The largest abandoned cities in the world. Abandoned Cities Ancient Abandoned City on the Islands

Total 94 photos

This material about the trip in the vicinity of the Lycian World will be final. We visited with you the ancient Lycian city of the World, and impressive. The mysterious island of Kekova and its sunken ancient rock cities became the final chord on this delightful in content trip. The largest and most impressive in its impact on the traveler city of Kekova Island is the ancient Dolichist. Information on this city is very small. It is only known that it was built in the 5th century BC. and was destroyed in the 2nd century A.D. a strong earthquake and subsequently partially plunged into the depths of the sea ... Next, under the cat, numerous photos of Dolichist through the prism of the Steps of Time, other flooded cities, the stunning azure of the Mediterranean Sea and my impressions of a sea voyage deep into Time and Historical Spaces. I must say that it was this trip that turned out to be the strongest impression for me of all the visited places of ancient Lycia for this day.

To fully immerse yourself in the historical context, you should first understand where this Kekova Island is and what its initial connection with the large ancient Lycian city of the World is. You can’t do without a card here. Since in my first post about the church of Nikolai Ugodnik I already laid out maps of ancient Lycia and the location of Mira on the Mediterranean coast, we will examine in more detail and closer the position of the island of Kekova and ancient Mira on a satellite map. Red numbers 1   - the historical center of the Lycian city of Peace with the Church of St. Nicholas is designated, 2   - Lycian rock tombs and Greco-Roman amphitheater in the foothills, 3   - the ancient port of Andriake, 4   - Kekova island, 5   - the ancient rocky city of Dolichist, 6   - the village of Kalekoy (the ancient city of Simena), 7   - Uchayyz village (ancient cities of Aperlai and Teymussa). Now we will understand all the historical upheavals that took place in this area, which I will briefly talk about
02.


Google map

And, since we got a little distracted by the technical details, I’ll immediately say that this story will be different from the previous ones in that I tried to post as many photos of the sunken Dolichist as possible, because, just by swimming past these mysterious shores and examining each photo in detail, perspective and getting used to every detail of the coast of the island, you can intuitively engage in its deep historical context and hear an exciting story that Dolichist himself can tell us ...)

Lycian city of Peace ( 1,2 ) was located in a valley of about 5 km. from the coast. The seaport of Mira in ancient times was the port of Andriake ( 4 ) Until the 2nd century AD the port was very large, and its harbor extended towards Mira for another 1.5-2 km to the east. After the strongest earthquake in these places in the II century A.D. The Kekova Peninsula plunged significantly into the sea and became islands, while Andriake Bay, on the contrary, rose, became shallow and lost its key importance as the once large city port of Mira. The numerous warehouse structures of ancient and Roman times built near the harbor turned out to be far from the sea and, obviously, were partially destroyed by this earthquake and gradually abandoned due to the inconvenience of using them.

Quite quickly we found ourselves in the once ancient port of Andriac. Now there are many pleasure tourist yacht boats, including waiting and casual clients ...)
04.

And, finally, our sea voyage has begun ...
05.

We leave the bay of ancient Andriake ..., in front of us is the mysterious island of Kekova.
06.

Soon, before us, like the ghosts of the past, the island of Kekova and the exciting shores of these ancient places arise.
07.


08.


09.

Pleasure yachts come across, it is on this that we are now with you ...
10.

The history of these places is long and very ancient. From ancient times Kekova Bay was considered the best in this part of the Mediterranean. Pirates lived here, and later small antique cities appeared. Residents were mainly engaged in the production of olive oil and the cultivation of fruits. Here, somewhere, there were ancient quarries. The local stone was well worked and ideal for construction.
12.


13.

A walk in the Mediterranean by itself is already an event. The sea air, saturated with freshness and romance, the bright southern sun and the breathtaking beauty and colors of the Mediterranean water, caused enthusiastic exclamations of all those present on the yacht ...
14.

Here is a separate photo of this water, but it still will not be able to convey this wonderful deep and transparent turquoise-lazurite color of this Mediterranean sea water.
15.


16.

We are approaching the island of Kekov, it is to the left ...
17.


18.

This northern part of the island is Kekova. The light was uncomfortable, back, so there is some haze in the photo ...
19.


20.

