About 35 km. along the Antalya – Alanya highway, you turn north and continue 8 km. until Sillyon is reached. It was built on an ellipse shaped table-like plateau rising above the flat plain. Due to its location the surrounding areas can easily be seen, and in fact the view stretches as far as the Mediterranean. It was settled in the 4th century B.C. and it lived not only through the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods, but was also used by the Seljuks who also added buildings and increased its wealth. Some of its interesting sights are the stadium, gymnasium, turrets, Seljuk mosque, the theater whose proscenium is buried under rocks, and the sports arena Sillyon, This Pamphylian town, located between Perge and Aspendos, is situated on top of a flat-topped hill with almost vertical flanks.

With its unusual physical formation, the hill is easily recognizable even from a distance. Strabo mentions in his writings that the city, some 40 stad or 7.2 km, inland, was visible from Perge. It is generally accepted that Sillyon, like other cities in Pamphylia, was founded after the Trojan War by the heroes Mopsos and Calchas. A statue base found in Sillyon bears Mopsos’ name. Sillyon began to mint coinage in its own name in the third century B.C. On these coins the name of the city was written as Sylviys, which must have been changed to Sillyon in the Roman era. The name Sillyon is almost never mentioned in history except, for its appearance in Arrianos’ notes on the campaigns of Alexander the Great.

These notes indicate that the reaction of Sillyon’s residents to Alexander was hostile, in contrast to that of Perge, and that they defended themselves from a strong position, relying on mercenaries as well as soldiers. In any case it appears that Sillyon had been a military base since Persian times; the remains of buildings and fortifications from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk epochs reveal that the city preserved its military character for a long time. Climbing a simple path from Yanköy toward the hill, the first thing one encounters is the lower gate. Consisting of a horseshoe-shaped court with two rectangular towers. It is similar to Perge’s Hellenistic gate in its plan and masonry. On this basis it has been dated to the third century B.C.

Because Sillyon is situated on a steep-sided hill, there was no need to surround the city with walls. It was only in the west and southwest sections where the incline is at its slightest, that walls, towers, and ramparts were erected. These exhibit painstaking stonework and considerable technical expertise. The city’s oldest ruins lie north-east of the main entrance gate. The first structure one encounters here is a two storey, Sillyon high walled building from the Byzantine era; although it is in good condition, its function has not yet been ascertained. At the end of its lies one of Sillyon’s most important structures, a 7×55 metre palaestra of Hellenistic date. On its west wall are ten windows of differing dimensions. A little further on is a small Hellenistic building with an elegant door and carefully executed masonry.

The building’s fame is derived from an inscription written on the door in the local Pamphylian dialect. The inscription, thirty lines in length, is the longest and most important document in this dealect known today. It is a pity that a portion of the inscription was lost when a hole was made in the door at a later date. While the dialect, written in Greek characters, was used in a large part of Pamphylian until the first century A.D., it was gradually forgotten after that date and was replaced by Greek. At the southern edge of the plateau one encounters a sad scene. The Sillyon theatre and the odeon beside it, described as being in an excellent state of preservation in the 1884 Pamphylian travel notes of the Austrian researcher Lanckoronski, disappeared down the hill in a landslide in 1969; only eleven rows of seats from the cavea were left in place.

Immediately after the theatre, rock cut stairs with balustrades along the sides lead to Hellenistic houses of square or rectangular plan constructed in the meticulous stonework typical of that period. Going east, one sees a small Hellenistic temple. Rising above a podium measuring 7.30×11.00 metres, the temple’s cella wall and stylobate are still standing. According to existing architectural remains, the temple was of the Doric prostyle type. From the beginning of the thirteenth century the Seljuks settled in Sillyon in small groups, just as they did in certain other cities. In accordance with their custom they built a small, thin-walled, crenelated citadel on the acropolis. The most interesting building that has survived from the Seljuk period is a square, domed mosque in the north-west part of the acropolis.

