Türkiye, Kekova island, sunken city of Dolihiste: history, excursions. Excursion to the historical places of Demre-Mira-Kekova, Turkey - “A bright, rich excursion to the historical places of the ancient state of Lycia! Temple of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, sunken
Total 94 photos
This material about travel in the vicinity of Lycian Myra will be the final one. We visited with you the ancient Lycian city of Myra, and the impressive. The final chord in this delightful journey was the mysterious island of Kekova and its sunken ancient rock cities. The largest and most impressive city on the island of Kekova in terms of its impact on the traveler is the ancient Dolihiste. There is very little information about this city. We only know that it was built in the 5th century BC. and was destroyed in the 2nd century AD. by a strong earthquake and subsequently partially plunged into the depths of the sea... Below the cut are numerous photos of Dolihiste through the prism of the Steps of Time, other flooded cities, the breathtaking azure of the Mediterranean Sea and my impressions of a sea voyage deep into the Time and Spaces of History. I must say that this particular trip turned out to be the strongest impression for me of all the places I visited in ancient Lycia that day.
To fully immerse yourself in the historical context, you should first understand where this island of Kekova is located and what its original connection is with the large ancient Lycian city of Myra. You can't do without a map here. Since in my first post about the Church of St. Nicholas the Pleasant I already posted maps of ancient Lycia and the location of Myra on the Mediterranean coast, let’s take a closer look at the position of the island of Kekova and ancient Myra on a satellite map. Red numbers 1
- the historical center of the Lycian city of Myra with the Church of St. Nicholas is indicated, 2
- Lycian rock tombs and a Greco-Roman amphitheater in the foothills, 3
- the ancient port of Andriake, 4
- Kekova island, 5
- the ancient rock city of Dolikhiste, 6
- the village of Kalekoy (ancient city of Simena), 7
- the village of Uchayz (ancient cities of Aperlai and Teimussy). Now we will understand more clearly all the historical vicissitudes that took place in this area, which I will briefly talk about
02.
Google Map
And, since we are a little distracted by technical details, I will immediately say that this story will differ from the previous ones in that I tried to post as many photos of the sunken Dolihiste as possible, because just sailing past these mysterious shores and examining each photo in detail, perspective and getting used to every detail of the coast of the island, you can intuitively join in its deep historical context and hear the fascinating story that Dolihiste himself can tell us...)
Lycian city of Myra ( 1,2 ) was located in a valley about 5 km away. from the coast. The seaport of Myra in ancient times was the port of Andriake ( 4 ). Until the 2nd century AD the port was very large, and its harbor stretched towards Mira another 1.5-2 km to the east. After a strong earthquake in these places in the 2nd century AD. The Kekova peninsula sank significantly into the sea and became islands, and Andriake Bay, on the contrary, rose, became shallow and lost its key significance as the once large urban port of Myra. Numerous warehouse buildings of ancient and Roman times, built near the harbor, turned out to be far from the sea and, obviously, were partially destroyed by this earthquake and gradually abandoned due to the inconvenience of using them.
Setting off on a sea voyage to the island of Kekova from Mira, we passed the ancient sea harbor “by land”, heading to the seaside village of Andriake. A small mountain river still flows into this small bay. If you drive in the direction of Andriake Bay, the river will be on the right, and the ancient warehouse buildings are especially noticeable on the left side on a small hilly hillock. It is possible to get to these ancient barns; there is a road there, but such a route was not included in our already busy program. Yes, and in general, in these places, wherever you look - “everywhere and everywhere” there are remnants of the former and glorious history of the Mediterranean.
03.
Quite quickly we found ourselves in the once ancient port of Andriake. Nowadays there are many pleasure tourist boats, yachts, including those waiting for and occasional clients...)
04.
And finally, our sea voyage began...
05.
We are leaving the bay of ancient Andriake..., the mysterious island of Kekova awaits us ahead.
06.
Soon, the island of Kekova and the exciting shores of these ancient places appear before us, like ghosts of the past.
07.
08.
09.
We come across pleasure yachts, and this is exactly what we are on now...
10.
