12 Antalya via Termessos.

A drive through the hills to the ancient mountain-top city of Termessos.

Because Termessos hasn’t been excavated, not very much is known about the city or its people. The original settlement is believed to have been first built around the fifth century BC, part of a region known as Pisidia. However, the city was mentioned in Homer’s Iliad in connection with the Legend of Bellerophon and his slaying of the Chimera!

I looked it up as I didn’t know !
The Chimera was a terrifying, fire-breathing hybrid creature composed of a lion's head, a goat's body protruding from its back, and a serpent's tail.
Bellerophon, the grandson of Sisyphus, acquired the winged horse Pegasus with the help of the goddess Athena.

Termessos was brought into the Hellenistic world and then the Roman. It became an ally of Rome and later was absorbed into the Roman province of Lycia and Pamphylia

An earthquake, or a series of , is believed to have levelled Termessos and caused its citizens to leave the city around the 5th century AD. It is speculated that its waterworks may have been destroyed beyond repair in the quakes

It was called “the Eagles Nest' by Alexander the Great, who was never able to conquer the site ! It’s 3280 feet-high with panoramic views of the Taurus Mountains.

The bottom of the mountain is full of Roman tombs and some great engravings !

It’s a good walk uphill to the site amidst all the vegetation!

The enormous defence walls rise out of undergrowth as the site has only partially excavated.

The amphitheatre is the most spectacular architecture and has a great view over the Taurus Mountains.
The theatre was built high up at the edge of the cliff facing Mount Solymeus and has a 4,000-person seating capacity. To face the stage and summit creates a surreal feeling that the theatre is floating in mid-air! Weird !

We lunch here and take in the view! It has echoes of an Inca settlement in Peru.

Six temples remain, the ancient necropolis, an agora and a preserved bouleuterion

On the way down we pass more rock tombs!

It’s been a great finale after yesterday’s blip !
We say good bye to driver Bilal and guide Kamal !

Back to the start now and Antalya for a meal , a beer , a wine and a Raki!
Home tomorrow early ! It’s been fun , great sites and a group that all got on !Read more