As these mysterious shores were approaching, the tourists on the yacht quieted down a little, an involuntary, inexorable feeling of Revelation and the approach of Revelation began to envelop everyone ... Here, a little further, is the ancient sunken city of Delichist. In these places was, as I mentioned, a very convenient harbor. The largest city was just Dolichist.
21.

The appearance of Delikhiste happened unexpectedly, solemnly and, even, theatrically. The traces of a person’s long stay began to appear silently and weightily ...
22.

The ancient constructions of Delichiste appeared as shaky figures of ghosts from the other world ...
23.


24.

The yacht glided easily along the emerald surface of the coastal Delichist, there was a rustling silence on the ship, the faces of all the travelers were concentrated and collected ... I recommend, like this, to look at your travel companions at a time when this sunken city will appear in front of you - everyone present will show yourself in these first moments in a special and characteristic way ...
25.

Dolichiste appeared before me in all his amazing eternal beauty ... In fact, it is a rocky city. Its origin dates back to the V century BC, however, its archaic structures of buildings suggest that it existed here a very long time, perhaps in the V century BC he was simply repopulated ...
26.

And here are the black goats, a little to the right, against the backdrop of a crafted rock.
27.

The ruins of Dolichist swam past slowly ...
28.

Stone steps carved into the rocks that once descended to the sea ...
29.


30.


31.

Traces of ancient buildings ...
32.


33.


34.

Portals of the ancient city ...
35.


36.


37.

Gradually, these pictures of the past, miraculously survived here, began to penetrate my being. It’s hard to convey, but when you swim, looking at the remains of a once big and noisy city, look after look, gradually, Dolichist filled me with his unique charm. The city came to life, and as if it were starting to whisper something about itself to me, responding to the call to reveal my long and sad history and the soul that had been troubled for centuries ...
38.


39.

The city began to speak, solemnly, but with light sadness, about its former triumph, about the life that was seething and filling it, its battles, victories, defeats, the labor of ordinary people, their joys and grief, and the eternal peace of being in oblivion ...
40.


41.

Here in this place were the tallest and largest buildings of Dolichist.
42.


43.

The stepped rock structures with masonry, apparently, were two- and three-story.
44.


45.

For some reason, just looking at this photo, the word "Troy" involuntarily appeared in my mind ...
46.

A bright trace left by the roof, which disappeared in a thousand-year history, at home ...
47.


48.

We are sailing to the ancient port of Dolichist ...
49.


50.

Under the clear sea water, the flooded embankments, the numerous structures of the Dolichist harbor, begin to be guessed ...
51.


52.

My thoughts and plunging into the depths of history were interrupted by the unexpected appearance of the oncoming pleasure yacht ...
53.

This, by the way, is a view of the opposite shore of Kekov Bay, since we are distracted)
54.

The ancient harbor was approaching ...
55.

That's exactly this photo I made the title and called "Steps of Time" ...
56.

The water is very clear. In silence under the water, the ancient ship pier of Dolichist slowly appeared ...
57.

A bewitching sight! ...
58.


59.


60.

Here it is, in all its glory ...
61.

Inspection windows were arranged on the floor for viewing the bottom, but I could not remove amphorae or something like that, although I could guess something in the depths. But, all the same, miraculously! ...
62.

Dolichiste harbor is small, spacious and comfortable. Transparent water makes it easy to penetrate the flooded depths ...
63.

Somewhere here was the Dolichist shipyard.
64.

A yellow poster mounted on the shore indicates that the territory of Kekova Island is reserved and it is forbidden to molest ships.
65.

So we examined the flooded ancient city of Dolichist. After his harbor, the lifeless cliffs of Kekov already go further ... The yacht began to turn to the right, 180 degrees ...
66.

Before us is the ancient harbor of Kekov. As you remember, there were four ancient cities ... there, on the right, behind the hills, on the mainland, in a cozy harbor, is the modern village of Uchaiz, where the cities of Aperlai and Teymussa once flourished. there is also a lot of interesting things, but we were not taken there, unfortunately ...)
67.

Directly opposite Dolichist are the flooded ruins of the ancient city of Simena, modern Kilikoy.
68.

Here, the flooded buildings resemble the Dolichist already seen by us.
69.

According to some reports, these are the remains of ancient baths.
70.

