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Termessos
As a Psidia
city Termessos is situated on the outskirts of Güllük
Mountain,at one thousand meters above the sea level.The
double is in the name of the city is phonotically proves
that it is built by the anatolian people.According to the
Greek Geographer Strabon, People of Termessos called
themselves as Slymi.
The mauntain
where they used to livewas called Slymi as well.But then,one
of the Anatolian god Solymes which is resembled to Zeus used
for calling the Termessos people as Slymi.On ancient
Termessos coins usually the picture of Solymes is seen.
Termessos is a fascinating city with its: ancient theathre
for 4200 audience,the city walls,Hadrian Door,water cisterns,Gymnasium,Agora
Odeion,Agatemeros and the Tom with lion .
The name of the Termessos in history for the first time
stressed was with the name of Great Alexander siege.Ancient
historian Arrinaus expressed the stragical importance of
city by explaining the 800 metres deep Yenice Mauntain Pass
to city.It is on the south of the city.City could be
protected by a small number of soldiers at Yenice Mauntain
Pass.
Great Alexander wanted to go to Phrigia from Pamphylia, so
he had to pass through Yenice Mauntain Pass which was
protected by Termessos People.He wanted to conquest Yenice
Mauntain Pass and Termessos.But he could not succeed and had
his first defeat ever.
After the death of Alexander the Great in 319, one of his
general;General Antiganos Monophtalmos declared himself as
the ruler of Anatolia.He got ready to fight with his rival
General Alcetas with 40.000 foot soldier,7.000 cavalarymen
and cauntless elephants.General Alcetas had to run to
Termessos.Termessos People offered to help him and protect
him but Antigonos wanted to take Alcetas. |
The
old Termessos people agreed to give Alcetas to Antigonos,but
young were againist to old ones.But the young Termessos people
lost. When Alcetas realized that he was going to be given to
Antigonos,he self suicided.And his dead body was given to
Antigonos.Antigonos tortured Alcetas dead body for three daysand
left it on the street and left Pisidia too.Then Alcedas was
burried and in the memory of him a monimentel tomb was built on
him. On
the south west,and on the north of the city there are alot of
tombs and they are mainly in the city walls.One of the tomb
which is surrounded by the columns as thought to be the
Alcetas’s.But itis not deffinate.Because it was destroyed by
treasury seekers.
Termessos National Park is one of the Turkey’s biggest national
park not only with it’s archeological richness but also with
it’s great natural wild life on Taurus Mauntains.The main reason
of this is the variety of habitats in the park.In the red pine
forests there are specled deers and on the reefs there are wild
goats wich can not be seen on other part of Turkey.
There are 680 different kind of plants in the park and 80 oftem
are only seen in the park but nowhere else.Termessos National
Park which is on the north tip of Bey Mauntains and been home
town from Pisidians to the Byzantines and other different
nationalities with it’s undiscovered natural and historical
sights. A book is writen about Termessos by Azmi BUYRUK and
Mustafa UYSAL in English-German-French.You can have it in
Yesilvadi Restaurant-Pension
Karain
Cave
This is 27 km. from Antalya,(12 km from Termessos) and is
reached from the Burdur highway, turning left at the Karain sign.
Digs have been continuing there since 1946. These have revealed
a settlement at that spot 50.000 years ago. It is the largest
cave in Turkey to have been inhabited. Some of the finds are on
display in the little Karain Museum and others in the Pre-History
Section of Antalya Museum.
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