Ancient Lycia civilization where Kaş was located right at the center of was known as the Land of Light. I think it befits so much to a matriarchal civilization and a geography on which the Mediterranean sun shines 300 days of the year. Lycia is one of the oldest Mediterranean civilizations with its history going back to BC 3000. Lycians were known to be allies with the Troys in the Trojan War and have intense commercial connections with the Mediterranean countries. Do you know that the the history of the sunken commercial ship which is one of the most important attraction point for divers and known as the Uluburun Shipwreck dates back to 3350 years ago?

When the Persian armies invaded Anatolia in the 6^th century BC, the Lycians did not surrender in the first place and decided to fight them to the last drop of blood and set themselves and their families to fire in the end. However, they could not present enough resistance to Alexander the Great in the 4^th century BC. They started living under the sovereignty of Rhodes and Roman empire afterwards. In the 2^nd century BC all the cities of Lycia came together and formed a federation for the first time in history. That was called the Lycia Union . Lycia Union realized many important developments in economic and cultural terms.

Lycia civilization was demolished after a great earthquake in AC 141 and reconstructed with the help of the Roman Empire after that. But the same disaster hit them again after almost 100 years later and the Roman Empire didn’t give a helping hand this time. The influence of Roman domination in the region and the power of the Lycia civilization started to descend in the following periods. Lycians called this time period full of earthquakes and plague as the “Dark Ages”.

We learn from the great historian Herodotus’ writings that the Lycians have a unique tradition. They use their mother’s name as the family name instead of the father’s. When you ask a Lycian who he/she is the answer will include his/her mother’s, grandmother’s, great grandmother’s, etc name.      

Within the immediate vicinity of Kaş there are two ancient cities called Xhantos and Myra, both located in a 45 minutes driving distance. You can arrange day trips to these destinations to follow the footsteps of the Lycia civilization. You can also see the sunken city of Kekova and the Ancient Simena city (Kaleköy) by attending to one of the daily boat trips from the Kaş harbor. These two cities were the center of trade in the Ancient Lycia. 

The most important two historical structure in the Kaş are the King’s Tomb located at the upper end of the Uzun Çarşı (Long Market) road and the Antiphellos Ancient Theatre looking to the turquoise waters of Kaş over the olive trees. The King’s Tomb is also known as the Lion Tomb because of the two lions’ heads on its lids and it’s a great example of a 4^th century BC Lycian sarcophagus. The small Hellenistic Antiphellos Ancient Theatre can seat up to 4000 people. It was built in the 1st century BC and restored 300 years later, probably after the great 141 AD earthquake. When you look at the steep hills rising behind Kaş from the harbor or the market, you can see many sepulchers carved in the rocks. You can climb and see some of them closer, too. They are illuminated at night, presenting a beautiful back view for the town. There are many other Antiphellos ruins which you will see while walking to the ancient theatre or beside the bench looking to the Lighthouse on the road to the Küçükçakıl beaches or even in the farmer’s market. Apart from these, Kaş is fully paved with history and has a priceless cultural value.

Don’t forget take you cold white wine with you to watch the sunset from above the Antiphello Ancient Theatre after you finish your history tour and toast to the people of Land of Light who left us these precious cultural heritage.