Other than a few Byzantine and Seljuk buildings there are no important remains at the eastern end of the acropolis. On returning to the village from the upper gate, one passes a necropolis area consisting of simple graves, before arriving at a well preserved tower. Square in plan, the tower has two floors, with a door opening into the lower one. Doors on the upper level placed there for defensive purposes open onto the ramparts. The stadium is on a terrace south-west of the tower. It is in very poor condition; all that remains are the tiers of seats mounted on vaults running along its western length. There could not have been enough springs in the area to ensure an adequate water supply, since it is clear that importance was given to the construction of covered and open cisterns from the Hellenistic period onward.

Directly east of today’s village of Ucagiz, this ancient town, in which nature and history complement each other, is one where the picturesque attains a beauty of which one can never get one’s fill. Just as we have no knowledge at all of Teimussa’s history, there is also no known coinage from the site. The existence of tombs bearing inscriptions in Lycian points to settlement prior to the fourth century B.C. Aside from an entry gate, a few simple foundations and some walls in the sea, all of the visible remains consist of tombs. Two rockcut tombs in the form of houses, their doors broken, can be seen in a spot near the store.

On the tomb at the right is the figure of a naked child; above the door is a Lycian inscription typical of the fourth century. Continuing directly east, one comes to a wide area covered with Lycian sarcophagi from the Roman period. It is interesting that inscriptions on some of them mention individuals from Cyaneae or Myra, and inscriptions have been found saying that people who desecrated the tombs would pay their fines to those cities. In all likelihood, Teimiussa was a small settlement tied administratively to these two cities. At the town’s eastern end one descends to a small quay via steps hewn from living rock. As a result of settling of the terrain, sone of Teimiussa’s ruins are now under water, a feature that gives the site added attraction.

Also spelled Haran, Roman Carrhae, ancient city of strategic importance, now a village, in southeastern Turkey. It lies along the Balikh River, 24 miles (38 km) southeast of Urfa. The town was located on the road that ran from Nineveh to Carchemish and was regarded as of considerable importance by the Assyrian kings. Its chief cult in Assyrian times was that of the moon god. It is frequently mentioned in the Bible; Abraham’s family settled there when they left Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11:31-32). In Roman times, Carrhae was the scene of a disastrous defeat of the Roman governor Crassus by the Parthians (53 BC; see Carrhae, Battle of) and of a later defeat of the emperor Galerius by the Persian king Narses (AD 297).

The ruins of the Ulu Cami (mosque) in Harran. This 8th century center of worship and study in the Islamic world is one of the most impressive ruins in the area. According to the Old Testament, Abraham resided here and his father Terah died here. Harran is known for its interesting cone and cubic shaped dwellings. They are made of clay and known to be naturally very suitable for the hot climate of the region. These mud brick houses are up to 4-5 metres high and this height is considered to be the other reason for cool and confortable inside conditions. The present-day town of Harran is about 50Kms to the south of Sanli Urfa, a southeastern province of Turkey.

According to the tradition, Abraham was moving from Ur to Canaan which was in Promised Land (Gen.11:35), when he rested in Harran. The town is surrounded by a city wall. Although the wall was restored in the 12th century A.D., only five of its 12 original gates have survived till today. The ancient settlement was on and around the hill in the center of the town. This part has not been excavated yet. On the way up the hill there are two doorposts with markers indicating that this place was “Aran’s House” from which Abraham took Sarah.

Inscriptions indicate that Harran existed as early as 2000 B.C. The place is known to be one of the most important cult centers of that time. The temple of the moon god Sin was here. Sin was one of the great gods of the Assurian Babylonian pantheon.

The roof of the temple was covered with cedar tree from Lebanon. During early periods Sin was represented with a long beard and a crescent above a horned tiara. This was transformed into a single crescent only during the following centuries. Worshipping Sin continued until 6th century A.D. in Harran.

Harran became the capital city to Assurians during the reign of king Assurbanipal in the 7th century B.C. The Roman army led by Crassus in 53 B.C. was defeated by the Parthians in front of Harran and Crassus was killed. In 217 A.D. (April 6th), Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Cracalla was murdered here while he was on his way from Temple of Sin to the palace. Sin was an important god of Romans. A citadel was built in the 14th century in place of the Temple of Sin. This lies in the south-west quarter of the town.

