the day on the beach, only being joined by a few people.  At one point there was a film crew, filming what appeared to be the “perfect family” slim mother with three athletic children running in the out of the sea and Dad watching over them.

Our picnic of cheese, bread, cherries, crisps had deteriorated to such an extent in the heat that is was hard to eat, melted cheese, and cooked cherries!

It was not long before we were alone again, the only ones on the beach, as the film crew packed up and left.  Peace and quiet, wonderful scenery that I don’t have the words to describe, mountains rising around, olive trees, cypress trees, shaped by the prevailing wind; lying on the beach listening to the sound of the crashing waves and the crickets non-stop lulled me to sleep.  On a cooler day it would have been nice to explore, and had we been better equipped, but we will just have to go back another time!

We decided to pack up at 4:00 leaving ourselves 1½ hours to climb back to the top.  It was hard to say the least, what with the heat and the exertion we had to stop a few times to cool off and we made the mistake of not taking enough water with us.  As we climbed up, we came to the restaurant on the hillside we heard voices.  We climbed the few steps and were greeted by two German women, one a traveller and one partner to one of the owners.  We had time, so we stopped for a drink and chat on the terrace. I would pay for the views we had sitting on the terrace.  It is one of those memories you will always have.  The German owner, told us all about the place. Full Moon Camp, they have small bungalows for rent with a restaurant and bar, at an unbelievable €15 bed, breakfast and dinner per night.  How an earth they can provide all this for €15 escapes me.  They are self-sufficient and grow all their own food so this is probably how.

Well it was time to leave and carry on for another 10 minutes to the top, and wait for the dolmuş.  At the place where the bus stops, was an old Turkish man sitting under a tree with a few jars of honey and olive oil.  He called us and we worked out a price for a jar of honey.  I managed to understand some of his Turkish, and he told us he owned the place we had just stopped at, with his three sons.  There he was sitting all day, under a tree selling a few jars of honey to a very sparse flow of tourists.  I took his picture and he had a wonderful smile.

In no time our dolmus arrive, the same driver as before.  Three people came from the Olive Tree restaurant and we set off for the return journey.  The driver kindly offered to stop at Butterfly Valley, so we could take photos.  He laughed at the motorcyclists who had stopped at the top and we assumed he was laughing, because he could have so easily knocked the motorbikes over the edge!

We then pulled up outside a mosque, and I thought he was stopping to pray, but no, as he walked down the road a few meters, he was unzipping his flies!!  He was stopping to answer a call of nature, and at the time I did not realise there were toilets at the mosques.  I thought he was going in the bushes!!

We eventually arrived back in Ölüdeniz and I must say that the day out was one of the best we had all holiday.  In the future I would certainly consider staying at the Full Moon camp for a few nights of total peace and tranquillity.  And the opportunity to explore, find the waterfall and the fresh water pools.  The chance to swim in the sea to find the small caves, and possibly see a Caretta turtle, is a good enough reason to go back.

Sorry this tags See you at Kabak köyüat Camp or Camp Kabak köyü

Feb 26

KABAK Article from WIKITRAVEL

Kabak is a village 8 km further to the south, literally a dead-end as the road from Ölüdeniz through Faralya ends there, giving way to complete wilderness (which is, however, still accessible on foot via Lycian Way). Kabak also has a canyon (called Kabak Koyu) similar to the Butterfly Valley (with cliffs opening to the sea at one side, with waterfalls and so on…), though Kabak’s canyon is more accessible than the Butterfly Valley: a dirt road—which will behave very badly on cars, so leave it at the upper village (from where a dolmuş with a fixed price of 30 or 35 TL no matter how many passengers it carries can be caught)—connects the village with the canyon. However, Kabak the village is less accessible than Faralya, the tarmac road goes only as far as the southern exit of Faralya (the direction of Kabak), turning into a bad road (which is, however, wide enough for two cars passing side by side). (There is now a new nice road since 2010) Henk) There are also minibuses there from Faralya. In both the canyon’s beach and upper village of Kabak, a number of guesthouses can be found. If you are in for a little bit of adventure, you may return back to Ölüdeniz by hiking the Lycian Way instead of taking the minibus. When hiking in this direction (i.e. Faralya to Ölüdeniz, or south to north), there is only a short (albeit, steep) ascending section right at the beginning of the trail just out of Faralya, then it’s almost always gently descending all the way to Ölüdeniz through a beautiful pine forest, along some amazing cliffs, and with unforgettable views over Blue Lagoon. Remember that the last 8-km towards Ölüdeniz (the section after the mountain hamlet of Kozağaç) has no water source along the path, though.

 

Feb 26

The Lycian Way

 

The Lycian Way According to the Sunday Times the Lycian Way in Turkey is one of the ten most beautiful long distance hikes of the world. The Lycian Way route is graded medium to hard; it is not level walking on the Lycian Way, but has many ascents and descents as it approaches and veers away from the sea. The Lycian Way is easier at the start near Fethiye and Faralya and gets more difficult as it progresses. We recommend walking the Lycian Way route in spring or autumn; February-May or September-November; although you could walk short, shady sections. The Lycian Way route is mainly over footpaths and mule trails; it is mostly over limestone and often hard and stony underfoot. On the first part of the Lycian Way, and in Faralya, Patara, Kalkan, Kas, Myra, Finike, Adrasan, Olympos, Cirali and Tekirova, you can stay in pensions or small hotels on the Lycian Way. On other nights, you may stay in a village house, or camp out. There are plenty of camping places on the Lycian Way route with nearby water mentioned in the book; you do not have to ask permission to camp out. see also pictures of the Lycian Way http://www.faralyaarthouse.com/photo_lycianway_faralya_fethiye_01.html. Tim Salmon walks Turkey’s newly opened Lycian Way; and right, the experts rate the world’s best treks. Mac woke me at about six. Inever sleep well on hard ground and that night, camping on the edge of a ravine , high above Turkey’s Lycian coast, had been no different.

It was only as the sun came up that I finally felt ready to slip into a warm recuperative doze:which was precisely the moment that Mac chose to greet me with his wet, doggy muzzle. As far as he was concerned, it was time to start our day. His decision, it appeared, was final. Kate, my guide and travelling companion, and Mac’s long-suffering owner, was already up. With a handful of pine needles she had brought our smouldering fire back to life, and soon had a pot of tea going. Then Ramazan, a local shepherd boy, joined us. He had befriended Mac the previous evening and Kate had promised him that when daylight came he could look through her binoculars. While he scanned the horizon, we breakfasted on cheese and olives, cleaned the fire-blackened pots with a handful of leaves and then hit the road again. It was while we were descending into a valley, past little flocks of women in white headscarves planting tobacco, that we came to the cottage. “Merhaba! Merhaba! Nasilsin? How are you?’ the inhabitants shouted, and invited us in for tea and breakfast. It was too spontaneous and tempting an offer to decline. We tied Mac to a post, sat down in the shade of a mulberry tree and began our second meal of the morning: fresh yoghurt and honey, tomatoes, olives and bread, all home-grown, and the inevitable cheese. That’s when this particular scene of pastoral bliss suddenly transformed itself into one of pandemonium. As we were chatting away with our hosts, the man of the house led two cows out of the stable. For reasons we could only guess at, one of them took an instant dislike to Mac. The moment she saw him, she broke her halter, lowered her head and charged. Her sharp horn missed him by only a fraction of an inch and within seconds she had turned around, ready to try again. Poor Mac was terrified. He wrenched his head out of his collar and fled, leaving our rucksacks to take the force of the second charge. By the time we had got the cow under control, he was gone. We called and searched, but could not find him anywhere.