The history of these places is long and very ancient. Since ancient times, Kekova Bay has been considered the best in this part of the Mediterranean. Pirates lived here, and later small ancient cities appeared. The inhabitants were mainly engaged in the production of olive oil and fruit cultivation. Here, somewhere, there were ancient quarries. The local stone was well processed and ideal for construction.
12.
13.
A walk along the Mediterranean Sea in itself is already an event. The sea air, saturated with freshness and romance, the bright southern sun and the breathtaking beauty and color of the Mediterranean water evoked enthusiastic exclamations from all those present on the yacht...
14.
Here is a separate photo of this water, but it still cannot convey this wonderful deep and transparent turquoise-lapis lazuli color of this Mediterranean sea water.
15.
16.
We are approaching the island of Kekova, it is to the left...
17.
18.
This is the northern part of the island of Kekova. The light was uncomfortable, backlit, so there is some haze in the photo...
19.
20.
As these mysterious shores approached, the tourists on the yacht gradually calmed down, everyone began to be overcome by an involuntary, inexorable feeling of Discovery and the approach of Revelation... Here, a little further, is the ancient sunken city of Delichiste. In these places there was, as I already mentioned, a very convenient harbor. The largest city was Dolikhiste.
21.
The appearance of Delichiste happened unexpectedly, solemnly and even theatrically. Traces of a person's long-standing presence began to silently and powerfully appear...
22.
The ancient buildings of Delichiste appeared like shaky figures of ghosts from the other world...
23.
24.
The yacht easily glided along the emerald surface of coastal Delichiste, there was a rustling silence on the ship, the faces of all travelers were concentrated and collected... I recommend, like this, to look at your travel companions at a similar moment, when this sunken city appears in front of you - everyone present will show yourself in these first moments in a special and characteristic way...
25.
Dolikhiste appeared before me in all its amazing, eternal beauty... In fact, it is a rock city. Its origins are dated to the 5th century BC, but its archaic building structures suggest that it existed here a very long time ago, perhaps in the 5th century BC. it was just reoccupied...
26.
And here are the black goats, a little to the right, against the background of a processed rock.
27.
The ruins of Dolihiste slowly floated past...
28.
Stone steps carved into the rocks that once went down to the sea...
29.
30.
31.
Traces of ancient buildings...
32.
33.
34.
Portals of the ancient city...
35.
36.
37.
Gradually, these pictures of the past, miraculously surviving here, began to penetrate my being. It’s hard to convey, but when you float by and look at the remains of a once large and noisy city, look after look, gradually, Dolihiste filled me with its unique charm. The city came to life, and as if it began to whisper something about itself to me, responding to the call to reveal its long and sad history and soul, troubled by centuries...
38.
39.
The city began to speak, solemnly, but with slight sadness, about its past triumph, about the life that once seethed and filled it, its battles, victories, defeats, the work of ordinary people, their joys and sorrows, and the eternal peace of being in oblivion...
40.
41.
It was in this place that the tallest and largest buildings of Dolihiste were located.
42.
43.
The stepped rock structures with masonry appear to have been two or three stories high.
44.
45.
For some reason, just looking at this photo, the word “Troy” involuntarily appeared in my mind...
46.
A bright trace left by the roof of a house that disappeared in a thousand-year history...
47.
48.
We are approaching the ancient port of Dolihiste...
49.
50.
Under the clear sea water, flooded embankments and numerous buildings of the Dolikhiste harbor begin to be discerned...
51.
52.
My thoughts and immersion in the depths of history were interrupted by the unexpected appearance of an oncoming pleasure yacht...
53.
This, by the way, is a view of the opposite shore of Kekova Bay, since we’re distracted)
54.
The ancient harbor was approaching...
55.
It was this photo that I made the title photo and called “Steps of Time”...
56.
The water is very clear. In the silence under the water, the ancient ship pier of Dolihiste slowly appeared...
57.
A fascinating sight!...
58.
59.
60.
Here it is, in all its glory...
61.
There were viewing windows on the yat to view the bottom, but I was not able to remove amphoras or something similar, although I could guess something in the depths. But it’s still wonderful!...
