Mountaintop Ruins at Termessos

What is It - Antalya is a large City located on Turkey's Mediterranean Coast with almost a million people that has become a hub for tourists visiting the area. The G-20 summit hosted by Turkey in December 2015 was held there and some countries rented out one of the lavish seaside resorts located in nearby Belek for their delegations.

As the delegates debated economic and terrorism issues, few of them likely knew that they sat along the same path taken 2350 years earlier by Alexander the Great when he conquered most of the known world and purged the region of Persian domination. Most of the cities of coastal Lycia welcomed Alexander as a liberator. One that did not was the fiercely independent Pisidian people of the city of Termessos which was located about 30 miles inland of modern Antalya and hidden deep in a rugged mountain valley more than 3000 feet above sea level. Frustrated by the city's seeming impregnable defenses and aware of their history, Alexander eventually marched on without taking the city.

Centuries later, when the Romans dominated the region, they also allowed Termessos to remain as an independent ally rather than a conquered province. Today, Termessos offers incredible views of the Mediterranean to the south and the Gulluk Dagi National Park valley to the north, to visitors willing to scramble up some steep paths. The site also features a variety of overgrown ruins, numerous tombs and some restored buildings. The 4,200 seat Hellenistic theater has the nearby mountains and many goats as a backdrop to the stage. For an interesting hike to an extraordinary destination, Termessos is a worthwhile adventure.

Interesting Facts - There are many archeological sites to visit along the Turquoise coast of the region and most people gravitate to the rock tombs at places like Myra, stops along the Lycian Way, or the the grand Roman theater at Aspendos.  The elevation of Termessos makes it unique as well as the fact that the ruins were lost to antiquity for over a thousand years before being uncovered by a curious British explorer Charles Fellows. 

How to Get Here - The Termessos National Park is located about 30 miles northwest of Antalya off of the E87 expressway.  Climbing up the mountain to the park entrance requires passing along a narrow but paved road with several switchbacks through the woods. While some tours stop at Termessos, it is rarely crowded and best visited with a guide to help navigate the stone pathways leading up to the theater and the other major sites there. Termessos provides a good place to contemplate the ages and appreciate the difficulties that archeologists face putting together ancient ruins like a jigsaw puzzle.

Cost - Termessos is very inexpensive usually costing around 5 Turkish Lira per person.