And in this bay is the famous Lycian sarcophagus located in the sea ...
71.

On our planet there are a huge number of ghost towns, empty and creepy, frightening a traveler who accidentally wandered here, empty sockets of windows of rickety buildings ...
  In this ranking, we will present the 10 most famous abandoned cities abandoned by people for various reasons: some were abandoned due to bloody wars, others were abandoned under the onslaught of an omnipotent nature.

1. The city of Kolmanskop buried in the sands (Namibia)

Kolmanskop

Kolmanskop is an abandoned city in southern Namibia, located a few kilometers from the port of Luderitz.
  In 1908, an employee of the railway company Zakaris Leval discovered small diamonds in the sand. This find caused a real diamond rush and thousands of people rushed into the hot sands of the Namib desert, hoping to make a fortune.

Kolmanskop was built record fast. It took people only two years to erect beautiful German-style apartment buildings in the desert, to rebuild a school, hospital, and even a casino. But the days of the city's existence were already numbered.

After the end of World War I, the value of diamonds in the world market fell, and every year the extraction of precious stones in the mines of Kolmanskop became worse. The lack of drinking water and the constant struggle with sand dunes, made the life of the people of the mining town all unbearable.

In the 1950s, the last inhabitants left Kolmanskop and it turned into another ghost town on the world map. Soon, nature and desert almost completely buried the town under the sand dunes. Several old houses and the theater building, which is still in good condition, have not been buried.

2. The city of Pripyat nuclear scientists (Ukraine)

Pripyat is an abandoned city in the “exclusion zone” in northern Ukraine. Workers and scientists of the Chernobyl NPP lived here, right up to the tragic day of April 26, 1986. On this day, the explosion of the 4th unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant put an end to the continued existence of the city.

On April 27, the evacuation of people from Pripyat began. Nuclear workers and their families were allowed to take with them only the most necessary things and documents, all the property acquired over the years, people left in their abandoned apartments. Over time, Pripyat turned into a ghost town, visited only by extremals and thrill-seekers.

For those who want to see and evaluate the full scale of the disaster, the Pripyat-Tour company provides excursions to an abandoned city. Due to the high level of radiation, you can safely stay here no more than a few hours, and most likely, Pripyat will always remain a dead city.

3. Futuristic resort city Sang-ji (Taiwan)

  In northern Taiwan, not far from the capital of the state, the city of Taipei, is the ghost town of San Zhi. According to the idea of \u200b\u200bdevelopers, very wealthy people had to buy these houses, because the architecture of buildings, made in a futuristic style, was so unusual and revolutionary that it was supposed to attract a large number of wealthy customers.

But during the construction of the city, inexplicable accidents began to occur here and every week they became more and more, until the deaths of workers began to happen every day. Rumors quickly spread the news of a bad city, which very badly affected the reputation of the city for the rich.

Nevertheless, the construction was completed and even the grand opening was held, but none of the potential customers have ever bought housing here. Mass advertising campaigns and huge discounts did not help; Sang-ji became the new ghost town. Now access is denied, and local residents believe that the city is inhabited by the ghosts of the people who died here.

4. The medieval city of Kraco (Italy)

  About forty kilometers from the Gulf of Taranto in Italy, is the abandoned ancient city of Kraco. Located on picturesque hills, it was the patrimony of farmers and plowmen, its inhabitants were engaged in agriculture, grew wheat and other grain crops.

The first mention of the city dates back to 1060, when all the land was owned by the Catholic Archbishop Arnaldo.
In 1981, the population of Krako was a little more than 2000 people, and since 1982, due to poor harvests, landslides and constant landslides, the population of the town began to decline rapidly. Between 1892 and 1922, more than 1,300 people left Kraco. Some went to America to seek happiness, others settled in neighboring cities and villages.

Finally, the city was abandoned after a strong earthquake in 1963, only a few residents remained to while away their time in the new ghost town. By the way, it was here that Mel Gibson filmed the scene of the execution of Judas for his masterpiece film “The Passion of Christ”.

5. The village of Oradour-sur-Glan (France) - a memorial reminiscent of the horrors of fascism

  The small ruined village of Oradour-sur-Glan in France, stands as a reminder of the monstrous atrocities of the Nazis. During World War II, 642 villagers were brutally murdered by the Nazis as punishment for capturing fighters of the French resistance, SS Sturmbannführer Helmut Kampf.