62.
Dolihiste harbor is small, spacious and comfortable. Clear water makes it easy to look into the submerged depths...
63.
Somewhere here was the Dolihiste shipyard.
64.
A yellow poster installed on the shore informs that the territory of Kekova Island is protected and it is prohibited for ships to approach the shore.
65.
So we examined the flooded ancient city of Dolikhiste. After its harbor, the lifeless rocks of Kekova go further... The yacht began to turn to the right, 180 degrees...
66.
In front of us is the ancient harbor of Kekova. As you remember, there were four ancient cities here... there, on the right, behind the hills, on the mainland, in a cozy harbor, is the modern village of Uchayz, where the cities of Aperlai and Teimussa once flourished. there are also a lot of interesting things there, but unfortunately they didn’t take us there...)
67.
Directly opposite Dolihiste are the submerged ruins of the ancient city of Simena, modern Kiliköy.
68.
Here the flooded buildings resemble Dolichiste, which we have already seen.
69.
According to some information, these are the remains of ancient baths.
70.
And in this bay there is the famous Lycian sarcophagus, located in the sea...
71.
The island of Kekova in Turkey is deservedly called the “pearl of the Mediterranean”. It is small - only 4.5 square meters. km, but there are always a lot of tourists here. This island is included in all yachting routes in Turkey; there is excellent diving here, and one of the most popular activities is glass-bottom boat trips.
In fact, the island belongs to Turkey, but numerous archaeological finds tell us that it is still Greece. On this small piece of land there are ruins of four ancient cities - Dolikhiste, Aperlai, Teimoussa and Simena.
Book great deals to Turkey with promotions: now! Direct discounts from hotels up to 30%. Save with Pegas Touristik, tours to Turkey - Family, youth holidays in the best hotels. Interesting excursions: Ephesus and Pamukkale, Turkish Night, Istanbul, etc. online 24/7. Installment plan at 0%.
How to get there
Uchayz
Uchayz - also known as Teimussa ("Three Mouths") - is a small village, the same age as Simena. It was built on the ruins of an ancient city. The sarcophagi of the Lycian period are perfectly preserved. They can be viewed completely free of charge by walking about 800 meters from the village of Uchayz to the east along the Lycian trail.
In the coastal waters of the island there are ruins of the ancient cities of Aperlai, Simena, Kekova and Teimoussa, which sank as a result of an earthquake, underwater caves and protected bays.
Aperlai
Aperlai is another Lycian city, now in ruins, located west of Uçaız near the port of Sicak, formerly one of Turkey's largest ports on the Gulf of Kas. Today, only the ancient ruins of the once powerful fortress of Aperlai have survived - ancient sarcophagi, remains of city walls, a fortress and ancient columns. In the north-west of the fortress, the ruins of a Byzantine church are noteworthy. Three square watchtowers rise above the northern city walls. Inside the fortress there are ruins of a small Byzantine chapel. The necropolis of the city is interesting for its Lycian sarcophagi, decorated with bas-reliefs and inscriptions. Uchayz, Kekova
Diving in Kekova
In the coastal waters of the island there are ruins of the ancient cities of Aperlai, Simena, Kekova and Teimoussa, which sank as a result of an earthquake, underwater caves and protected bays. The coastline of the island of Kekova is dotted with antique objects - here, at a depth of 5-6 m, you can see marble columns, statues, stone stairs, sidewalks, walls of houses, an embankment and the remains of an ancient port, and in some places the lids of Lycian sarcophagi rise above the surface of the sea.
There are several dive sites near the island, among which one can highlight the site with the 72-meter-long Iberian Coast ship that sank in 2003.
The Wall dive site is located 40 minutes from the pier on the south side of the island. Here, stingrays live on the sandy seabed, barracudas, moray eels, crabs, ruffes, groupers are found, and you can also see antique amphorae. Another Antrum site is notable for its cliff and cave, the bottom of which is formed by interesting rock formations, soft and hard corals.
On the northern side of the island of Kekova lie the ruins of the ancient city of Dolikhiste, destroyed by an earthquake, partially submerged under water.