Our hosts were acutely embarrassed, and one of the boys drove Kate on the back of his tractor to the place where we had camped last night. This was where the amateur dog psychologists amongst us thought it most likely that Mac had gone. I sat by the side of the track and waited. After a while, a motor bike stopped beside me. It was Ramazan’s brother. Although he was coming from the wrong direction, he already knew the story of the lost dog. The bush telegraph had been at work. ‘Bulunur,’ he said ‘Bulunur. He will be found.’ And he was right. Eventually, I saw Kate coming down the road with Mac safely on his lead looking non the worse for wear. He had run six kilometers back to our camp and tried to get down into the ravine that led to a beach where we had swum the evening before. Luckily, Ramazan, out with his goats, had spotted him from the other side and come round to rescue him, for he had missed the path and was slithering dangerously on the edge of the cliff. ‘You’ve lost your watch,’ I said to Kate. ‘No, I haven’t,’ she replied. She had given it to Ramazan for saving Mac’s bacon. My companion’s full name is Kate Clow. She is a Turkish Englishwoman, who, with her passion for motorbikes and Roman roads, could very comfortably take her own place in that long tradition of eccentric English travelers to which Freya Stark belonged. Kate’s contribution, backed by the Turkish government and Garanti Bank, had been to invent and construct the walk we were doing. Known as the Likya Yolu or Lycian way and opened this year, it is Turkey’s first waymarked long distance walk. We did the walk from west to east, starting in Olu Deniz, just outside Fethiye, which is the way Kate’s forthcoming guidebook runs.

There is no technical difficulty, but the going can be tough. The paths are stony and often steep. You can’t live off the land for the villages are few and often lacking in a shop. For much of the way you have to carry your on food for three or four days ahead and be equipped to camp. And you can’t be too fastidious about water: on some sections, dusty wells and cistern are the only source, and they might be dry in summer. There are, as yet, no maps, and though the red and white painted markers are pretty good, you have to keep your eyes open. However, as the day of Mac’s adventure showed, there are few ways to better acquaint yourself with the rhythms and textures or rural Turkey than this route. Even if you are not chased up hill and down dale by mad cows, you are at least guaranteed a close inspection of a way of life unchanged for centuries. But what really distinguishes the Lycian way from any other walks I know is its intimate, almost careless, relationship with history. This is, after all, an area with a rich and crowded past. For starters, the whole Aegean and the Mediterranean coast of Asia Minor – which is now modern Turkey – was colonized by the Greeks from early in the first millennium BC and subject o a distinctly Hellenistic influence right up to the forcible exchange of populations after the Greek-Turkish wars of 1919-21. Lycia, in particular, enjoyed a period of ascendancy and a unique culture between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, before falling into the hands of Alexander the Great’s successors and then the Romans. Later, Arabs, Crusaders, Genoese, and Armenians established themselves along its length. Traces of all these hands are visible still, and nowhere more so than along this path, their romance and charm enhanced by the fact that so many of the sites are unfenced and unticketed, the old stones just lying there naturally among the scrub and goat pastures. One of my favourite places was Dodurga. The houses stand among the ruins of ancient Sidyma: tombs jut out of the mule-tilled fields, sections of columns are stacked in the hedges or support the porch of the mosque, and a grave serves as a potting shed. At Ucagiz, by the sea, and at Sura, on a hill above the coast, the path winds amongst great grey sarcophagi, some holed by grave robbers, some with their enormous boat-shaped lids still in place. At Myra, above the big Roman theatre, the red cliffs are riddled with the carved rock-cut tombs of the Lycians. Nearby stands the church of St Nicholas, where the saint we know as Santa Claus officiated in the 4th century AD. There are castles, harbours and forts. And there are lots of vernacular monuments too: sheepfolds and cobbled mule roads, wells, cisterns, even the terraced hillsides and settlements where the herders take their flocks, and where the peasants repair for coolness in the summer. Who knows how old these are? The way of life and movement in these remote rural areas can have changed very little until now. We did not walk every step of the way. We hopped along the route: four or five days, then skipping a bit and walking again, Kate giving me a taste of its variety. There is not much scope for indulgence. The only chances of the three summertime ‘D’s” – drink, dance and dalliance – is in the little resort of Kas, which also has a magnificent cliff cut with tombs, a real gem of a theatre and a Greek church converted to a mosque. In Kas we joined forces with three Dutch journalists. When Kate and Mac had to leave at the overgrown Lycian harbour at Olympos, the Dutchmen and I went on together to tackle the crux off the route, the 2,366metre Tahtali Dag. The weather was not encouraging. Grey drizzle fell and mist hung in the trees. At about 1,600m the pines gave way to storm-beaten cedars and the gradient leveled off. Alpine flowers appeared – squills, pink corydalis solida, rich blue anemones and, in one place, a colony of deep red paeonies. We camped and lit a huge fire, though the tents and my bivvy bag were, non the less, rimmed with ice by morning. In the night the sky ckeared, but by the time we set off up the last 600metres of scree and rock, the clouds were threatening to close in again. We took compass bearings as a precaution, for the summit ridge is not easy to escape from. But our luck was in; we had half an hour of brilliant sunshine to admire the view over the sea and the receding ranges of mountains behind us. It was only about midday, when we were already well down in tot he forest, that the storm overtook us, with hail rattling on our waterproofs and the lightning doing its damnedest to turn us to cinders. We were rescued, somewhat incongruously, by a 4WD safari of Ukrainian and German tourists, by which time I had abandoned any intention of continuing alone for the last four or five days and crept off to Antalya with the others. But then that is how it is. When I started out of my sleep the following morning, as the 5am call to prayer from a nearby minaret cracked like a whip in my ear, the sun was shining from a cloudless sky. I looked out of my pansion window and there, beyond the sea and the brown-tiled roofs and the bending cypresses of the pretty but neglected old quarter of Antalya, was Tahtali, its shoulders glistening with the innocent white of the freshly fallen snow. I knew then that I would have to come back. see also pictures of the Lycian Way

with thanks to http://www.lycianway.com ALL The WORLD BENEATH YOUR FEET, By Tim Salmon Sunday Times, 23rd July 2000

Feb 26

Muhtar Of (Headman) Faralya

 Bilal Semerci
Born in 1965 in Faralya. Elementary school graduate. He was introduced to tourism at a young age through Faralya Pension, started by his father Sami Semerci in 1984, then the headman of Faralya. He is married and is the father of 3 sons.

INTERVIEW
Faralya@org: Why did you want to be the headman of Faralya?
B. Semerci: We didn’t have an asphalt road, nor power, or telephone in the 80s, during the headman ship of my father. Using the ancient Lycian Road, we used to transport produce that we grew on mules and donkeys to Oludeniz and sell it to tourists.
We were quite surprised when my father came with the idea of opening a bed & breakfast place in the village.
Even, the villagers made fun of him, saying, are you going to sleep chickens in those rooms.
It took a long time for people to figure out what an insightful man he was.
He fought the red-tape with determination and opened the car road, brought power and telephone connection to our village.
We used to carry tourists on tractors from Oludeniz to our Pension. The food was cooked in large pots, the bread in the tandoori oven.
The tourists found great joy in being a part of the traditional life style here, relaxing in hammocks and watching the Milky Way.
They were all saying that this was the undiscovered paradise.
Eventually we came to these days. Now we have a paved road, we brought municipal water to all homes.
As of the last year, we got internet connection. Foreigners bought land and built nice homes and establishments in our village.
I would also like to take the opportunity to offer my thanks to them for their invaluable contribution to our village.
To answer your question, the slogan I used during the election campaign sums up everything: To bring civilization in the real sense to our village. Another important subject is, gathering the honey producers of Faralya under a single roof of a cooperative and making Faralya honey a trademark, so as to reach the global markets with our all-organic honey.
In that context, organizing a honey festival in 2011 is one of our top priority projects.
Another important product of our village is olive oil, which we also plan on featuring, to reach wider markets.
The other priority subject is, organizing English courses for the young people in our village recreation center during the months of winter and creating a library that would include books in foreign languages as well.
I would like to remind that we expect book donations from the foreigners who made Faralya their home.
For all your wishes and complaints, you can reach me at muhtar@faralya.orghttp://.blog.faralya.org  or by telephone: 0536 234 8798

Feb 26

FARALYA MUHTARI

BİLAL SEMERCİ
1965 Faralya doğumlu. İlkokul mezunu. Turizmle çok erken yaşlarda, 1984 yılında muhtar olan babası Sami Semerci’nin açtığı Faralya Pansiyon sayesinde tanıştı. Evli ve 3 çocuk babasıdır.