The 8th century A.D. mosque called Great Mosque (Ulu Cami) which lies to the north slope of the hill. It dates back to the Omayad period. The tombstones of the Babylonian king Nabouid were found in this mosque and are on exhibition in the museum of Urfa today. The region has always been considered a very sipiritual ground by many cultures. The remains of the cult Holy Planet or Sabiers is only 60 Kms away from Harran. On an area with 1 Km radius there are various temples devoted to the cults of Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and Mercury. The Sabier cult maintained its existance until the 17th century A.D.

This mountain town in the Lycian region was built on terraces opening onto the steep and rocky slopes of a high hill. After successful excavations and restoration work carried out in recent years by Turkish archaeologists, a beautiful town has emerged, with a well organized plan that gives the appearance of an architectural model. The “nd” in the name “Arycanda” provides linguistic evidence that the city’s past goes back as far as the third century B.C. The oldest existing textual references date to before the fifth century B.C.

From what we have learned from coins of the Lycian League type that have been recovered, Arycanda lies within the general historical currents of the Lycian region and was one of the twenty three cities bound to the League. Arycanda’s principal official buildings, which are not enclosed by city walls, are situated on terraces. A stadium in the form of a running track is located on the uppermost terrace. Measuring 106 m. long and 17 m. wide, it is much smaller than the norm. A few step like seats on its north side are all that remain of the stadium.

On a lower terrace is a small but rather well preserved theatre of Greek plan. The cavea section, which lies in the natural slope of the land, consists of twenty rows of seats. At the edge of every row are holes for awnings which unfurled to protect the spectators from rain and sun. The stage building appears to be of separate construction, with architectural features that date it to theArykanda second century A.D.

On the terrace below this theatre is a second century A.D. odeon with a long mosaic-floored portico. Almost square in plan, the odeon is an extremely ornate building with its orchestra, seats, and walls all faced in coloured marble.

From the south it opens onto the portico in front via three large doors. To the front of the odeon is the city’s wide, flat agora enclosed on three sides by a portico. On the north west slopes of the city at the west end of the 137 m long stoa lies the bouleuterion, the building in which the people’s assemblies met. Inside the building, which Arykanda theatre is set into a slope, rows of seats for the members of the assemblies are cut into living rock. Vote chits made of fired clay, which, according to the number of holes piercing them, indicated “yes”, “no”, and “abstain”, were unearthed during excavations in the bouleuterion.

They provide the best possible proof of the existence of democratic government hundreds of years ago. Other ruins worth seeing are vaulted tombs constructed to temple plan and with podiums, which are found in the necropolis of the theatre. Southeast of the eastern necropolis are the remains of a large complex consisting of a gymnasium and a spacious four chamber bath.

According to the statements of Strabo, Myra was one of the six large cities of the Lycian League that had the right to three votes. However, no important information about the city is to be found in literary sources prior to the first century B.C. The earliest known Myran coinage dates to the third century B.C. From ruins spread over a wide area in the eastern hills of the plain of the Myros river (Demre Cay), and from tombs and Lycian inscriptions, it is evident that the city is much older, going back at least as far as the fifth century B.C.

Myra was on excellent terms with Rome. It is known for example, that Octavian was honoured as “the Emperor of Land and Sea, the Protector and Benefactor of the Universe” that Tiberius was deemed a god by the local population, and that statues were erected in honour of the Emperor Germanicus and his wife Agrippina after they visited Myra in 17 A.D. St. Paul stopped here and changed boats on his way to Rome in 60 A.D. The second century A.D. saw Mira honoured with the title metropolis, and this was a time when the city was the scene of great development. Wealthy and generous Lycians like Jason of Cyaneae, Opramoas of Rhodiapolis, and Licinius Longus of Oinoanda, rose to positions of high rank, and they reserved the bulk of their financial aid for Myra.

Under Byzantine rule, particularly in the fourth and fifth centuries, Myra was again an important religious and administrative centre. It was the capital of Lycia during the reign of Theodosius II (402-450 A.D.) As the place where St. Nicholas lived in the early fourth century, established his bishopric, and performed a series of miracles, it has had a special renown from the Middle Ages until the present day. The city lost its power as a result of Arab raids that began in the seventh century A.D., and suffered extensive damage yet again when the river Myros overflowed its banks. It now lies beneath a mound of rubble.