According to one version, the Nazis simply mixed up villages with consonant names.
  A high-ranking fascist was held captive, in the neighboring village - Oradur-sur-Weirez. The Germans did not spare anyone - neither the elderly, nor women, nor children ... They drove the men to the sheds, where they hit the legs with machine guns, then doused them with a combustible mixture and set them on fire.

Women, children and the elderly were locked up in a church, then a powerful incendiary device was blown up. People tried to get out of the burning building, but they were mercilessly shot by German machine gunners. Then the Nazis completely destroyed the village.

6. Forbidden Island Gankanjima (Japan)

  Gankanjima Island is one of 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, and is located just 15 km from Nagasaki itself. It is also called the battleship island, because of the walls protecting the city from the sea. The history of the settlement of the island began in 1890, when coal was discovered here. Mitsubishi bought the entire territory and began a coal mining project from the bottom of the sea.

In 1916, the first large concrete building was built on the island, and then the buildings began to grow like mushrooms after the rain. And in 1959, the population of the island grew so much that 835 people lived on one hectare! It was a world record for population density.

In the early 1960s, oil in Japan began to increasingly displace coal in production, its production became unprofitable. Coal mines began to close across the country, and the Gankanjima mines were no exception.

In 1974, Mitsubishi officially announced the closure of mines and the cessation of all activities on the island. Gankanjima became another abandoned ghost town. At present, visiting the island is prohibited, and in 2003, the shooting of the famous Japanese action movie "Royal Battle" took place here.

7. Kadykchan - a village in the Magadan region

  Kadykchan is an urban-type settlement located in the Susumansky district of the Magadan Region. One of the most famous abandoned northern villages on the Internet. In 1986, according to the census, 10,270 people lived here, and in 2002 - only 875. In Soviet times, coal of the highest quality was mined here, which was used to heat almost 2/3 of the Magadan region.

The population of Kadykchan began to decline rapidly after an explosion at a mine in 1996. A few years later, the only boiler house heating the village was unfrozen, and it became simply impossible to live here.

Now it is just a ghost town, one of many in Russia. In the garages are rusty cars, in the rooms are destroyed furniture, books and children's toys. Finally, leaving the dying village, residents shot a bust of V.I. Lenin installed on the square.

8. The walled city of Kowloon (Hong Kong) - a city of lawlessness and anarchy

  One of the most incredible ghost cities, now no longer existing, is the city of Kowloon, which was located near the former Kaitak Airport, a city where all the vices and low passions of mankind were embodied. In the 1980s, more than 50,000 people lived here.
  Probably, on the planet there was no longer such a place where prostitution, drug addiction, gambling and underground workshops were widespread.

Here it was practically impossible to take a step so as not to stumble upon a drug addict pumped up by foolishness, or a prostitute who offered her services for a penny. Hong Kong authorities practically did not control the city, there was the highest crime rate in the country.

In the end, in 1993, the entire population of Kowloon was evicted and for a short while it became a ghost town. The incredible and terrible settlement was then demolished, and in its place a park with the same name was set up.

9. The abandoned ghost town of Varosha (Cyprus)

  Varosha is a district of Famagusta, a city in Northern Cyprus, founded in the 3rd century AD. Until 1974, Varosha was a real “Mecca” for beach lovers. Thousands of tourists from all over the world flocked here to soak up the gentle rays of the Cypriot sun. They say the Germans and the British booked places in fashionable hotels for 20 years ahead!

The resort flourished, built up with new hotels and villas, until everything changed in 1974. That year, the Turks invaded Varosha with the support of NATO to protect the Turkish minority of the Cypriot inhabitants from the persecution of ethnic Greeks.

Since then, the Varosha quarter has become a ghost town surrounded by barbed wire, where the Turkish military has not let anyone in for four decades. The houses are dilapidated, the windows are knocked out and widespread devastation reigns on the streets of the once busy quarter. Apartments and shops are empty and completely looted first by the Turkish military, and then by local looters.

10. The Lost City of Agdam (Azerbaijan)

  Aghdam - a city once famous for its wine throughout the Soviet Union, is now dead and uninhabited ... The war in Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted from 1990 to 1994, did not give a chance for a flat city, where they used to make excellent cheese and make the best port in the Union.
  The collapse of the USSR led to the ignition of hotbeds of hostilities in many former republics.