MUHTARLA ROPORTAJ
Faralya.org: Neden Faralya’ya muhtar olmak istediniz?
Bilal Semerci: 80li yıllarda babam muhtarken köyümüzde yol, elektrik ve telefon yoktu. Likya yolunu kullanarak, yetiştirdiğimiz sebze-meyveyi eşek ve katırlarla Ölüdeniz’e götürüp turistlere satardık. Babam köyde pansiyon açacağım dediğinde çok şaşırırdık. Bazı köylüler o odalarda tavukları mı yatıracaksın diyerek babamla dalga bile geçtiler. Babamın ne kadar öngörü  sahibi olduğu sonradan anlaşıldı.
Bürokratik engelleri azimle aşıp köye yol açtırdı, elektrik ve telefonu getirdi. Pansiyonumuza traktörle Ölüdeniz’den müşteri  taşıyorduk. Yemekler kazanda, ekmekler tandırda pişerdi. Köydeki tamamen doğal ve geleneksel yaşam tarzının bir parçası olmak, gece hamaklardan yıldızları seyretmek turistlere büyük keyif veriyordu. Buranın keşfedilmemiş bir cennet olduğunu söylüyorlardı.
Neticede bügünlere geldik. Artık asfalt yolumuz var. Bütün hanelere şebeke suyunu getirdik. Geçen yıl itibariyle internet geldi. Zaman içinde değişik ülkelerden yabancılar köyümüzde arazi satın alıp güzel evler yaptırdı. Köyümüze olan katkılarından dolayı kendilerine burada teşekkür etmek isterim.
Sorunuza gelince, adaylığım sırasında kullandığım slogan herşeyi özetliyor: Bu köye gerçek anlamda medeniyeti getirmek.  Diğer önemli konulardan biri ise, organik Faralya balının hak ettiği üne kavuşmasını, yani bal üreticilerinin bir kooperatif çatısı altında toplanıp Faralya balının bir marka olarak dünya pazarlarına ulaşmasını sağlamak.  Bu bağlamda 2011 yılında balcılık festivali organize etmek öncelikli projelerimizden bir tanesidir. Köyümüz ayrıca zeytinyaği üretimi açısından da önemli bir yere sahiptir ve bu ürünün de daha geniş pazarlara ulaşmasını sağlamak istiyoruz. Yine önemli olan başka bir konu ise kış aylarında gençlerimiz için köy evinde Ingilizce dil kursu açmak ve çeşitli yabancı dillerden kitapları da içeren bir kütüphane oluşturmaktır. Bu vesile ile köyümüze yerleşmiş olan yabancıların kitap bağışlarının ne kadar önemli olduğunu hatırlatmak isterim.
Her türlü dilek ve şikayetleriniz icin:
muhtar@faralya.orghttp://.blog.faralya.org   Telefon: 0536 234 8798

Feb 26

Kabak Koyu, Kabak Beach and Kabak Valley

Kabak Koyu, Kabak Valley and Kabak Beach Kabak Beach is untouched by tourism. A jewel in a crown of wonderful scenery and peacefulness. Kabak beach in Faralya is Just 10 miles (around 15km) from the tourist resorts of Ölüdeniz, and Hisarönü it makes you wonder why you are the only people wandering down the Lycian Path which meanders down the Kabak beach valley side towards the camp beach. The Lycian Way is an ancient long distance trekking route from Fethiye, Faralya Kabak beach to Antalya Kabak is an unspoilt village, with the number of houses being counted on one hand, and is the last place to be reached by car or Dolmuş from Ölüdeniz. As you reach the end of the road, there is a restaurant at the top of the Lycian Way path, Faralya Art House. It is the sort of place that you hope no one else finds, except you also want the businesses to flourish. Turkish law protects the Kabak beach valley, and a big hotel project, thankfully, was stopped several years ago. As we wound our way along the road to Kabak beach , going up and up, we looked back at Ölüdeniz and what a magnificent view we had. We could now clearly see the Blue Lagoon, the bays, small islands, St Nicholas Island and Gemeler Beach camp. We were the only English people going to Kabak beach on the dolmuş, and unsure of where we were going, sat more or less in silence and looked out of the window in awe of the astounding views at Kabak beach camp, as we made our way towards Butterfly Valley camp. Finally the bus stopped and turned around, I paid the 5YTL fair and the driver pointing to us the route to the Kabak beach. The route to Kabak beach? We had a climb down of some 600m or so, which the driver said “20 minutes” to Kabak beach. I knew the Kabak beach valley was pretty isolated but it was quite a surprise to find such beauty. We stood for a few minutes just looking at the views around Kabak beach, the mountains rising all around this magnificent valley, Kabak beach full of olive groves, citrus trees and we could see beehives too on Kabak beach. We stood at the sign, the Lycian Way, so another pleasant surprise, with a wonderfully marked trail Kabak beach, two painted lines, one red and one white, with every corner and turn marked with a downward pointing red line Kabak beach. We are used to well marked paths in the UK, but I must say this one out does most I have walked to Kabak beach .

 

Feb 25

Lycian Way Ultra Marathon

Lycian Way Ultramarathon, which is going to be the first ultramarathon in Turkey, is an international organization, based on endurance. The 240 km long racecourse is going to be run in 6 days.(consists of 6 laps, a single lap per a day)The racecourse is almost half of the ancient 509 km long Lycian Way.According to Sunday Times,Ancient Lycian Way is known as one of the 10 best trekking places in the world.To know more about the Lycian Way Ultramarathon let’s take a brief look about its details.

Difficulty around high levels

The route contains acclivities and declivities between the sea level and the mountains, has 800 meters altitude as well as totally different compositions of the ground like sandy and stony-rocky paths.

A glamorous historical contexture

The historical background of Lycian Way is about 3000 years.It harbored many civilizations for centuries which left marvellous ruins such as; ancient cities, castles, and, amphitheatres. The participants will run through a historical journey and also will share mystic experiences of midnight campfires.

Unique natural beauties

The Lycian Way is also unique with its natural texture as well as its historical characteristics. Different tones of green meet the most beautiful seaside of Turkey. The participants will have the chance of encamping in Patara ancient city which has the world’s third longest beach.

The route of the Lycian Way Ultramarathon, which is officially supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and is aiming to host many athletes from different countries all over the world, is arranged by Prof. Dr. Taner Damci who has already completed three world-wide known ultramarathons and also performs as the race consultant.

Lycian Way Maraton 2010

The race-course is about 250 km and will last 6 days. It starts on Monday,October 11 2010 and ends on Saturday, October 16, 2010. The lengths of the laps differ from day to day and the aim is to reach to the next target point without getting out of the time. Between these points of targets there are going to be checkpoints in almost every 10 kilometers, at where water and medical care is provided.

The main camps is located at the finishing point of every single lap and the participants will spend the nights in the tents.

A new course from Turkey will be added to ultra-marathons that have many followers around the world and that measure human endurance. The event supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will be held on the Lycian Way between Oct. 9 and 17.

