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  • UNESCO

The mysterious Lycians

November 1, 2020 | Michael Turtle | 25 Comments

WORLD HERITAGE SITE

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.

Xanthos Letoon, World Heritage Site, Turkey

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 6th 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, World Heritage Site, Turkey

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:

Xanthos Letoon, World Heritage Site, Turkey

The temple of Artemis in Letoon:

Xanthos Letoon, World Heritage Site, Turkey

The nymphaeum at Letoon:

Xanthos Letoon, World Heritage Site, Turkey

The amphitheatre at Xanthos:

Xanthos Letoon, World Heritage Site, Turkey

The ‘Harpy tombs’ at Xanthos:

Xanthos Letoon, World Heritage Site, Turkey

The hill tombs at Xanthos:

Xanthos Letoon, World Heritage Site, Turkey

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN FETHIYE

You’ll find a lot of accommodation along the coast and in the blocks back towards the centre of town.

BACKPACKER

For a fun hostel that’s welcoming of all types of travellers, I would recommend Chillsteps.

BUDGET

You’ll often get great deals for the rooms at the lovely Infinity Exclusive City Hotel.

BOUTIQUE

For something a bit special, have a look at Ece Hotel Sovalye Island just off the coast of Fethiye.

LUXURY

And there are some beautiful luxury hotels but I think one of the best is Yacht Classic Hotel.

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.
Turkey Travel Guide

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.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. D.J. - The World of Deej |

    September 15, 2012 at 9:36 am

    Reply

    I remember learning about the Lycians in my World Civ class in college. Until I read this, I had forgotten most of it:)

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:06 am

      Reply

      That must’ve been a pretty detailed class if they were telling you about the Lycians. I don’t think we even came close to learning about them at school. Or maybe I’ve just forgotten too 🙂

  2. Natalie |

    September 15, 2012 at 2:47 pm

    Reply

    My friend always says the Lycians were “them clever dudes!”

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:06 am

      Reply

      Ha ha – that’s a perfect description of them from what I know!

  3. Laurence |

    September 16, 2012 at 3:45 am

    Reply

    For a brief short moment I hoped this was going to be a post about Kate Beckinsale fighting werewolves whilst clad in tight PVC. Ah well.

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:07 am

      Reply

      Ha ha ha… I’m so sorry to disappoint!!! 🙂

  4. Angela |

    September 16, 2012 at 10:01 pm

    Reply

    Very interesting, it always fascinates me to explore these ancient populations and try to connect them to each other. When I researched Lebanon’s Phoenicians I loved finding out they had commercial ties with our own nuragic civilization in Sardinia. It would be very interesting to see who Lycians had links and relations with.

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:09 am

      Reply

      I think the Lycians are a group that would have had a really interesting history. I’m sure there’s a lot more research I could do about them, but it’s a pity there aren’t as many records of their civilisation as there are others of the time.

  5. crazy sexy fun traveler |

    September 17, 2012 at 4:09 am

    Reply

    Ohh, I would love that place! History, and more history!

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:15 am

      Reply

      Definitely a good place for the history buffs… at least a good starting point to find out more about the Lycians.

  6. Kurt |

    September 18, 2012 at 2:16 am

    Reply

    The Lycians were an interesting group in history. Known for their slings if I remember right.

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:16 am

      Reply

      Seriously? Their slings? I didn’t know that… although clearly there’s a lot that I don’t know about them…

  7. Elmer Cruz |

    September 18, 2012 at 11:50 am

    Reply

    Loved the photos!

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:22 am

      Reply

      Thanks!

  8. vagabondette mandy |

    September 18, 2012 at 6:45 pm

    Reply

    Great pics! I am thinking of walking the Lycian way next year and this was great motivation! I included it in my weekly roundup here: http://vagabondette.com/weekly-roundup/weekly-roundup-september-12-2012/

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 20, 2012 at 2:24 am

      Reply

      Walking the Lycian way sounds more and more interesting, the further I investigate it. It was extremely hot when I was there in August, though. I wouldn’t want to be trekking along in that weather!

      • vagabondette mandy |

        September 20, 2012 at 7:00 am

        Reply

        No, it is definitely not a summer activity!

    • Dominique de Borrekens |

      October 6, 2016 at 12:12 am

      Reply

      Perhaps Read ATULYA K BINGHAM”s Ashe”s trail (2014) a good read… & it really feels like she describes when you are over there..

  9. The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) |

    September 20, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    Reply

    Great info, dude! I don’t know much about the Lycians. I definitely have to make it to Turkey one day. These ruins are spectacular. We would love to be able to spend at least a month in Turkey when we do go. Great photos.

    • Michael Turtle |

      October 1, 2012 at 3:24 am

      Reply

      Thanks! There’s a lot more to discover about the Lycians than I saw. It’s definitely worth delving into their history and culture a bit when you’re there.

  10. Mellisa Turner |

    September 25, 2012 at 5:56 pm

    Reply

    Historic tours have always fascinated me as they open an opportunity to unravel the past. These are some beautiful stills here. These ruins are suggestive of the fact that the Lycians believed in aesthetics, creativity and art.

    • Michael Turtle |

      October 1, 2012 at 3:37 am

      Reply

      You’re right – the Lycians clearly had a deep understanding of aesthetics. From everything I’ve read, they seemed like a very advanced group of people.

  11. Sasha |

    January 7, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Reply

    According to some recent theories the Lycian land was inhabited by migrating ancestors of todays Serbs/Croats from the area of Lika witch still exist today. The old name of Xhantos was Sirbin according to Strabon. Sirbin was the name used for Serbs (a general name for all Slavs actually in that time) in the ancient time because they inhabited all lands north of Greece in many different clans (illyrian, thracian, panoinian, etc). So what a hell the Serbs are doing there? At this moment the theory has shown major genetic similarities of the Dinaric Serbs/Croats with them. It seems they migrated from.the Danube delta to.these area before any Greeks (Greeks calles them barbarians when encountered them) Christian Orthodox priest Svetislav Bilbija has translated this Sirbin text of the obelisk using old Serbian cyrillic (Srbica) and found that the text is a codelaw meant for Serbs/Sirbians, the inhabitants. It contains rules about governnace, family, enemies etc. On the translated text the name SRB accurs few times witch cannot be a coincidence. Why these info is still not available in wider western public i have no idea but in combination of recent findings of the extent of Danube civilization, their writing and culture that predates anything known to man today is a revolution in history and archeology. If you need info let me know on morskisrle”SIGN”hotmail.com Cheers.

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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