Azerbaijan could not escape this, the warriors of which were able to seize the carriages with rockets located near Agdam. It turned out to be very convenient for them to bomb the Armenian Stepanakert. Such actions ultimately led to a sad ending.

In the summer of 1993, Agdam was surrounded by 6,000 soldiers of the Liberation Army of Nagorno-Karabakh. With the support of helicopters and tanks, the Armenians almost wiped out the hated city, and the approaches to it were carefully mined. Therefore, so far, visiting the ghost town of Agdam is unsafe for life.

Among all the mysterious and mysterious phenomena on our amazing planet, perhaps the most inexplicable is the emergence of ghost towns. Once blooming, noisy, full of life places become a white spot on the map.

Before we talk about the largest abandoned cities in the world, we note that there are many reasons for the appearance of ghost towns. This and technological disasters, the cessation of financing, military conflicts, technical miscalculations. Scientists cannot explain the reasons for the desolation of some places, but behind each such story is a human tragedy.

Iultin. Russia

We begin our journey with a village in the Chukotka Autonomous Region of Russia. Back in 1937, the largest polymetallic deposit in the world was discovered here.

Geologists from all over the Soviet Union gathered in the sprawling town. Tungsten, tin, and molybdenum, which the country needed so much, were mined here. In the late 1950s, a mining and processing plant was opened, which became a city-forming enterprise.

After the collapse of the USSR, the plant was closed, and metal mining ceased. By 2000, Iultin, numbering 5,000 inhabitants at the time of dawn, was completely empty.

Sang Zhi. Taiwan

At the end of the 70s of the XX century, on the northern coast of the island of Taiwan, they decided to implement a grandiose project to build a luxury resort town.

Unusual and stylish houses were intended for wealthy customers. But even during the construction process, rumors began to spread about the curse of this place.
  Nobody has acquired luxury real estate. Local residents believe that the souls of the dead have chosen in San Ji.

The luxury resort has become a ghost town, the streets of which are overgrown with weed, and among the houses only the wind walks. the site really hopes that soon this place will turn into a popular open-air prejudice museum.

Chernobyl Ukraine

One of the worst places on the planet. The city of Chernobyl was empty after an explosion at a nuclear power plant in April 1986. The catastrophe in those days shocked the whole world.

Of the greatest pride of the Soviet Union, the atomic town and station became the biggest disappointment. But radiation made Chernobyl and Pripyat not only dangerous, but also popular.

Tourists, despite the radioactive danger, visit the reactor and the abandoned city itself. In addition, this place attracts adventurers and numerous adventurers who visit the ghost town informally.

Famagusta. Cyprus

The war between Turkey and Greece led to the appearance on the map of another abandoned city of Famagusta. The two states could not divide the territory, and the resort turned into a demarcation zone.

Once a flourishing and crowded city was emptied in an instant, and now only the winds roam here and trees sprout through the concrete.

The city was partially sacked. Now it continues to collapse under the influence of water and the sun. The territory closed to visitors still attracts a few extreme people who, at the risk of their life, visit an abandoned resort.

Kadykchan. Russia

During the Great Patriotic War, coal mining began at the Arkagalinsky deposit in the Magadan Region. A town was built near the mines.

In the 1990s, they came to the conclusion that coal mining was unprofitable, and the mines began to close. People began to leave Kadykchan, and after the explosion at the mine, which claimed the lives of several miners, production ceased altogether.

In 2000, the city was disconnected from electricity, but back in 2001 people continued to live in the city. To date, the city of miners is completely empty.

Hashima. Japan

The island was inhabited at the beginning of the 19th century, and coal mining immediately began here. Japanese companies launched widespread production, and the island became one of the most populous places on earth.

In the early 70s of the last century, coal mining fell into decay, and Hashima completely emptied in 1974, becoming the most famous ghost island in the world.

People left this place of their own accord when coal reserves ran out. Now tourists have access to the island and, as the Japanese call the island "Gunkanjima" ("Cruiser") has become a popular tourist attraction.

