|
|
|
|
UPDATING
THE INFORMATION AND PICTURES...
The
exact origins of the ancient town of Telmessos, over
which the modern town of Two earthquakes in 1956
and 1957 destroyed a large number of its ancient
monuments. Fortunately the collection of rock tombs
cut into the cliff has remained intact. In fact, it
can be said that Fethiye boasts some of the best
Lycian.
|
|
|
|
Kaunos
: According to Herodotos, the inhabitants of Kaunos
considered themselves descendants of Architectural and
structural elements of the so-called Roman Theatre are
of evident Further up stand what is left of the Roman
Baths, of a Palaestra almost certainly of the same
period, a Byzantine place of Myra.These ruins include
a score of tombs arranged on the cliff in a jumble
overlooking the sea; perhaps this is the most amazing
collection of rock tombs in the whole of Anatolia.
Myra comes from the Greek word "mirra"; we
know for certain that it dates back at least as far as
the 5th century B.C. and was one of the most
important |
|
|
towns
in the Lycian Federation. Its superiority lasted in
time; in fact, during the Byzantine era Theodosius II
promoted it to capital of Lycia. Unfortunately, its
promotion coincided with the Arab predations that
commenced during the 7th century and continued for
over two centuries. In 809, Myra was conquered by
Harun el-Rashid and the city was gradually abandoned. |
|
|
|
|
|
Evidence
of its glorious past are the rock tombs dating back to
the Lycian era and the Greco-Roman theatre. On the
subject of its unique necropolis, it was a
Lycian custom to bury their dead high up because they
believed that in this way they were more easily
transported to heaven. These funeral monuments date
from the 6th to the 3rd century B.C.: built isolatedly
or |
|
cut
out of the rock-face, several of the facades have flat
or sloping roofs carved to imitate wooden beams
supported by pillars, suggesting that they are copied
in form from wooden temples; the Greek temple is
revealed by the rich decorated architraves. |
|
|
|
|
The
richness of decorations — some still have traces of
color and in particular the magnificence of sculptured
bas-reliefs, usually portraying the dead person
surrounded by his family, testify to the exceptional
taste and artistic sense of local artists for the
time.
The
same decorative taste can be found in the theatre,
built in Greek style, that is, |
|
|
against
a hill with fourteen flights of steps dividing the
cavea in thirteen sectors, with twenty-nine rows of
seats in the lower part and nine in the upper. Here
too the stage wall featured bas-reliefs with garlands,
friezes and theatrical masks. |
|
|
|
|
|