The Blue Cave site gets its name from the blue color that fills the cave, which branches into many rooms and passages. The Lighthouse site is located 25 minutes from the island of Kekova and is notable for its numerous amphorae and anchors, and marine life includes eels, parrot fish, and stingrays.
The seabed of the Curve port site, located on the southern side of Kekova Island (about 40 minutes from the pier), is decorated with a beautiful reef. And The Bay site, located on the south side of Kekova Island (about 30 minutes sailing from the pier), is famous for its rock formations and diversity of marine life. Crabs, lobsters, moray eels and octopuses live here.
(Turkish: Kekova island; English: Kekova island)
Candidate for the UNESCO List
Opening hours: daily, around the clock, however, it is not recommended to visit the island in the dark.
How to get there: Kekova Island can only be reached by water. To do this, you first need to get to the city of Kas. From May to October, a ferry runs from the city of Kas to the island of Kekova (travel time is about 1 hour). You can also book a boat excursion in the local villages of Uchayz (aka Teimeussa) or Kalkan. Yacht cruises to Kekova are organized from almost anywhere on the Antalya coast.
Kekova Island is a small Turkish island in the Mediterranean Sea, near the city of Kas. The length of the coastline of the island of Kekova is only 19 km, the height above sea level in the central part of the island is 188 meters, the area of the island is 4.5 square meters. km. The island has not had a permanent population since approximately 1850.
The name Kekova comes from the Luwian language and previously sounded like “Kavakuva”, which meant “Homeland of the goat”, from which we can conclude that there was a cult of the goat on the island of Kekova, and the island, from an early time, was the homeland of sacred animals, providing living space and a sacred place for their breeding. Here, to this day, goats of all stripes graze, and in large numbers. Many believe that locals bring them here for grazing.
Kekova Island is a real treasure trove for archaeologists. The shores of this long, narrow island are dotted with archaeological remains of antiquity. But, as a result of tectonic movements that led to the rise of the Western Taurus mountains, the ancient cities of the island sank under water.
The history of this area began long before our era. For many years, the bay of Kekova Island was considered the best bay.
The island was repeatedly attacked by pirates who created their own flotilla here. Over time, this territory began to be developed by civilians who were engaged in growing olives and fruits. It is also known that there were once quarries in these places - the local stone is quite soft and can be easily processed.
The northern part of the island still preserves the ruins of the ancient city of Dolikhiste, part of which remained under water after earthquakes. The strongest earthquakes that occurred at that time allowed some part of the island to go under water, and with it most of the city. The local population left this land.
Now the island looks deserted and abandoned, but once upon a time, life was seething here. The island was closely connected with other settlements in the region - the ancient cities of Simena and Tameoussa. In Kekova Bay, in ancient times, there was a shipyard, somewhere in the north-west of the island of Kekova. The town of Dolikhiste itself did not perish immediately after the natural disaster; for some time, it continued to exist as part of the Byzantine Empire.
In Byzantine times, this island was under siege by the Arabs, and already in the 13th century this territory was conquered by the Turks. At one time, the island of Kekova became the cause of a great dispute between the Turks and Italians, the latter had great views on Kekova. But, according to the 1932 Convention between Italy and Turkey, the island of Kekova remained owned by Turkey.
Now on the island, in its northern part, you can see ruined portals, steps, traces of destroyed piers and streets.
Through the amazingly clear water you can see the ruins of ancient buildings of the 4th-5th centuries AD - stone stairs, sidewalks, house walls, embankment.
Sailing on a yacht or pleasure boat, you have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the majestic ruins. Of great interest are the remains of former underground rooms, connecting walls and stairs, as well as later ruins built on small stone blocks of the ancient city of Dolikhiste.
Not far from the island of Kekova, in the very sea, there is the famous Lycian sarcophagus, which looks like an inverted boat - the main historical attraction.
And the greatest pride of this area is nature. The crystal clear sea, numerous bays and lagoons, amazing caves - all this provides the opportunity to sit on the shore for hours and admire this beauty.
