Part 2 - The Ancient City of Olympos

 After ascending and descending Mt Olympos to view the Eternal Flames, it was on to lunch at the seaside village of Cirali and then the ruins of Olympos.

Eucalyptus to make us homesick

Malia aka Betty showing me how to train local cats

Cirali reminded me very much of the small seaside towns in Victoria and NSW, with many services shut and waiting for the summer influx of tourists. As Cirali is located in the Beydaglari Coastal National Park, nestled next to beach and surrounding hills, there are development limitiations, so no big tourist resorts or buildings, but many small BnB and bunglows planted in windy dirt roads. Plenty of cafes, tour operators and small shops. Perfect for backpackers and families wanting some down time with the option of land or sea-based activities (I should be getting paid for this..). 

An important part of the national park is the 3 kilometre long beach, which is an important breeding ground for Caretta caretta - loggerhead sea turtles. Ecological tourism helps protect these turtles, and the beach is punctuated by large poles, marking out turtle nests.

After our lunch in a small cafe, we drove half way up the beach and naively I suggested we could walk from there to the southern end of the beach to see Olympos, ignoring Ian's comments that we would have to cross a small stream. How hard could it be?

The sand of this beach is described somewhere as fine-grained sand. Pffff - the 'walk' was mostly a case of ankle wrenching wobbles over course-grained sand held in place by large pebbles evolving into small rocks. Very Crunchy. We came to small stream coursing out of the hills and onto the beach. In reality it wasn't that bad, but certainly there was no way around getting your feet wet - if you're 5 foot nothing. As I tackled this part, a very helpful dog came bounding and therefore splashing up to me to give me encouragement. Wonderful. Why didn't I listen to Ian, and we drive around the village a couple of Ks to get to the site the correct way??

But it was worth it. Walking along we looked along the beautiful beach, imagining a moored boat in the corner, and then spying a castle on the cliffs above us. I was suitably impressed, thinking this was Olympos itself. I was wrong - again.

The Acropolis/Castle - full points to Malia for getting this shot looking up into the sun in poor light

Passing the cliff we turned right onto a boardwalk next to the Akcay Stream and immediately ooohed and ahhed over some sarcophagi in the rock next to us.

Detail of the tomb of Captain Eudomos

The City of Olympos has a varied and chequered history, and to be honest, I'm not sure how to sum it up. Olympos is situated in a small valley between towering hills next to a small river/stream. It was re-discovered only relatively recently, and at times we were aware we were wandering on uneven pathways which were without doubt on undiscovered buldings or tombs. In fact there is no record of Olympos after the 15th century, it was left to succumb to the forces of nature and became overgrown.

Looking up at the Acropolis from within the site

It is thought The City was founded in the 3rd century, with a sarcophogus and wall dated idenitifed as 4th century BC. It became an important city of the Lycian League - one of the big six -  and minted it's own coins at the end of the 2nd century BC. Then it became so big it started minting it's own coins, separate from the league.  And this is because the city had become a city of pirates ... there's the plot twist you were waiting for.

Due to it's sheltered position, the pirate Zekenites had taken control of the City and was the scourge of the Mediterrean for quite a while. His reign came to an end in 78BC, when it was captured by the Roman commander, Servilius Isauricis and his off-sider, Julius Caesar. Death was better than capture though, so Zekenites set fire to his own house and perished in the flames.

Olympos then became part of the Roman Empire, at one time re-named Hadrianopolis after a visit by the Emperor Hadrian. The remains include a theatre, acropolis, roman walls, a bath house and many sarcophogi.  Mike was particuarly interested in one attributed to Marcus Aurelius, until Ian informed us that Marcus Aurelius was a very common name, and it might as well have been Bill Smith. 

PS I pinched these photos from Malia

Sometime in the 3rd century, Olympos became a bishopry, so some of the ancient ruins include Christian buildings and churches. Although no longer a residential bishopry Olympos is still registered as a titular see. Apparently that means it is a dead diocese. I would have thought it's time to let it go...

The Australian Tax Office is everywhere 

Fortified window of the ruins of a chapel

What is left of a bathhouse, tantilising unaccessible over the river

It was such a full day, we finally left in the dying hours of the day, and since my phone camera battery was simply exhausted, I have pinched a couple of Malia's photos - she with a real camera, 2 phones and some talent - including this one of the bathhouse, and the one below of an old crone left behind by a previous civilisation. If you're interested in a better explanation and photos, please read Malia's blog of the same outing.

Sailing Longo Mai