Xanthos – Letoon – Kaputas Beach

Main Info

XANTHOS

Xanthos – the capital of the Lycian state in the past is one of the most famous ancient cities in Turkey. In the old days it was the largest political, commercial and cultural center of the Mediterranean region, which maintained this status for 8 centuries. This is evidenced by numerous architectural monuments belonging to various historical periods. The ruins of the ancient cities of Xanthos represent the most unique surviving example of the architecture of the ancient Lycian civilization, which was one of the most important cultures of the Iron Age in Anatolia. Translated from Greek, “Xanthos” means “yellow”. The city is located in the southwestern part of the country, in the province of Mugla. It is located in the valley of the river of the same name, not far from the modern village of Kınık. Xanthos is surrounded on all sides by the high spurs of the Taurus Mountains.

LETOON

Letoon – one of the most important sacred cult centers of ancient Lycia, was dedicated to the titanide Leto and her children from Zeus – Apollo and Artemis. The earliest archaeological finds discovered at the site of the sanctuary date back to the 7th century BC. During the excavations, led by archaeologists in 60’s, the foundations of three temples dedicated to Leto, Apollo and Artemis were discovered. In addition, a stele with inscriptions in three languages ​​(Greek, Aramaic and Lycian) dating back to 358 BC was found at the site of the sanctuary. The archaeological complex also includes the ruins of a theater with a covered gallery, a nymphaeum, a Byzantine basilica and the tomb of a noble Roman. The ruins of Letoon were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.

KAPUTAS BEACH

Kaputaş, which has the blue flag, is at the top of the list of the best beaches in Turkey. It is located between steep cliffs where a deep canyon meets the sea.  This beach, which has an untouched natural beauty, is visited by tens of thousands of tourists from different countries of the world every year. The main features that make this beach different from its counterparts are that it is located at the end of a canyon and has turquoise clear water thanks to the spring waters coming out from under the sea. There is also an exotic blue cave 1 kilometer from the beach, which you can visit by renting a boat.

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