Along the edge of Turkey's Kekova Island lie the submerged ruins of the buildings and walls of an ancient city. Archaeologists believe that this city is a Lycian sea port from which maritime trade was conducted with other Lycian towns and with various parts of the Greek world. Because of the threat of piracy, the port was probably heavily fortified and served both as a refuge in times of peril and as an early warning post of danger heading to the Lycian mainland. Along the mainland coastline, along from Kekova, are the chest-like sarcophagus tombs of an ancient necropolis, near the ruins of the ancient Lycian city of Teimiussa. The bay of Teimiussa, surrounded by green hills, made an excellent harbour for Lycian ships. Further down the coast are the ruins of ancient Simena, which lie below the crenellated ramparts of a ruined hilltop castle, held by the Romans and later by the Byzantine Empire. Inside the castle is a a small rock-cut theatre, used during Roman times. A lone Lycian sarcophagus stands in shallow water below the town. Over the centuries Lycia's strategically important location made it a tempting conquest for a succession of Mediterranean powers: Persia, Greece, the Macedonian Empire, the Byzantine Empire and finally the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. Lycia also suffered from natural disasters, such as a devastating earthquake that partially sank the sea port on Kekova Island. Rebuilt and still flourishing during the Byzantine Empire, the port was abandoned by the end of the 8th century because of pirate attacks and Arab raids. The Lycian coast was not cleared of piracy until the British Navy began patrolling the area during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Atlas of Lost Cities: Legendary Cities Rediscovered
