KAŞ / ANTIPHELLOS

Located to the southernmost point of the Teke peninsula, at the tip of the bay of the same name, is the settlement of Kaş. The town has become a true centre for tourism thanks to its increasing touristic potential during the recent years. The origin of the name of the city is traced back to the “Aprillans”, kinsmen of Lukka/Lycians among the Nordic tribes who migrated to Anatolia, moving down to the south in 3000s B.C. The Aprillans first settled in Vehinda, which was a Luwian settlement, at an altitude of 900 m from the sea, and enlarged it with a population increase and renamed it Phellos. It began thriving. Later on, they felt the need to get involved in shipping trade and thus, they moved to the shore from tableland and settled in the small Habesuwa/Habesos harbour complex established by Luwians where Kaş is today. They adorned the harbour with various structures and they also renamed the harbour Antiphellos meaning “Opposite Phellos” in order to avoid any presumptions that it is a separate settlement from Phellos, their main city. The flourishing “Opposite Phellos” became the most important trade centre of the area. In time, the city declined and was abandoned as was the case with all other Lukka/Lycian cities. During late 11th century Kınık Turks of Tekeoğulları came to the area and settled down in Kasaba and Gömbe first. Later, without spoiling the original name of the city of Antiphellos they removed Phellos and started pronouncing it as “Karşı” in short. This word became “Karş” and then “Kaş” in time. As stated before, the history of the city starts with the “Aprillans” during 3000s B.C. The ancient wooden book belonging to Nefertiti is the best evidence of the relations between the Lycian coastal cities aand Egypt. The city which joined the Lycian Federation in the 6th century B.C. was subsequently captured by pirates. It started developing after it was included within the borders of the Roman Empire. The first ancient remains in the city are the 7 metre-tall and 500 metre-long walls of the quay made of block stones, and they stretch in the east-west direction along the shore. To the north of these walls, the remains of a square temple with a 5 metre-tall stone podium attract the attention. The prostylos temple has one cella and it was used as a chapel during the Byzantine era. A small theatre with 26 rows of seats is seen in the west of the city. The caveas have retained their original height. The seats lean on an arched semicircular gallery. There is a mausoleum built in Doric style behind the theatre. The sides of the 2 metre-high entrance to the mausoleum are made to resemble those of a door’s and the entrance appears to have been closed by a stone. A frieze, depicting 21 small women holding hands and dancing, with wind-blown skirts, is seen on the back of the stone podium on which the deceased was placed. The necropolis of the city stretches in a north-west direction. Many sarcophagi and rock tombs are seen in the necropolis. The most attractive sarcophagus as preserved up to the present day is the one in the city centre, consisting of three sections, which is 1.5 metres high, house-like and embellished with carvings.