Ultra-marathons are organized regularly in various countries around the world such as Greece, China, Morocco and Australia. Now, for the first time, an ultra-marathon will be held on the Aegean coast, the cradle of many civilizations. Ultra-marathons could be regarded as endurance races exceeding the normal marathon distance of 42 kilometers. Also, the races are performed on challenging racetracks such as trails, mountains, deserts and glaciers.

The race consultant for the Lycian Way Marathon is Professor Taner Damcı from the Metabolism Department in the Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, who himself has participated in ultra-marathons in various countries.

Every year, almost 70,000 licensed and unlicensed racers participate in these events. Both racers and volunteer personnel come from various countries around the world to take part in these races. Besides professional racers from five continents; also dedicated participants such as artists, businessmen, academics and ambitious amateurs from different professions come together in ultra-marathons. Some of these people take part in ultra-marathons to make some changes in their lives, contribute to social life and support non-governmental organizations rather than to win, become popular or earn awards. The main sponsor of Turkey’s first ultra-marathon is Novo Nordisk.

The Lycian Way Marathon will draw attention with its challenging racetracks for marathon runners who mainly focus on testing the limits of their strength. The specified route has rises and falls between sea level and 800 meters in the high mountainous regions. The marathon will be held amid the historic and natural beauties of the Aegean, but surface conditions will vary greatly along the course. For instance, there are beaches, dirt roads, rocky trails and forestlands that become slippery because of needle leaves and steep slopes. The Lycian Way Marathon has a high level of difficulty. The racetrack on which the Lycian Way Marathon will be run is regarded as among the world’s top 10 long-distance walking routes.

Racers will register Saturday, Oct. 9 and the marathon will begin Oct. 11. Participants need to carry their own food in their backpacks during the 240-kilometer racecourse. The organization will provide water and tents. Although the duration of race legs varies on each day, racers will try to reach the next target point without exceeding the time limit for each leg. Moreover, checkpoints will be established every 10 kilometers to provide racers with water and medical aid if necessary.

The Lycian Way

The roots of the ancient Lycian Way go back to the time the Lycian civilization that dwelled in the area during the 4th century B.C. The walking trail is 509 kilometers long and consists of 23 legs, starting from Fethiye and ending in Antalya.

Historic ruins, ancient cities, castles and amphitheaters located on the track are just some of the several hotspots. The trail continues along the Patara Beach, which is the third-longest beach in the world. Moreover, participants have the opportunity to camp near ruins such as the Patara ancient city. Besides its challenging conditions, the Lycian Way track is expected to attract many participants from all around the world to Turkey due to its historic surroundings and challenging track.

 

About the Route of 2010

  • The marathon is going to be run on a section of the Lycian Way, between 220 and 250 kilometers. The whole Lycian Way is 509 kilometers long between Fethiye and Antalya. The actual details about the racecourse and the road-map will be given to the participants just before the race starts.
  • The route contains acclivities and declivities between sea level and mountains, has 800 meters altitude,it has sandy, stony-rocky paths, dirt roads.
  • Partially existing causeways,make running and even moving faster so hard.On such sections quick walking is recommended.
  • The racecourse may cross over riverbeds. The depth of the water may differ from season to season.
  • For those ones having acrophobia, the some sections of the racecourse passing near cliffs may cause some problems.
  • For the summer season expected weather conditions in the area is warm during day but cooler at nights. However, high temperatures are not surprising.On some sections of the racecourse, since the valleys do not allow wind, weather may be irresistibly hot.
  • The racecourse of the Lycian Way is very well marked. The triple red and white strips over the rocks and trees define the route. Yellow signboards will partially tell you much about the rotation and distance, especially in the sections near the habitation. In some sections, in which the racecourse gets out of the Lycian Way and in some of those, there may be the risk of getting lost for the participants, some attendants and signs will be there. In such a case you get lost, please reach back to the last sign you have seen and try to find your way.
  • Using GPS devices is optional, also road-maps will be given to participants.Thus, to get information about approximate distances,ground-figures, the coordinates of road ends and, checkpoints is possible.
  • In checkpoints; water and basic medical services will be provided by the organization committee, the timings will be marked. The participants must run through the checkpoints and the main camping area.So, their ID cards are marked. Otherwise they will be considered as non-participated.
  • Another important detail about the race is self-sufficiency.The necessary food should be carried in the backpacks of participants during the race. The participant extra-food from others and the participant who gives extra-food to another will be disqualified. Also buying extra food during the race is not allowed. Organization comittee is allowed to make periodically backpack controls. In the main camping area drinking water, hot water, tents, camping fire and main medical services are provided. The distance between the checkpoints is ranging from 8 to 13 kilometers.Since the ground and the temperature have tough conditions, drinking water in the checkpoints may not be enough and satisfying for every individual�s needs. It�s recommended to use water storage systems or carrying extra water. But the participants should not be carrying too much extra water in their backpacks.
  • The checkpoint will be closed after an exceptable time interval according to the conditions. The participants, who couldn�t manage to reach the checkpoints in this period will be disqualified. The racecourse is suitable to be run 60% and to be walked 40%. This percentage may be come up to 80% to be run and 20% to be walked or 100% to be walked too, it is up to participant. The closing timing of the checkpoints will be determined within the conditions of a fast-walking participant.Walking slow or waste time on the way may cause not to be able to finish.
  • The director of the race is allowed to disqualify a participant out of the race because of many reasons like not following the rules. Exceptional behaviors,for instance disturbing the other participants, also may cause to become disqualified. The director of the race is allowed to shorten, to make longer or to cancel the racecourse. After the addition of the timing of all the laps the ranking of the runner will be acquired. The stops in the checkpoints and on the route will be added extra. In case there is objection about the timing, the official records are going to be used.

Conditions of Participation

The Lycian Way Marathon is going to take place in a roughness environment, harboring many handicaps. The participants ought to carry both their necessary and obligatory equipments in their backpacks. The participants will be accommodated in tents in the main camping area, in which they are going to be able to reach medical services (to keep them healthy) and also hot water (helping them to cook easier). In the checkpoints, drinking water and medical care (in case of emergencies) are going to be available for them.

