The area now designated the Antalya province is the general center of classical Lycia. Milas was included by some writers in the district, but the more important cities seem to have been Patara (Gelemls) in the Xanthus Valley, Telmessus (Fethiye), and Myra (Demre). Perhaps it is Lycians who are mentioned in an Egyptian account of the Hittite battle at Kadesh. They may also be the Luqqa of fourteenth and thirteenth century Hittite documents.
Lycia was a geopolitical region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey, and Burdur Province inland. Known to history since the records of ancient Egypt and the Hittite Empire in the Late Bronze Age, it was populated by speakers of the Luwian language group. Written records began to be inscribed in stone in the Lycian language (a later form of Luwian) after Lycia’s involuntary incorporation into the Achaemenid Empire in the Iron Age. At that time (546 BC) the Luwian speakers were decimated, and Lycia received an influx of Iranian speakers.
Lycia fought for the Persians in the Persian Wars, but on the defeat of the Achaemenid Empire by the Greeks, it became intermittently a free agent. After a brief membership in the Athenian Empire, it seceded and became independent (its treaty with Athens had omitted the usual non-secession clause), was under the Persians again, revolted again, was conquered by Mausolus of Caria, returned to the Persians, and went under Macedonian hegemony at the defeat of the Persians by Alexander the Great. Due to the influx of Greek speakers and the sparsity of the remaining Lycian speakers, Lycia was totally Hellenized under the Macedonians. The Lycian language disappeared from inscriptions and coinage.
On defeating Antiochus III in 188 the Romans gave Lycia to Rhodes for 20 years, taking it back in 168 BC. In these latter stages of the Roman republic Lycia came to enjoy freedom as part of the Roman protectorate. The Romans validated home rule officially under the Lycian League in 168 BC. This native government was an early federation with democratic principles; these later came to the attention of the framers of the United States Constitution, influencing their thoughts.
Despite home rule under democratic principles Lycia was not a sovereign state and had not been since its defeat by the Carians. In 43 AD the Roman emperor, Claudius, dissolved the league. Lycia was incorporated into the Roman Empire with a provincial status. It became an eparchy of the Eastern, or Byzantine Empire, continuing to speak Greek even after being joined by communities of Turkish language speakers in the early 2nd millennium. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in the 15th century, Lycia was under the Ottoman Empire, and was inherited by the Turkish Republic on the fall of that empire. The Greeks were withdrawn when the border between Greece and Turkey was negotiated in 1923.
Lycia today is a substantial component of the Turquoise Coast. It is of interest not only for recreation and sport, but as a location of antiquities going back as early as the Bronze Age. The ruins of ancient Lycia are seemingly everywhere. For reasons unknown, perhaps isolation, recycling of the building stone was minimal compared to other regions.
Lycia,
Unique, romantic and thought provoking image. The tombs are Dalyan and very special. Love them at day and night such a different perspective and atmosphere at night.
a lazy trip down the river with great views and an understanding of the area culture. part of the dalyan departure day
soonly seen from boat on way to beach but ok have beeb spoilt having seen lost city of petra ones!! so not that brillient
We only viewed these from the river boat so couldn't get up close and personal. They looked really marvellous and would have loved to have got closer. They were magnificent structures though.
should be done to protect these from damage as they are slowly disappearing year on year. should be advertised that behind them is the ancient city of Caunos
Started out a bit slow, food was good enough, nothing special.
Went to see the graves, but we where too far away for it to be very exciting, afterwards we got to see the turtles eating crab and we went bathing @Turtle beach which had a lovely temperature of 30°C and was very refreshing 😀
This trip is a must!
fascinating site been coming to dalyan for years and their still fascinate me .these tombs are the best example on the lycian coast and their is also the ancient city of canous near by about 15 mins walk
Interesting not everyone's cup of tea though. Guide was very knowedgable
A fabulous trip, make sure you wear some shoes you can walk up rocky hills in. You may also be taken to the trout farm, lovely and also very delicious. This trip is great if you go by jeep
The boat trip took us as closely as possible to the tombs, views were good and we got great pictures andvideo