Myra is reached by passing between greenhouses and orange groves that stretch all the way from Demre. On arriving at the site, the first thing that catches the eye is Lycia’s largest and best preserved theatre on the southern slope of the acropolis. Still well suited to its original purpose, it is used from time to time today for festivals, Turkish wrestling matches, concerts and the like. In addition to being set into the natural slopes, it is in the form of two concentric semicircles to suppor the cavea. Its vaulted galleries served as both exit and entrance, and in the summer provided places where spectators could cool off from the heat of the sun.

One corner of the west gallery contains a fascinating inscription reading, “Place of the peddler Gelasius”. It is likely that in this little place he had marked off for himself, Gelasius sold food and drink to spectators just as they are dispensed in the snack bars in modern cinemas and theatres. In the cavea, which is divided in two by a broad diazoma, there are 29 rows of seats below and 6 above. The theatre was thus equipped to hold 9-10.000 people. The stage building is partially intact up to the second floor. From the stone blocks now piled up inside the orchestra, it is clear that a showy facade decorated with statues and rich architectural elements once stood here.

Myra’s necropolis occupies a notable place in architectural history because of the variety of tombs it contains. Today, aChurch of St. Nicholas large portion of them, often the subject of posters and cards, have been grouped together on the rocky slopes on both sides of the theatre. Nearly every centimetre of the rocks was put to use, adapting Lycia’s traditional wooden architectural forms, with great mastery, to stone. Plain examples stand alongside elaborately decorated and carefully planned ones that conform in shape to houses or temples. Taking a look at the principal examples, one of the most notable is a house type tomb on the lower level beside the theatre; carved at the centre of its pediment are two running warriors carrying shields.

A little higher, at approximately the middle of the group is a tomb decorated with a relief. The subject of the relief is a family assembly, with the tomb’s owner reclining on a couch at the centre; his wife, sitting on a chair behind him attended by her servants; and in front, his daughter and son who holds a bowl in his hand. The subject of a relief on the side consisting of two figures, is most likely a farewell scene between the father, who is preparing to go into battle, and his son. The father, standing proudly, outfitted with his battledress and spear, takes this helmet and shield from his small, nude son beside him. The middle relief depicts two youthful warriors standing with spear and shield in hand. The reliefs can be dated to the end of the fifth or the beginning of the fourth century B.C.

Rock tombs Another group of rock cut tombs on the eastern part of the hill is in a place called the “River Necropolis”. One of the house type tombs located here, the so called “Painted Tomb” has a relief consisting of figures and is mentioned prominently in archaeological literature. It is approached via stone steps. In the relief at the entrance to the tomb, stretched out on a couch at the left, is a man, the father of the family, holding a wine cup in his hand. Directly opposite, shown with her two children at her side, is a seated woman who must be the man’s wife. On the rock face outside the porch, another segment from the daily life of the same family is shown.

Moving from left to right, first there is a standing figure, the father, dressed and holding a long staff in his hand; on the right in her turn is the mother, holding her daughter by the hand. Next in succession are a female servant carrying a jewellery casket, a young man facing left and leaning on a staff under his armpit, and a small male child at the very back. Fellows states that these figures were painted blue, yellow, and red when he conducted his research in the area in 1840. Unfortunantely, no trace of this paint is visible today. Also in this group is a tomb with a two columned temple facade and a pediment on which a struggle between a lion and a bull is depicted.

As with the Painted Tomb, here a relief on the entrance shows a family gathering, the father reclining on a couch surrounded by the seven members of his family. Unquestionably, the most unusual and eye catching feature of the tomb is a relief showing two fantastic figures, one on either side of the door. These creatures are composites, their upper torsoes those of women with headdresses shaped like lions’ heads, their lower portions are shaped like a lotus blossom. On the high acropolis north east of the theatre are the remains of dwellings, towers, a church, and the walls of the city, which remain from several phases, from the fifth century B.C. to the Byzantine era.