Kolmanskop. Namibia

The same story that happened with coal towns in Africa, but the inhabitants of Kolmanskop mined diamonds.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, an employee of the railway station discovered diamond deposits in the desert. In a few years, large houses, hospitals, schools and even a stadium were built at the extraction site. Kolmanskop has become a thriving place.

But the reserves of the gemstone quickly ran out, besides the lack of water and sandstorms made life here simply unbearable. Residents quickly left these places, and for many years the once-crowded Kolmanskop has been a ghost town in the middle of the desert.

Centralia. USA

Another town of miners, but already in the United States has also become an uninhabited and terrible place on the planet. And Centralia began its history in the middle of the 19th century with a small tavern.

Over time, the coal and anthracite industry became the main production. But in the 60s of the last century, most companies left the coal mining business, and the mining village began to empty.

In 1962, the mayor decided to clear the area of \u200b\u200baccumulated garbage and set fire to the landfill. As a result, anthracite, located near the surface, caught fire and continues to smolder to this day. Residents left these places, and part of the houses was demolished.

Namie. Japan

In September 2011, a terrible disaster off the coast of Japan shocked the whole world. An earthquake caused an explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Tragedy turned a flourishing, many-thousand city into an abandoned one.

After the accident, it was decided to evacuate residents, making this area, as in Ukraine, an exclusion zone.

The explosions in Chernobyl and Fukushima showed the whole of mankind how fragile the world created by man is, and what danger lies in the thoughtless handling of atomic energy.

Chaiten. Chile

Nature forced people to leave the town of Chaiten on the Pacific coast in Chile.

The town located in the foothills completely died out after the eruption of the volcano in May 2008. But it is worth noting that the authorities successfully conducted a rescue operation and all residents were evacuated on time.

In the period from May to September, streets and houses were covered with volcanic ash and now everything is covered with its thick layer. As in Pompeii, after the eruption of Vesuvius, time is preserved here. In order to avoid new tragedies, it was decided not to restore Chaiten.

Times Beach USA

The ill-conceived, and even criminal actions of man led to the desolation of Times Beach in Missouri. Residents decided to clean the roads of dust, and the contractor used deadly dioxin.

Authorities tried to hush up the case, but information leaked to the press. In 1985, the Time Beach government confirmed that the soil was poisoned and residents were evacuated. The city as an administrative unit ceased to exist, and now there are only empty houses and cracked asphalt.

Entrepreneurial Americans made steam here, and for money they show tourists an example of the greatest engineering disaster in history.

Wittenum. Australia

We already know how much Australia has, but this place is empty for another reason.

A home for almost 20 thousand people, Wittenum, as a result of environmental degradation, was empty in a matter of months. In the middle of the 20th century, mining prospered here, and asbestos mining was the main source of income.

In the 1960s, they began to notice that mortality among the population had increased significantly, and doctors could not pinpoint the causes of death. Over time, it was found that asbestos fumes adversely affect human health and cause fatal diseases.

The remaining residents left the unfortunate place, and the abandoned Wittenum is covered with a thick layer of asbestos.

Neftegorsk. Russia

The oil industry has made Neftegorsk successful and prosperous. High salaries and jobs attracted people from all over the Soviet Union, but a natural disaster changed everything in an instant.

May 25, 1995 almost completely destroyed a huge city. About 2 thousand people were buried under the ruins of buildings.

The authorities decided not to rebuild the city. Several surviving houses and a monument in memory of the victims became a reminder of humanity about the terrible tragedy.

Villa Epecuen. Argentina

This tourist town has become another tragic example of the ill-considered human impact on nature. Built on the shore of the lake, the resort was a popular holiday destination until a person decided to intervene in natural processes.

Local authorities decided to expand the lake, but after 10 years, the water gradually began to flood beaches and buildings. In order to contain water, it was decided to build a dam, but once it could not stand it and flooded Villa-Epécuen.

People, saving lives, left the town. Salt and the sun after the decline of water completed the destruction of the once beautiful place. In 2009, Pablo Novak, who lived here before the flood, settled in his dilapidated house.

By the way, there is an informative article on the planet itself on the site.

Oradour-sur-Glan. France

Finish our journey in France. Oradour-sur-Glan reminder to descendants of the horrors of the most terrible war in the history of mankind.

