The mysterious Lycians

Last Updated on March 8, 2019

The Lycians

Who were the Lycians? It’s a good question… and not one with an easy answer.

The records of these ancient people aren’t as detailed or numerous as their contemporaries. There are a lot of assumptions that need to be made when putting together a clear picture of the Lycians.

It’s a question worth asking as a visitor to Turkey, though.

The ruins of their civilisation are spread out across a significant part of the country and the sites are an important part of any historical tour of the region.

What we do know is that they lived in the area which is now central Turkey, stretched between Antalya and Fethiye from at least 1500 BC (although probably from much earlier) until about the 6^th century AD.

Their location put them right at the nexus of Greece and the Eastern world – and this meant they picked up influences from both sides.

Unlike most groups during this period, the Lycians were not barbaric. They were actually respected for having an extremely stable form of democracy within their political structure.

Not only were they unusually harmonious internally, but they managed to avoid too many major conflicts with their neighbours.

They have been compared to the Swiss of today: wealthy, hard-working, neutral but defensive.

Xanthos-Letoon, Turkey

Even today, the capital of Lycia gives you the impression that this was a civilisation that was able to do things on a grand scale.

The twin sites of Xanthos and Letoon are only about 60 kilometres from Fethiye but are slightly tricky to get to if you don’t know what you’re doing.

They are not an obvious stop for tourists passing through although tour buses of Turkish locals are more likely to stop there.

It’s a pity, because both locations (which are about five kilometres apart and I easily walked between) have a lot to offer.

Not only are they an interesting insight into the Lycian culture but also they show the influences that came from both the west and east.

So, here in photos, are some of the highlights of the two sites.

The amphitheatre at Letoon:

The temple of Artemis in Letoon:

The nymphaeum at Letoon:

The amphitheatre at Xanthos:

The ‘Harpy tombs’ at Xanthos:

The hill tombs at Xanthos:

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more info click here. You can see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve visited here.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT TURKEY?

To help you plan your trip to Turkey:

• What you need to know about the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia
• Visiting the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul
• Why this is an important part of Istanbul’s World Heritage Site
• The beautiful travertines that are worth the visit
• The City of Love: Is this Turkey’s best ruins site?
• The museum at Bodrum that takes you under the water
• Why the Lycians were such an important part of Turkey’s history
• See the Lycian tombs from the centre of Fethiye
• Saklikent Gorge offers the perfect natural adventure
• How to make (and eat) Turkish Gozleme

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a tour of Turkey, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours of Turkey.

You could consider:

• The best of Turkey (8 days)
• Turkey Multisport (10 days)
• Absolute Turkey (15 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you should use World Nomads for your trip.