touristic information of turkey » Finike

Limyra – Finike

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:28:55 +0000

Limyra is an antique city established on the Finike Plain, 110 km from Antalya and 6 km. from the sea, on the slopes of Tocak Mountain and in the middle of natural springs. The ancient name of the city was Zemuri. Limyra, and can be reached by following the road from the slope of Tocak Mountain, passing through orange gardens, and welcoming you with its rock tombs. The city is located around Acicay (Ad River), whose source originates from a spring near a rock tomb. Starting an opposition against the Persians, and claiming their rights to Lykia at the beginning of the fourth century BC, Tyrant Perikles chose Limyra as the capital city. Heroon, found during excavations under the Acropolis, is the tomb of Tyrant Perikles. Presumably, sea journeys between ancient Myra (today called Demre) and Limyra, in historical times, were made over Limyros, formed by the Limyra springs.

The city supported Antiokhos III, the king ol Seleukos, against the alliance of Bergama ant Rome at the beginning of the second centim BC. Sources state that Gaius Caesar, the step son of Emperor Augustus, during a campaign to Armenia, was brought to Limyra to be taken to Rome and that he died in this city in the year 4 AD. The grave of Gaius Caesar is on the west side of the city… Another interesting remain in Limyra is the theatre… The legends state that Limyra was affected by the earthquakes in Lykia and Opra-maous. A wealthy citizen in Rhodiapolis, the neighboring city, had the theatre repaired b; paying 20.000 dinars. A sarcophagus with inscriptions, called Xanbura, was discovered at the east end of the theatre on the road, during digs made in recent years. The floor where the water flowed from a source at the southeast of the theatre, was tiled with block stones. Benches found near the water show that the people oil the city may have been using this part of the] city for relaxation.

Finike

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:13:30 +0000

Finike, a perfect blend of history, nature and sea, is a tourism spot in Antalya Province. The district draws attention with the ruins of Limyra and Arykanda ancient cities. It is also famous for its oranges.

It is founded with the name Phoinikos at the entrance of Aykırı (Arykandos) Brook in the 5th century B.C. It is supposed that the name ‘Finike’ comes from the Phoenicians who used the region as a trade centre. Limyra, the capital city of the region, was known as the harbour where the export of its agricultural produces was carried out.

With hot and dry summers and warm and rainy winters, Mediterranean Climate is dominant in the region.

Arykanda – Finike / ANTALYA

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:31 +0000

The ruins of Arykanda are on the Elmali-Finike highway, in the village of Arif’s Aykiriçay district, 30 kilometers from Finike. The city was an Anatolian city in the second century B.C., and it was called Anna. But objects unearthed at the site has enabled archaeologists to date the city to as early as the fifth century B.C.. Like other Lycian cities, Arykanda was under Persian rule in the fifth century B.C.. Alexander started ruling the city in 333 B.C. After his death, the city was taken by the Ptolemies followed by Seleucids. After the Apameia Agreement, the city was taken under the sovereignty of Rhodes. After some years, together with a number of other Lycian cities, Arykanda also left the dominion of Rhodes. The cities which gained their freedom formed the Lycian Union. Arykanda also joined the union and printed their own coins. This situation continued until the Emperor Claudius ended the Lycian Union in 43 A.D. After this date, Arykanda was connected to Rome. The city was called Akalanda in the Byzantine era and it existed until the ninth century A.D. After that time, it was moved to an area on the south of the highway.

This is the reason why the Arykanda ruins are spread over such a wide area, starting from Aykiriçay’s spring and continuing all the way to pahinkaya. The ruins become more frequent over the terraces. On top of these terraces in pahinkaya, there is a stadium which is only half as large as normal stadiums and it has seats only on one side. There are niches between the seats. There is a very well-preserved theater of Arykanda in the middle of the terrace below. There are also stairs that lead down to this theater. The seats are placed on a natural slope. Theater was built in the Roman era and it is based on a Greek plan. The top two rows of the 20 rows have Greek writings on them. The city’s odeon lies on the terrace below theater.

Between the bouleterion and the agora, there are the remains of a small Turkish-style bath and a fountain. Below the agora, there are remains of a larger Turkish bath. The first two floors of this structure still stand today. Next to the bath, there is a gymnasium and to the west, there is a house with inscriptions on it.

Above the Turkish-style bath, on the terraces, there is the eastern necropolis of Arykanda. The western necropolis, on the other hand, starts from the cliffs to the west of the city and stretches to the spring of the Aykiriçay River.

There are very few rock tombs in Arykanda. Most of these are near Aykiriçay. Apart from the rock tombs, there are also water channels carved in rocks forming an interesting view. Evidence shows that the people of Arykanda used to get water from the spring of Basgoz. The water channels are connected to two large cisterns (water tanks) to the west of gymnasium. This section of ruins on top of the mountains has an extraordinary view.