  • The participants are ought to be older than 18 years. The younger ones are just authorized to participate under the supervision of their parents, which actually means that they will need one of their parents running together with them during the Marathon. The participants additionally ought to submit an Electrocardiogram test (ECG test) form and a special report of health, informing that there is no inconvenience for them to join to the Marathon. Both of these documents of health should be received in one of the last 30 days before the day of the Marathon. It is strongly recommended to the participants to have spent a successful period of preparation, since the race itself requires both a physical and mental sturdiness. Every single runner is going to sign up a contract before the Marathon starts, emphasizing that he (or she) participates to the race with his (or her) own desire and accepting that all the responsibilities belong to him (or her).
  • The participation to the race may come true both as a single person or a team. Individually every single participant will be lined up according to the general results and also to their gender and age. The participants, placed in the competition are going to be awarded some prizes with a ceremony after the race.
  • Every single team is to be composed of three participants and the race is going to take place in the same racecourse. The members of each team obligatorily ought to enter to the checkpoints together, as a group. In the event of discontinue of even a single member of a team to the race during the Marathon, the aforementioned team is to be disqualified. Every single member of each team are also considered as a single racer and even their team disqualifies they are going to be able to continue as an individual racer.
  • Every single racer (also the ones running as a team member) is allowed to use sponsorships. The logos of sponsors may hang both on the chest and on the backpack of the racer in a way, non-disturbing the view of their numbers. The other logos to be used except these areas are going to be defined by the committee of organization.
  • The individual fee of participation is determined as 500 Euros (€ 500). Every single member of each team is ought to pay his or (her fee) individually. This fee includes; the transportation services from Dalaman Airport to the first camping area, the alimentary services (food and drink) before the race starts, drinking water service during the race, checkpoint and camping services, medical services, insurance, depository services during the period of races, transportation services to the hotel after the Marathon ends, various accommodative and alimentary services, the service for any single participant of being transferred to the main camping area and the opportunity to join the personal in their meal in case of quitting the Marathon, the transportation services for any single participant after the activities (according to their request even in case of quitting the Marathon) to Dalaman Airport. The fee of being transferred from Istanbul to Dalaman and from Dalaman back to Istanbul for the participants, joining the group in Atatürk Airport, Istanbul is to be charged additionally.
  • The participants are ought to pay an amount of 300 Euros (€ 300) to the organization additionally as deposit, which is going to be paid back to the participants after they successfully finish the Marathon. Every single member of each team is ought to pay his (or her) deposit individually to get his (or her) deposit paid back personally after he (or she) finishes the Marathon successfully. The ones, which haven’t succeeded to finish the Marathon successfully as aforementioned before, are not going to get their deposit paid back.
  • The participation to the group is going to be arranged both in Atatürk Airport, Istanbul and in Dalaman Airport. The participants are going to be informed about the timing of these arrangements later. Any other opportunity of joining to the group is going to be denied.
  • The participants will have a health insurance against the possible injuries and illnesses. The fee of the insurance is already included by the participation fee.
  • The records of every single participant are going to be counted as the summary of their recorded times and penalty times. In case of any disapproval, the records of the organization will be counted as acceptable. Otherwise, the arrival timings to every single checkpoint are also going to be recorded and the ID cards of every single participant are going to be marked in the checkpoints.
  • The participants have the right to quit racing anytime and anywhere. They just ought to sign the quitting document up, within informing the attendants about the situation. The ID cards of the participants will be taken afterwards and they won’t ever be allowed to go back and continue with this race but they also are allowed to race in every single lap of the oncoming ones. The ones quitting the race shouldn’t better give their remaining equipment to the ones continuing the race, which makes the continuing ones disqualified.
  • A medical care crew will be serving during the race. The principal medical services are going to be available in the main camping area. Moreover, the simple medical services will be available in each checkpoint. The members of the medical care crew have the right to take any of the participants out of the race with their single-acted decisions according to the medical requirements, despite the preference of the organization, which is simply to keep them in, to make them able to finish the race.
  • The responsibility of the racecourse and the management during the race belongs to the race-director. The routes will be given to the runners before the race starts, as a road-map. In consideration of weather conditions or other factors the racecourse may be modified, the decision right belongs to the race-director. The locations of the checkpoints and the localizations of the main camping areas also may be alternated with the decision of the race-director. A kind of brief information about the actual racecourse will be given in every single morning by the race-director in English.
  • Every single runner gets a certificate and a medal after the Marathon, and the ones having been placed will be awarded with special rewards, which will be declared later. The ceremony will take place in the hotel afterwards.
  • Every single runner is considered as totally accepted the rules of the race.

with thank to: http://www.lycianwayultramarathon.com/

Lycian way Marathon for 2011 is 8 october – 15 october

Daily News

A new course from Turkey will be added to ultra-marathons that have many followers around the world and that measure human endurance. The event supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will be held on the Lycian Way between Oct. 9 and 17.

Ultra-marathons are organized regularly in various countries around the world such as Greece, China, Morocco and Australia. Now, for the first time, an ultra-marathon will be held on the Aegean coast, the cradle of many civilizations. Ultra-marathons could be regarded as endurance races exceeding the normal marathon distance of 42 kilometers. Also, the races are performed on challenging racetracks such as trails, mountains, deserts and glaciers.

The race consultant for the Lycian Way Marathon is Professor Taner Damcı from the Metabolism Department in the Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, who himself has participated in ultra-marathons in various countries.

Every year, almost 70,000 licensed and unlicensed racers participate in these events. Both racers and volunteer personnel come from various countries around the world to take part in these races. Besides professional racers from five continents; also dedicated participants such as artists, businessmen, academics and ambitious amateurs from different professions come together in ultra-marathons. Some of these people take part in ultra-marathons to make some changes in their lives, contribute to social life and support non-governmental organizations rather than to win, become popular or earn awards. The main sponsor of Turkey’s first ultra-marathon is Novo Nordisk.

The Lycian Way Marathon will draw attention with its challenging racetracks for marathon runners who mainly focus on testing the limits of their strength. The specified route has rises and falls between sea level and 800 meters in the high mountainous regions. The marathon will be held amid the historic and natural beauties of the Aegean, but surface conditions will vary greatly along the course. For instance, there are beaches, dirt roads, rocky trails and forestlands that become slippery because of needle leaves and steep slopes. The Lycian Way Marathon has a high level of difficulty. The racetrack on which the Lycian Way Marathon will be run is regarded as among the world’s top 10 long-distance walking routes.

Racers will register Saturday, Oct. 9 and the marathon will begin Oct. 11. Participants need to carry their own food in their backpacks during the 240-kilometer racecourse. The organization will provide water and tents. Although the duration of race legs varies on each day, racers will try to reach the next target point without exceeding the time limit for each leg. Moreover, checkpoints will be established every 10 kilometers to provide racers with water and medical aid if necessary.

The Lycian Way

The roots of the ancient Lycian Way go back to the time the Lycian civilization that dwelled in the area during the 4th century B.C. The walking trail is 509 kilometers long and consists of 23 legs, starting from Fethiye and ending in Antalya.

Historic ruins, ancient cities, castles and amphitheaters located on the track are just some of the several hotspots. The trail continues along the Patara Beach, which is the third-longest beach in the world. Moreover, participants have the opportunity to camp near ruins such as the Patara ancient city. Besides its challenging conditions, the Lycian Way track is expected to attract many participants from all around the world to Turkey due to its historic surroundings and challenging track.

with Thanks to: www.hurriyetdailynews.com

Feb 13

Lycia’s History – A Struggle For Freedom

Source with thanks to  http://www.lycianturkey.com

The history of Lycia is a story of fierce struggles against those who sought to invade and dominate it, as it was a very desirable region.  It appears that Greek efforts to colonize Lycia during the first millennium B.C. were largely unsuccessful even though there were several Athenian expeditions.

The first recorded instance of Lycian resistance fighting occurred around 540 BC when the Persians under the commander Harpagos overran all Asia Minor during the rule of Cyrus II (The Great). The Persians attacked the Lycian capital city of Xanthos and the Xanthosians put up a heroic fight.  In the end however, they chose mass suicide over surrender. The men of Xanthos gathered their wives, children and possessions in the acropolis and set fire to all before rushing out fighting to die to the last man.  Herodotus of Halicarnassos reports:

“The Persian Army entered the plain of Xanthos under the command of Harpagos, and did battle with the Xanthians. The Xanthians fought with small numbers against the superior Persians forces, with legendary bravery. They resisted the endless Persian forces with great courage, but were finally beaten, their womenfolk, children, slaves and treasures into the fortress. This was then set on fire from, below and around the walls , until destroyed by conflagration. Then the warriors of Xanthos made their final attack on the Persians, their voices raised in calls of war, until every last man from Xanthos was killed.”

This disaster was confirmed during excavations by a thick layer of ash covering the site.

Xanthos was later repopulated by about 80 families outside the city at the time of the mass suicide as well as other Lycian immigrants to the city.  Persian rule of Lycia actually proved to be quite mild, requiring only tribute, and the country was left to be ruled by its own dynasts. The state of calm that came over Lycia fostered economic growth and the strength of the region.  The abundant coinage of Lycia in the 5th and 4th centuries BC testifies to the great prosperity of Lycia at that time.  It was during this period that the first monumental rock-cut tombs were carved and the Lycian alphabet came into wide-spread use.

Lycia remained nominally under Persian rule in the late 5th century, but in practice was almost independent, as long as they kept paying their tribute to Persia.  In 480 BC the Lycians contributed fifty ships to the Persian King Xerxes’ invasion of Greece, though they later sided with Athens.