Today, these places have become a real paradise for tourists. Kekova Island holds a history of events witnessed by silent landmarks.
Tours to Turkey – special offers of the day
Hi all!
If you are vacationing in the vicinity of Kemer, I advise you to definitely visit one of the most interesting and eventful excursions Demre-Mira-Kekova. The name of the excursion itself does not mean anything at first, but after visiting these places, each of these words will be associated in your memory with indescribable emotions from what you saw.
The Demre-Mira-Kekova excursion is offered both by tour operators at the hotel and “over the road” - by local travel agencies. You choose who to spend the whole day with. There is a difference in prices - for hotel guides, a tour costs $50 per adult, for “street” ones - 25. For safety reasons, we bought a tour from a hotel guide, but our friends decided on a budget option and were also satisfied.
The excursion lasts the whole day: at about 8 o'clock in the morning a comfortable bus picked us up from the hotel and at about 19 o'clock returned us satisfied. The excursion includes lunch with 1 drink of your choice, it was quite decent, we didn’t leave hungry. You should stock up on water in advance, but this is not a problem - you can buy 2 bottles of water 0.5 for 1 dollar from the bus driver. The price is the best!
All the way we were accompanied by a guide-historian, who told us a lot of interesting information, fueling our interest with jokes and jokes. So there was no need to be bored. And along the way we were accompanied by beautiful views: we drove along a mountain serpentine road near the sea coast. The driver drove the bus carefully, no one was even mentally harmed)))
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
The first thing we visited was the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (4th century AD). The guide told us the biography of St. Nicholas the Pleasant, how he ended up in these places, is it true that St. Nicholas the Pleasant and Santa Claus are one person, how the temple was built, why the sarcophagus in which the saint was buried is kept here, and his relics are kept in Italy. Here the truth was revealed to us - it turns out that Mira is an ancient city that was buried in mudflows that came down from the mountains, and later the city of Demre was founded at the top, in which people live to this day.
Therefore, the temple is located below the city level and looks like this:
At first glance it is very inconspicuous, but inside the temple you can see the remains of frescoes, giving an idea of its former beauty.
The temple has not yet been restored and is being restored only from elements found on its territory. Restoring historical objects in the image and likeness is prohibited by law in Turkey, which is correct, otherwise who needs props?
Pay attention to this photo. Do you also see the face of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker emerging between the recesses in the wall?
I will not retell the entire excursion, but the facts heard there are actually very interesting. For example, why do the saints in the frescoes have their eye sockets knocked off? What does each fresco mean, what story does it carry?
You can see the sarcophagus of St. Nicholas itself, but you won’t be able to touch it, since it is behind glass. Taking a photo of it is also problematic, since there are a lot of fingerprints on the glass asking and begging for help.
Those who wish here can purchase icons with the face of the saint, brought from Bari (Italy), where his relics are kept, or from Mount Athos (Greece). We had already brought icons from Athos, so we didn’t buy them here.
While we sailed to the island of Kekova, we enjoyed the beautiful sea views and took photos at the stern and bow of the boat.
When we approached the city, all attention was focused on the ruins. Due to a tectonic shift, the city was submerged in water.
And again there was interesting information from the guide. He explained what kind of remains of dwellings we see, where there are broken amphorae at the bottom (which, by the way, were visible through the portholes at the bottom of the boat) and so on.
I’ll leave you with just a few photos, and you’ll learn the rest on the tour:
After another portion of amazing facts, we went to one of the island’s bays and swam in its clear waters.
Those who wished could taste seafood dishes prepared by the ship's crew.
We return to the port.
We had a pleasant little cruise on a yacht to the partially submerged ancient cities of Simena, Dolichiste, Teimoussa and Aperlai. They were once located on the picturesque island of Kekova and the islands close to it.
The island of Kekova and its surroundings with underwater caves and cozy bays have long been known as the most beautiful and attractive places in Turkey. No wonder the great traveler Jacques Cousteau paid so much attention to them.
Sailing to Kekova Island
You have to see such beauty with your own eyes. No matter how much I tell you, words cannot convey the feelings and impressions that overwhelm you when meeting such a bright world.
