Lucky Yachting

The Xanthos Valley

Behind Patara stretches a rich agricultural valley; the course of the great River Xanthos of antiquity. In addition to Patara and Letoon the valley has many sites suitable for day trips. First there is Xanthos, the capital city of the Lycian Federation and its greatest city for most of the Lycian age. Discovered in the 19th century by the British explorer Charles Fellows, it is an ancient site - finds date back to the 8th century BC, but it is possible that the city may have existed during the Bronze Age. Fellows returned to Xanthos and dismantled the Nereid Monument bringing it to England where it is now a major asset of the British Museum.

The history of Xanthos is quite violent: the Xanthosians twice demonstrated their fierce independence when they chose to commit mass suicide rather than submit to invading forces. In the 6th century BC the Xanthosian men set fire to their women, children, slaves and treasure upon the acropolis before making their final doomed attack upon the invading Persians lead by Harpagus. Xanthos was later repopulated but the same gruesome story repeated itself in 42 BC, when Brutus attacked the city during the Roman civil wars in order to recruit troops and raise money. Brutus was shocked by the Lycians' suicide and offered his soldiers a reward for each Xanthosian saved. Only 150 citizens were rescued.

Further up the valley are two less visited but significant sites: Pinara, perched in a beautiful remote mountain setting among pine forests and olive trees and Tlos with extensive ruins including a theater, stadium, bath complex and many tombs. In the mountains on the eastern edge is Saklıkent where water and rocks carried by the snowmelt has carved a deep river gorge into the mountain. It is a deliciously cool spot to explore on a hot afternoon and you can have tea or lunch under the deep green shade of fig trees at a nearby restaurant.

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