Around 470 BC the Athenian general Cimon was campaigning against the Persians in Lycia and from 454 BC the Lycians joined the Delian League, contributing ships and later, tribute.  Not that they had much of a choice. Plutarch tells us that Phaselis refused to join the League or admit Cimon’s fleet, so in retaliation Cimon “devastated their land”. Around 468 BC Cimon, with a fleet of 300 ships, arrived at the southern coast of Asia Minor and drove the Persians out of Lycia and neighbouring Caria.

 

Following the ousting of the Persians, as Athens and Sparta fought the Peloponnesian wars, the majority of Lycian cities defaulted from the Delian League, with the exception of Telmessos and Phaselis.  In 429 BC, Athens sent a expedition against Lycia to try to force it to rejoin the league.  This failed when Lycia’s leader Gergis of Xanthos defeated General Melasander.

The Lycians once again fell under Persian domination and by 412 Lycia is documented as fighting on the winning side of Persia.  The Persian Satraps (province governors/local military rulers) were re-installed, but allowed local dynasts the freedom to rule.  Gergis was suceeded by his son, Arbinnus of Tlos, who ruled Telmessos, Xanthos, Pinara and erected the temples of Leto and Apollo at Letoon.  There are a few theories about exactly what happened next in history, but it seems that the dynast Pericles of Limyra’s ambition was apparently to gain eastern independence from the rulers of Xanthos.  He may have defeated the dynasty at Xanthos and come to have controlled all of Lycia and neighboring regions to the north and east.  The Persians would not have allowed this shift of power and so, along with some other Anatolian regions and satraps, Pericles led Lycia into the Satraps Revolt in 362 BC in a bid to win independence.  When the revolt was crushed, Lycia was placed under the control of a Persian satrap of Carian descent, Mausolus (from whom we get the word Mausoleum), and became an occupied territory with garrisons put in strategic places.  From this time on, Carian rulers began suppressing the indigenous culture of Lycia and imposing Helleno-Carian culture.  The Letoon Trilingual text, discovered at Letoon in 1973 (now in the Fethiye Museum) discusses the introduction of two Carian cults in the heart of Lycia and gives clear evidence of Carian rule.

By the time Alexander the Great arrived in Lycia in 333/4 BC, the Lycians must have been fed up with Carian rule because we know that when Alexander arrived, he did not receive a hostile reception from the Lycians – it seems that he may have possibly been welcomed as a deliverer.  Xanthos opened its gates voluntarily, whereas before it had resisted foreign invasions, and all other Lycian cities quietly submitted to Alexander – save Termessos (sometimes reckoned as part of Lycia, sometimes as part of Pisidia).  Alexander never did take Termessos – its fierce people did not want his rule and he took one look at the city perched high on the mountain and then went around it.  It was of no use to him anyhow.  The Roman historian Anabasis Alexandri in his Campaigns of Alexander (the most important source on Alexander) tells us that Lycia added 10 triremes to Alexander’s gathered fleet which trounced Darius’ Tyrian allies at the siege of Tyre.  Lycian cavalry units were also incorporated into Alexander’s army, along with some from Lydia, Syria and other Asian satraps.

Following the death of Alexander, his generals argued over his conquests and Lycia, along with most of Asia minor, was taken over by General Antignus.  But in 309 BC, another of Alexander’s generals, Ptolemy, who declared himself king of Egypt, took over Lycia.  It was during this Ptolemaic rule which lasted over a hundred years, that Lycia began to lose a bit of its native character.  Greek was adopted by Lycia as the nation’s language and the Greek influence was also felt in art and culture. For example, the popularization of sarcophagus-tombs to replace the earlier rock-cut tombs. The rule of the Lycian dynasts ended with Pericles, as cities adopted Greek constitutions. It was also during this time that the democratic Lycian Union was formed. It eventually consisted of 36 cities.

The Ptolemies heavily taxed Lycia and forced Lycians to serve in the Egyptian army.  Lycia was then relieved by Antiochus III, king of the Seleucids (based in Syria) in 197 BC.  Phaselis, Limyra, Andriace, Patara and Xanthos are specifically mentioned as having been captured by him.

Shortly afterwards, in 192 BC, the Syrian War began when Antiochus refused the demands of Rome to halt his westward expansion and to withdraw from Greek cities in Asia Minor. Rome had previously issued a degree giving “freedom” to some of these cities, freedom under the sphere of Rome, a sphere which Antiochus now claimed as his own.  The two superpowers went head-to-head.

The Roman historian Livy tells us that Rhodes became an ally with Rome and suggested that they each detach part of a fleet to occupy Patara as the port was defensible, had good shelter for ships and was at a strategic place to intercept Antiochus’s fleet before it headed north.  The Romans and Rhodians were only able to detach eleven ships under the command of C. Livius.  The operation was a total disaster: when the ships reached Patara, they lost all hope of surprise or success when a heavy wind prevented them from reaching the city.  With darkness falling, they sought shelter in the port of nearby Phoenicus – modern-day Kalkan.  (note: today ships still find safe harbour in Kalkan when the seas are rough).  However, they soon found the hills above them crowned with Lycian townspeople from Patara and the kings’s garrison.  A ferocious battle raged as “more and more (Lycians) came out of the city in a constant stream and at last the whole of the able-bodied population were pouring out”.  These attackers could not be driven back within Patara’s walls until the very oarsmen from the ships galleys engaged in battle.  The Romans and Rhodians returned to their ships with considerable losses and abandoned the thought of any further attempt on Patara.

 The battle took place in this bay, the bay of modern-day Kalkan. Patara is just beyond these hills, the mountain in the distance sits at the western-most edge of Patara Beach (the beach is partially Patara’s silted-up ancient harbour).

In 190 BC Antiochus was defeated by the Romans at the battle of Magnesia.  The Roman historian Livy then tells us that Q. Fabius Labeo, who was in charge of the Roman fleet, went to Patara and had all the the king’s ships there (50 of them) broken or burnt up.

Lycia had contributed an army to Antiochus III which fought with him at the battle of Magnesia.  Rome punished Lycia by handing it over to Rhodes (with the exception of Telmessos).  Dreadfully misunderstanding the situation, the Lycians first sent an embassy to Rhodes desiring an alliance but were soon informed of their true situation.  The Lycians were extremely resentful of their harsh treatment in the hands of Rhodes and spent the next two decades fiercely fighting the Rhodesians and petitioning the Roman Senate. Finally, weary of the trouble and no longer allies with Rhodes, the Roman Senate in 167 BC removed control from Rhodes and granted semi-self rule to Lycia.  The one permanent result of Rhodian rule in Lycia was that Phaselis, a Rhodian colony, was from then on included in Lycia.

Read more about Rhode’s harsh treatment of Lycia and the probable cause of its desire to control Lycia.

Read by Polybius in his book Histories of the violent quarrel between Rhodes and Lycia and Lycia’s revolts.

Some time in the second century BC, probably near the beginning, two men, Lysanias and Eudemus, seized control of Xanthos and carried out executions in their attempt to set up tyranny.  A campaign of the Lycian League’s forces supressed them and restored order.  However, shortly after this, Eudemus made a second attempt at Tlos and once again the League’s forces were called out.  From this it is evident that the the Lycian Union was strong and ready to act in defense of freedom.

