Category: Archaeology

The ancient ruins of Cedrae in the island of Saray, date back to the Hellenistic Roman era. What is known as the City Islands is comprised of Orta Island and Kucuk Island. The remains of the ramparts can be easily seen from the distance. The island took its name from the rumour that Cleopatra swam with the locals in a small bay at the northwest of the island. Furthermore, she was supposed to have entered the sea with Mark Anthony, the sands of which were transferred from Northern Africa via ships by Anthony which may be true as this type of sand is only seen in Egypt.

The remains of buildings surrounded by ramparts on the east of Saray island date back from the Roman and Hellenistic period, and the small amphitheatre is in the best condition. The Christian Basilica was constructed over the pedestals of the Apollo Temple, belonging to Dors. There is an Agora on the west of Saray with inscriptions suggesting that athletics festivals devoted to Apollo were organised in the region. There are Necropolis ruins at Kucuk Island, as well as column reliefs.

The Acropolis was built on an extremely steep hill, approached by a winding road ascending some 300m. In this uniquely designed city, religious, official, social and commercial buildings are all found side-by-side. The King of Pergamum is on the top of this hill, which has been inhabited since ancient times. There are also five cisterns and an arsenal on the hill. Below these buildings is the Temple of Athena, as well as the Library and the Temple of Trajan. The Altar of Zeus was carefully placed below these buildings on a terrace.

One of the steepest amphitheatres in the world is found here. The lowest section of the acropolis is the gymnasium and the Temple of Demeter. Because of the topographical location of the city and the course of the main street, all the buildings of the acropolis are line up in a north-south fashion, but the buildings all face west so that they can be seen from far away. The Altar of Zeus was not encircled with colonnades for the same reason. The Agora and Athena Temple also have an unobstructed view of the plain.

Settled down on skirt of Cebel-i Reis mountain elevating at the entrance of Dim valley on Taurus Mountains, about 25 km away from Alanya. The nearest village is Gozukucuk.In the border of the region known as Mountainous Kilikya Region in the ancient times. Strabon mentions the town as having a harbour and being established on a hill in chest shape. The important ruins of the town remaining at present are observatory towers, Caracalla exedra, an Odeon or theatre, Zeus Megistos temple, Apollo temple, Caesar temple, an agora, a bath and a necropolis.

Non-existence of ruins from the Hellenistic times is due to the fact that the town was under control of pirates during then and therefore improvement was not made sufficiently. Inscription dating the town from the 6th century BC in Phoenician language and found in the town is exhibited in the Alanya museum. Other important art discovered in the town is a “diploma of a Roman soldier” being exhibited in the Alanya Museum, which gives information about military aspect of the town. The ruins are dated from the Roman period.

It is located near Avsar village, 15 kmto the east of Millets, at the shore of the Bafa Lake. Strabon stated that Myus was founded by Kydrelos, son of Kodros, the king of Athena. According to Strabon, it is one of the cities included in the Panionion Union. Herodotus stated that Persian fleet anchored to Myus off-shores in 499 BC. However, Herodotus declared that Myus took part in the Lade Sea War in 494 BC. with only three ships. Dionysus tempest of which name is being mentioned in ancient resources and which is made of white marble has been found during the digs. Today, we see in the city, some parts of Dionysus tempest, and rampart walls of the Archaic Period and the ruins of Byzantine castle.

The first natives of the Ancient Phocaea or Phokaia settlement in the place of today’s Old Foca are known as the immigrants who came from the Phokis environs in Greece. Phokaia which had two ports had grown in a short time and became one of the most important port cities of the ancient times. The city lost strength during the Persian rule in West Anatolia and could only join the lonian Revolt in 500-494 B.C. with three ships. Afterwards the city maintained it’s free status, however the damage that the Persians caused was so great that Phokaia never regained its original magnificence.