Enchanting world
The small islands and small islets with charming coves are simply mesmerizing. And the color of the water in the sea surprises with its beauty and crystal purity.
The sea is blue - blue
You rarely see such an amazing color anywhere. The sea suddenly changes from deep blue to completely turquoise.
Turquoise sea
Kekova Island
As we approached the long, hilly island of Kekova, 19 km long, we were captivated by the beauty of the area. At the foot of low mountains, dotted with rocks and covered with bushes, the white ruins of the former ancient Phoenician-Lycian city of Dolihiste lay white.
Drowned City
As a result of a strong earthquake in the 2nd century AD, the city went under water. I couldn’t even believe that life was once in full swing here, and people were engaged in trade, fishing, and raising goats. From all of the above, all that remained were the ruins of a city that had slid into the water, and goats jumping on the rocks.
The yacht sailed very close to the coast of the island, making it possible to clearly see the remains of walls and stairs of coastal houses and baths carved into the rocks. Crosses were visible on some walls, indicating that the island was once inhabited by Christians.
The breakwater is visible through the water
The outline of a breakwater in the form of the Latin letter “L” was clearly visible through the clear water. Broken amphorae and pottery, which had once served the inhabitants of the city, lay at the bottom. It seemed that they were not lying deep at all. But it was 6-7 meters to the bottom, the water here is simply crystal clear, since no one pollutes it.
Landing on the island is prohibited, as is swimming in the coastal waters. Diving is also not allowed, as it is not safe, and historical values here are strictly protected by law.
The monitor on the yacht showed a picture of the seabed with a sunken pier, the outlines of arches, porticoes and marble columns. The guide commented on the screening of a documentary about the sunken city.
Our yacht-boat
We listened to his interesting stories attentively, but everyone wanted to see a live, visual picture. Therefore, most of the passengers rushed to the side of the yacht, trying to see the ruins of a once prosperous ancient village covered in water.
Having photographed what we managed to see, we sailed to the next, no less picturesque bay, but this time opposite the island of Kekova. The city of Simena was located here, which also sank as a result of the same earthquake.
Here was the ancient city of Simena
Keliköy (Simena)
Simena is an ancient Lycian city on the shores of Kekova, popular among sailors because of its convenient harbor.
Half of the city sank immediately, and the residents left the other half themselves. Now in this place is the small village of Keliköy with 80 residents and several dozen houses nestled on the mountainside.
A small, inconspicuous house on the island attracted the attention of our guide, and then ours, after his story. The modest house, it turns out, belongs to the richest man in Turkey, the owner of the Ramstore chain of stores (very rich people often try not to attract undue attention).
Ancient fortress of the city of Simena
At the very top of the island there is a small fortress, where the smallest ancient theater with 300 seats has been preserved. There is also an old chapel. They are the main decoration and attraction of the island, and also a sarcophagus. He is standing in the water near the shore. It can be seen on many tourist avenues. It is like a symbol of the village of Keliköy, reminding everyone of the powerful forces of nature, and of the sunken city of Simena.
Half-submerged symbol
There are several restaurants and cafes in the village, as well as a guesthouse. Land on the island is not for sale, as it is considered a protected area.
Further, along the course we were following, we were shown another bay, where the village of Uchayz (Teymeussa) was located. The name is hard to pronounce - it translates as “Three Mouths”. And they called it that because of the three straits that surround the village. There are many yachts anchored here. They can be rented for private excursions.
Yachts at the pier
After admiring the beautiful views, our yacht stopped in one of the cozy bays. Passengers were allowed to taste bliss for a whole half hour - dive and swim in the warm azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, without sailing far from the yacht.
Sheer bliss
Everyone was given “pasta” so that the “ace swimmers” would not accidentally drown. While we were sailing, delicious seafood dishes were prepared on board to restore the strength of passengers, although for an additional fee, and not a very small one. 🙂
A wonderful part of the excursion to Kekova
The pleasure from the boat trip was extraordinary, and my emotions were off the charts.
Let's go back. Behind the islands is the Greek island. Rhodes