The formation of the Roman province of Asia in 167 BC left Lycia untouched and the Lycian League came into prominence.  In 88 BC the Pontic king Mithridates VI attacked and overran western Asia Minor and most places welcomed him as a liberator due to unsatisfactory Roman administration.  Lycia, however, was among the few who resisted, proving its loyalty and gratitude to Rome (for releasing Lycia from Rhodian rule).  Mithridates sent his officers to subdue Lycia.  They laid seige to Patara for a time, and committed the offence of cutting timber at a sacred grove at Letoon, Lycia’s sacred religious centre, to construct engines of war.  However, Lycia was was not effectively occupied and in 84 BC the king was defeated by the Romans.  Rome reaffirmed Lycia’s independence and showed its gratitude of Lycia’s loyalty by enlarging the Lycian territory with the addition of the three cities of Bubon, Balbura and Oenoanda.  Lycia’s friendship with Rome was soon furthered.  After the victory of emperor Gaius Julius Caesar over his former general Pompey in Pharsalus, he and his forces travelled through Asia Minor en route to Egypt.  Along the way Caesar receieved delegations from cities and communities who were anxious to be on good terms with him.  Evidently the Lycians were among these people and were rewarded with a treaty of friendship and reciprocal miliary alliance.   Such treaties were the foundation of the Roman Empire and one of the reasons for its military success and stability over the centuries.  However, Lycian did not come under direct Roman rule at this time, and did not do so until the time of the Emperor Claudius.

The peacefulness was not to last.  Lycia soon fell victim to the ensuing power struggle in Rome and its loyalty was tested.  In 42 BC Brutus passed through Asia Minor to collect money and soldiers.  Lycia refused to make contributions to Brutus’ resources and so Brutus attacked Xanthos, where the League’s soldiers were gathered.  The Xanthians battled fiercely, but once again, as 500 years before, the Xanthosians chose mass suicide over domination.   Myra was also affected by Brutus when he sent his lieutenant Lentulus Spinther to collect money; Spinther had to force an entry to the harbour at Andriace by breaking the chain which barred their way.  The Myrans then submitted and complied with his demands.  Patara also capitulated and the rest of Lycia followed. Lycia, not necessarily completely true).

Roman armies later took control of Lycia by beating Brutus and repaired Xanthos.  Antoninius, who had defeated Brutus, took over Rome’s eastern territories and allowed the Lycians their freedom.  Thus, Lycia remained the only part of Asia Minor not to be incorporated into Rome’s sphere of power.

Lycia again prospered, under the reign of Augustus which began in 27 BC. when he appointed Marcus Agrippa to administer the eastern provinces, the beginning of a period of benevolent and peaceful rule.

Lycian cities cultivated good relations with Rome, like many cities within Rome’s sphere of influence that were not actually part of Roman provinces.  An inscription from Oenoanda honors Piso the Pontifex when he was the governor of neigboring Galatia-Pamphylia in cira 12 BC and Myra erected a statue of their Roman patron in Ephesus, most likely the proconsul of Asia circa 28 AD.

In 43 AD, with the orders of Emperor Claudius, all of Lycia was annexed to Roman Pamphylia (Lycia’s eastern neighbour). The historian Cassius Dio tells us that this was done because Lycia had “revolted and slain some Romans.”  Unfortunately, he does not tell us anything more about the revolt.  However, Claudius’ real motivation was probably the desire for full control of supplies coming from Lycia.  By this time Lycia was an important source of timber from its vast pine and cedar of lebanon forests, and wheat.

Upon annexation, Claudius immediately commissioned a survey of the roads of Lycia.  Control of this road system was vital to Rome, both to ensure easy movement of their troops around the frontier provinces as well as delivery of crops to major ports.  A stone pillar recording the survey of Lycia was discovered in Patara and at Tlos there is a monument dedicated by the city to an army commander who was also Lycia’s commissioner of roads and insepector of the grain supply.  What may be a Roman way-station consisting of a small fort or watchtower, other buildings and a small bath has been found near an ancient road between Arycanda and Limyra, about a one-day’s walk from both cities. The area may have been a place of settlement, provinding relief for the imperal post (cursus publicus) and weary travellers.

After being incorporated into a province with Pamphylia, Lycia was administered by a governer whom the emperor appointed, Quintus Veranius.  However, the Lycian League still functioned under a special agreement with the Roman Senate and was politically distinct from Pamphylia.  Strabo tells us that the League decided on domestic issues and security while questions of war, peace and alliance (except in special cases) now rested in the hand of Rome.

Corruption in the eastern provinces does seem to have been somewhat of a problem around this time. According to the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus in his work ‘The Annals’, in 58 AD the former governors of the provinces of Asia, Cilicia and Lycia all had legal action brought upon them by the provinces. (The former governor of Asia was also charged with the murder of his pro-consul)  Eprius Marcellus, Lycian’s governor from 53 to 56 AD, was prosecuted for for misappropriation of funds.  Lycia sought damages, but Marcellus was acquitted. In fact, he had such influence that some of his accusers were punished with exile, “as if they had conspired the ruin of an innocent man.”

Under the emperor Nero Lycia was briefly freed from Rome in 67 AD, but was shortly thereafter re-annexed to Pamphylia under Vespasian in 70 AD following the civil war of 69 AD.  This arrangement continued happily until the composite province was split up by Diocletian in the early fourth century and Lycia became a separate province.

During the first and second centuries AD, the emperors Germanicus, Vespasian, Traianus and Hadrian visited Lycia for various reasons.  The emperor Germanicus and his wife Agrippina paid Myra a visit in 18 AD and were honoured with statues of themselves erected in Andriace (Myra’s port). Vespasian (69-79 AD) treated Patara with respect and made monetary contributions to public works in the region.  A large bath was built there during his time and dedicated to him. Hadrian (known as one of the Five Good Emperors) visited Lycia with his wife Sabina in 131 AD.  He was popular in most of his provinces and during his visits was usually greeted enthusiastically, in part thanks to the gifts and public works projects he offered.  He believed in strengthening the Empire from within through improved infrastructure and commissioned new structures, projects and settlements on his many travels.  Hadrian was warmly received in Lycia and he built huge graneries at Patara and Andriace and at Phaselis numerous buildings and statues were erected in his honour.  A emperor worship cult in his name was also formed at Letoon.

Zosimus, the Byzantine historian of the 5th and 6th century AD, tells the story of the death of a robber chieftan named Lydius the Isaurian (may be the same person as Palfuerius in the History Augusta) who was terrorizing Lycia and Pamphylia with his fellow brigands. The Isaurians were a people from the mountains on the borders of Pisidia and Cilicia, north of the Taurus range,a wild region inhabited by marauding bands notorious for causing havoc among neighboring regions.  The emperor Probus personally went to Lycia in 279 AD to put the terror to an end and Lydius was killed in the fighting.  Probus then constructed a fortress and settled large groups of veterans in the area, giving them land in exchange for the promise that their sons would also serve in the legions when they were old enough.

Lycia naturally underwent a process of romanization of its culture, art and daily life in its Roman period. Lycian aristocrats began to adopt Roman names and the emperor cult spread rapidly.

As was common in Anatolia, there was also a demand for wild animal fights and gladitorial games.  We know from L. Robert’s ‘Les Gladiateurs Dan L’orient Grec’ that in Pinara there was a man who was honored for organizing many spectacles in Lycian cites: bullfights (tauromaxi/a), hunts after animals by trained hunters (kunhgesi/a), shows of animals before they were slaughtered (prokunhgi/a), ritual sacrifices of bulls (tauroboli/a), and  qhriomaxi/a (the collective name for all sorts of fights: those between animal and human being (trained or not; armed or not) and those between animal and animal).

Someone organized prokunhgi/a at Xanthos, and tauromaxi/a and qhriomaxi/a were held at Letoon; in Telmessos: monomaxi/a and qhriomaxi/a; in Oenoanda: kunhgesi/a, qhriomaxi/a and monomaxi/a (gladitorial games).  Most likely these types of shows were held in other cities as well.

The presentation of these games was not cheap. An idea of the costs can be made from an 115 AD inscription from Oenoanda; a certain Licinius Longus gave 110,000 denarii to the Lycian League, 40,000 to Myra, 50,000 to Tlos and to his home town of Oenoanda he provided wild beast hunts and gladiatorial combats (and surely the cost of his generosity to his native city would have surpassed that of his gifts to Myra or Tlos).

