A journey to The Time-defying City, Xanthos

The ancient city of Xanthos in Kaş, which is in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The excavations have been performed since the 1950s with the beginning of Frenchmen who were doing excavations in the neighbourhood of Kınık. Since 2011, the Archeology Department of Akdeniz University is continuing these studies.

At the entrance to the city, an arched door welcomes us. The people of Xanthos have a bitter story, their neighbours are a warrior society unlike the merchant Lydians. The fact that they chose death for the sake of independence is evidence of their epic heroism. Despite their inexhaustible resistance, the small army of the people of Xanthos, which only had 5 – 6 thousand people were defeated by the hundreds of thousands of soldiers against the Persian army. Although the city had fallen, they cannot live with the idea of living as captives; they had burned their women, children and all treasures in their castle. Once the highest point with its amazing view of the river and a spot where they had all enjoyed a sip of wine was now land for farmers. At this spot was where they had all committed suicide.

It is easy to understand the warrior spirited people who chose death rather than living as a slave of the Persians, even in today's conditions. The Harpy monument is one of the most magnificent structures in the city. The original reliefs on the memorial were smuggled to England and exhibited in the London Museum.

The upper part of the sarcophagus, like all Lycian sarcophagi, is in the form of a boat upside down. Aperantly, according to the belief of the Lycians, the whole world will be flooded on the Day of the apocalypse, and the dead will be resurrected with these boat tombs. Also, the property of this world does not remain in this world; you can take it to the other side.

New mosaics have been started to be excavated in the city, where excavations are continuing. They have found, Pools, baths, showers, from time to time theatres were held, gladiators and lions were fought for entertainment. These are evidence of the people who lived back then had lived a pleasant life before the Persians had arrived.

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