Antalya Arykanda Archaeological Site

The city is located in the south of the Bey Mountains, at the foot of the steep rock called Şahinkaya, which borders the settlement from the north like a wall. Due to this location, its name, which means "Arykanda: The Place near the High Rock" in Luwian, has evolved into Arykanda over time. Arykanda was first localized in 1838 by the British explorer-traveler Charles Fellows, based on tomb inscriptions and coins he found on the surface. The city was especially densely inhabited in the Hellenistic and Roman Periods. The earliest architectural data are rock tombs dated to the end of the 4th century BC and the beginning of the 3rd century. Although it did not play an active role in the political events in the history of Lycia, Arykanda, which is one of the most important main roads of Eastern Lycia, was especially enriched by the timber trade. Arykanda gained the feature of being a safe accommodation and resting place with the effect of rich water resources during the Roman Imperial Period. The city experienced its heyday in 2-3 AD. It has lived for centuries. The east and west of the settlement, which is a typical hillside settlement, are surrounded by steep cliffs; the north is bordered by Şahinkaya. The most important ruins of this city, which were built on terraces, are the gymnasium and bath on the lower terrace, and the theatre, odeon, stadion, agora, and small bath on the upper terrace. In addition, there are the temples of Trajan and Helios in the acropolis, the basilica in Nal Tepe, and a church in the eastern necropolis. There are no fortification walls in the city, in a way, terrace walls have taken over this task instead of the walls.