Lycia prospered under imperial rule. Most of the sumptuous monuments and public works in Lycian cities dates from the Roman period, specifically from the the 2nd century A.D.  As trade expanded people became wealthier and many rich Lycians gave generously to their country. For example, Opramoas of Rhodiapolis personally financed almost 60 major monuments in all Lycian cities including the theatres of Xanthos, Tlos, and Limyra.

Lycia remained prosperous into the early Byzantine period, the basis of which was still timber, olives and wool, unlike most of the Mediterranean which grew prosperous from agriculture.  Lycia was home, this wood was one of the most demanded materials in antiquity – it was used for construction, ship building and coffin making.

The Decline of Lycia

Following two very large earthquakes in 141 AD and 240 AD some cities were unable to recover and Lycia began to decline somewhat. However, a distinct Lycian nationhood seems to have survived well after the arrival of Christianity in the 3rd century AD.

The spread of Christianity brought important social and cultural changes to Lycia.  It was not an easy transition however.  The first Christians in Lycia were detested, among other reasons, not for their religion, but for their refusal to make sarcrifices to the imperial gods, a treasonous offense.  The making of such sarcrifices was considered a civic duty for the good of the empire, believed to placate the gods.  When the Chrisitians refused, they became a threat to the well-being of their communities.

During the official ‘Great Persecution’ of the early 4th century (persecution began earlier than this), cities throughout the east were encouraged to petition the emeperor for special permission (and rewards) for expelling Chrisitians.  An inscription at Arycanda records that such a petition was made by the province of Lycia and Pamphylia.  Ultimately, however, the persecution failed and in 312 AD the emperor Constantine made Christianity legal with the Edict of Milan.  Several martyrs in Lycia are recorded in history and various micacles are said to have occurred.  The most important figure of Lycia’s Christian history was St. Nicholas (later known as Santa Claus), Bishop of the Lycian city of Myra.

Many ancient Lycian cities became Byzantine settlements of importance.  Twenty-five of them became seats of bishoprics.  What is interesting is that while carefully constructed monumental churches were built in Lycia’s mountainous areas in settlements so small that the names are unknown, buildings on the coast – even large churches – are known for their careless construction, often of rubble masonry.

Another natural disaster which no doubt helped along the decline of Lycia was the bubonic plague.  It wreaked havoc in Anatolia for 200 years, from 542 AD to the last outbreak of this pandemic in 745 AD.  This was the same plague that reduced the population of Europe by about 50 percent by 600 AD and has been seen as the cause of the beginning of the Dark Ages in Europe.  Through death, depopulation and the consequent abandonment of agricultural land and cities, the nature of Byzantine society and patterns of settlement and land use that had been established over centuries in Anatolia were changed throughout Anatolia.  This impacted the economy, currency and military also.  This 200 years of plague in Anatolia was a formative event and distinguishes classical and early Byzantine Anatolia from late Byzantine and Seljuk Anatolia.

Flourishing Byzantine Cilician coastal ports and cities were all abandoned during this period and there is no reason to suppose that Lycia was immune from the plague’s depopulation.  Indeed, Lycia’s Myra was struck by the plague in 542-3 AD, with one-third of the population dying, most likely brought by plague carriers travelling along the coast of Anatolia by coastal shipping trade and by the return of Christian pilgrims from Palestine and Byzantine shipping to Egypt (the plague spread from Ethiopia to the Sudan to Egypt 541 AD).  It was called the plague of Justinian because the Byzantine Emperor Justinian himself survived an encounter with it.  John of Ephesus described the plague as, “The wine press of the Lord,” and noted that corn was left unharvested in the fields.  Evagrius, wrote in 593, “I believe no part of the human race to have been uninflicted by the disease, for it occurred in some cities to such an extent that they were rendered empty of almost all their inhabitants.” Evagrius lost almost all the members of his family in the first four waves of the pandemic to sweep across Anatolia from 542 to 593.

Piracy and looting had started in the Late Roman Age and by the mid-7th century the Arabs had built a fleet that challenged Byzantine naval supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean. Their raids (7th-9th centuries) for loot and slaves, as well as piracy from the seas, eventually pretty much finished off Lycia, at least near the coast, as populations moved inland, cut off from old trade routes.

Some cities, like Patara, still held on but were eventually reduced to mere villages.  The Arab raids forced the town to retreat to a small area on the edge of the harbor and to build walls to create a protected inner port; by this time the town was very much shrunken.  Written records of the 9th century show that while Patara was still an important place, it was a village.  In the 10th century is became a naval base of the Byzantine Empire.  Its port is reported to have been used through at least the 15th century and the Sultan Cem signed a treaty there in 1478/9.  Church and chapel excavations point towards even greater shrinkage of the village and an increase in poverty.  Eventually, with too little manpower to keep the sand out of the harbor, it silted up, became plagued with mosquitoes and malaria and that finished it off.

Like the rest of the ancient world, as Lycia declined, pieces of buildings were dismantled for reuse in the construction of other buildings, especially lead and iron spoila.  For example, the wall surrounding the “Middle Ages City” at Patara is made of reused blocks.  In, column-drums and pieces of sarcophagi are used in a wall on Tlos’ acropolis. Some buildings were reworked, such as Patara’s Harbor Basilica which is built upon the remains of a temple, using the temple’s existing doors and columns. This occurred throughout the ancient world; the early Christians often built basilicas and churches over temples to erradicate them.  However, in other places, the building over adequate pagan temples was shunned for unknown reasons.  At Letoon, for example, there are three temples that would have been adequate for the construction of a basilica, but a 6th century basilica was instead built directly to the south of the temples.  It is not known if this occurred due to distaste of the surviving power of pagan belief or if the temples were not oriented in the proper direction.

Other buildings (and perhaps statues) were used to make lime.  There is a lime kiln at Patara next to the Harbor Bath that was used to turn the bath’s marble tiles into lime.  It is near a furnace that was used used to melt down the braces that kept the marble tiles affixed to the walls of the bath.  Another lime kiln is found on Patara’s Tepecik Acropolis.  Some very interesting things probably vanished into these kilns.

Some pagan religious buildings were destroyed during Byzantine times by zealous religious leaders in their effort to stamp out paganism (which points to the surviving power of paganism during that time).  St. Nicholas, the 4th century AD bishop of Myra and the future Santa Claus, had the renowned temple of Artemis in Myra – said to be the most splendid building in Lycia – completely destroyed, as well as many other temples in the area.  After his death, the church of St. Nicholas became a popular pilgrimage center and attracting pilgrims from home and abroad in all periods, even after his remains of were stolen in 1087 AD and taken to Italy.

Ottoman buildings in Elmalı

The country lay almost uninhabited for several hundreds of years until the Turks, led by the lords of the Teke Dynasty, settled the area in the 13th century.  Many fine Turkish monuments of these people can be seen today in highland towns such as Elmalı.  The area was known as the “Uç” (frontier) – wilderness – and the Turks too mainly kept to the high plateau and left the coast to pirates where they had semi-permanent settlements (in fact, the coast wasn’t cleaned up until the presence of the British Navy in the 18th and 19th centuries cleared the area).  Lawlessness and bandits were a problem throughout the land.  At the turn of the 19th century the Ottoman government began repopulating the coast with Greeks from the Aegean islands in order to balance the power of the local feudal lords. Many coastal towns like Kalkan (then called Kalamaki), the neighboring town of Kaş (Andifli) and Livissi (now deserted) came into existence at this time since the Aegean Greeks preferred to settle by the coast.  However, Anatolian Greeks were required to leave Turkey and settle in Greece after the war of 1919-1922 with the exchange of populations.

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