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History Tours - The Lycians
One of the ancient civilisations, The Lycians, were unique to the Antalya province of Southern Turkey. The name Lycia is thought to derive from 'Lycos', the Greek word for wolf. Their history dates back to before 1250 BC when the Lycians were recorded by the Ancient Egyptians as being Hittite allies. With the collapse of the Hittites, Lycia became a separate kingdom.
Lycian society was composed of a number of independent city states. In contrast to ancient Greece, where individual city states were in perpetual conflict, Lycia enjoyed a long period of peace between the separate cities, creating the democratic Lycian Federation along the way. This organisation was much studied and admired by the rest of the ancient world.
When Alexander the Great arrived in Lycia around 333 BC, he did not receive a hostile reception from the Lycians. Whereas they opposed previous and later invasions, all Lycian citys voluntarily opened their gates. Alexander spent some time in the region, and when he left incorporated Lycian forces into his own.
The Lycians resisted Roman expansion at a number of battles from 190 BC onward. Lycia was the last region to become a Roman province during their expansion in the region. The Lycian Union also continued to function during the Roman period. The Romans did not regard the Lycians as Barbarians.
Lycian remains - rock tombs and sarcophagi
The southwest coast of Turkey between the Gulf of Fethiye and Phaselis, contains many examples of Lycian remains that can be visited today. The most prominent of which are the numerous beautiful rock tombs which exemplify the Lycian ancestor cult. Lycian funerary architecture can be seen at around twenty major sites, with isolated sarcophagi in many places.
- Kalekoy, or Simena in Greek > Byzantine 'village of the castle' with sunken Lycian Necropolis
- Kas - Ancient Antiphillos > Rich with Lycia carved rock tombs
- Kekova Island > with sunken Lycian City
- Letoon > Lycian City of Culture and UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Limyra near Finiki > home of Pericles
- Myra home of St Nicholas > modern day Demre site of Lycian rock carvings
- Theimussa - present day Ugagiz > Lycian sarcophagi
- Xanthos > Ancient capital of Lycia