|
Excavations of this city reveal that it probably existed from the 5th century BC, and controlled much of the Arycanda valley. Having survived a destructive earthquake in 240 AD, the city maintained its prominence until the 11th century, and its most important structures still survive today. Arycanda (Arykanda) is an ancient Lycian city, built upon five large terraces ascending a mountain slope, located near the small village of Aykiriçay, on the Elmalı-Finike road in Antalya province in south western Turkey.
Arycanda is known to be one of the oldest Lycian sites - its name ends with -anda, indicative of its Anatolian origin dating back as far as the second millennium BC. Some of the oldest coins of Lycia (5th c. BCE were also found here during a recent digging; the site is under continuous excavation.
Gods and goddesses known to have been worshipped here are: Apollo, Ares, Artemis (in the forms of Kombike, Lagbene, Tharsenike and Eleuthera), Athena, Kakasbos (an Anatolian horseman-deity), Hera, Helios, Mithras, Tyche, Asklepios, Hygeia, Hercules, Hermes, Aphrodite, Somondeus (a mountain god), and Nemesis.
Arycanda survived through Byzantine times, until the 9th century when the settlement moved to a new site south of the modern road.
Largest bath complex in Lycia, on the lowest terrace, still virtually intact in its sequence of arches, next to the gymnasium.
Agora, some of the shops in its eastern part can still be seen. It is wide and flat, located to the south of the odeon and was enclosed on three sides by a portico.
Amphitheatre, in excellent condition, built during the 2nd century AD. 20 rows of seats, divided into 7 sections. At the edge of every row are holes that were used to support protective awnings.
Odeon - 2nd century AD. The main entrance is to the south, though a triple portal. This was once a very ornate building, the interior was lined with orthostats and the walls, orchestra and seats were once covered with coloured marble. A frieze over the portal bears a portrait of the Emperor Hadrian flanked by cartouches bearing masks and heads of deities in relief.
Stadium, from the Hellenistic period, above the theatre, in the form of a running track. It is smaller than a usual stadium, measuring 106 m. long and 17 m. wide. A few step-like seats on its north Side are all that remain of the stadium.
Necropolises, there are two of them, and the one on the entrance to the site is very interesting with its series of richly decorated funerary monuments. The eastern necropolis has barrel-vaulted monumental tombs, temple-tombs and sarcophagi and the western necropolis has rock-cut tombs and barrel-valuted tombs.
Bouleuterion, where the council met, located on the northwest slope of the city at the end of a 137 metre long stoa. The building is set into a mountain slope, with rows of seats cut into living rock. |