On June 10, 1944, a German detachment broke into this small town and shot all its inhabitants, and the houses were partially destroyed. After the war, Oradour-sur-Glan decided not to rebuild. The ghost of war is a reminder to all of humanity about its ruthlessness, cruelty and uselessness.

There are many such settlements around the world. Khatyn in Belarus, Coventry in England, Cologne in Germany, and they all remind us of the terrible crimes against humanity.

Lycia is a wonderful country, giving the modern world almost completely destroyed cities with magnificent buildings created by famous masters of that time. Much has been lost thousands of years ago, but some creations of architectural art have come down to us. They look, of course, not as then, but they still amaze people from all over the Earth with their unusualness.

Numerous huge amphitheaters, aqueducts and sacred places still preserve the rich history of the amazing country of Lycia.

But all these beauties are not as numerous and interesting as the famous Lycian tombs - graves on the island of Teke, which appeared long before the beginning of our era.

You can find them throughout the country. Archaeologists have found a huge number of burials that have reached us in an unchanged state.   They are of great interest for their unusual shape and decorations, created according to all the canons of the Lycian culture.

All the tombs are divided into four main types: Kaya, Tapinak, Dahit and "Houses".

Kaya city of the dead

In Lycia you can find tombs carved directly in the rock. This is one of the very first Lycian burials. A large number of burials can be found in the city of Mira, which is located a few kilometers from the modern city of Demre. The tombs of Kaya gather in entire complexes and from afar they can resemble whole empty settlements.

It is very difficult to reach them, so these burials were better preserved than others. Particularly impressionable tourists, arriving in Lycia, do not immediately realize that they were in a burial place, and not in an abandoned city.

The tombs consist of a square foundation and are decorated with carved columns. Above them is a funerary room. The facade and columns are decorated with carvings and Lycian ornaments. Currently, some burials are not in the best condition, but they did not become less beautiful from this.

Tapinac temples of the dead

You can meet them almost throughout the territory. But most of the graves are in the ancient city of Cavn. The most popular burial place was the tomb of Amintas, which is located in Fethiye.

All tombs are created in the form of temples with two columns. Outside, they are similar to Kaya, but the internal architecture is different. The entrance to the tomb is bordered by a small portico, which is an empty space. Immediately behind it is a burial room.

Homes for the Dead

These tombs are very similar to the national Lycian houses. They have several floors and a decorated entrance in the form of a rectangle.

The entire area of \u200b\u200bthe tombs is covered with icons, drawings in the Gothic style. Inside them is a burial room, similar to Tapinak.

Fancy Sarcophagi

Tombs are scattered around the world, you will not surprise anyone. But Lycia is famous for its sarcophagi, which, due to their layered structure, have the shape of a tower. All sarcophagi have three levels.

The first level is represented by the base of the tomb, the second is burial, and the third is a roof resembling the roof of an ordinary house.

At the lower level they kept servants, slaves. The upper ones were intended for the masters and the elite and were decorated with frescoes.

The most famous sarcophagus is found in Xanthos. The frescoes decorating it are kept in.

Sign of respect

All the tombs were made very elegant and sophisticated. It can be concluded that the Lycians respected death and worshiped it.

They even created a defense system against robberies. A note was placed near each tomb with a curse warning that it could befall the infidels in the event of a robbery. Guarded the graves with entire families. For looting fines were imposed.

The amount was determined either by the next of kin, or the deceased himself while still alive.

Amphitheaters is Turkey's most famous landmark.

Greco-Roman amphitheater in Demre (Peace) Turkey was built in the II century BC. a certain Lysinus Lanfus with a budget of 10,000 silver denarii. Its diameter is about 110 meters and it could accommodate up to 10 thousand people (according to some reports, up to 15 thousand people). In total, there are 35 rows in the Mira amphitheater - 29 lower and 6 upper, separated by a diazome (a semicircular passage between the rows of the ancient theater).

Bus schedule can be found here:
http://www.batiantalyatur.net/?pnum\u003d21&pt\u003dAntalya-Fethiye%20(Sahilden)

Fare here:
  http://www.batiantalyatur.net/?pnum\u003d18&pt\u003dFiyat%20Listesi

If you are traveling to Demre from Belek, Side, Alanya (that is, from cities located east of Antalya), you first need to get to the Antalya bus station and transfer to the bus next to Demre.

Location of Demre on a map of Turkey: