Lykia Civilization, Mugla & Antalya - 1980

Lycia is an ancient region covering the Teke Peninsula of Anatolia. Lycia is also a federation of ancient cities in this region and later a province of the Roman Empire. Lycia means "Land of Light". The Lycians, who are thought to be connected with the Indo-European Luwians and known to have established the first democratic union known in history, created a common culture despite coming together from different cities and shared and lived it as long as they existed. The area was then Hellenized and occupied and controlled by various peoples such as Persians, Macedonians, and Romans. Lycian tombs are mostly found in the Necropolis area, on the right side according to the direction of climbing to the castle.  Many relics of the Lycians remain visible today. These relics include the distinctive rock-cut tombs on the sides of cliffs. The British Museum in London grabbed one of the best collections of Lycian artifacts. Letoon, an important center in Hellenic times of worship for the goddess Leto and her twin children, Apollo and Artemis, and nearby Xanthos, the ancient capital of Lycia, constitute a UNESCO World Heritage site. (Source: en.wikipedia.org)

In 1980 I went to Kas for a three-month mission. It was a pretty coastal town with a population of 1500, difficult to access back then. Later I realized that this was a good chance for me. I photographed many historical areas before nature and the historical environment deteriorated. Today, it is an easily accessible area, with its abundant urban population, and its natural beauties have been destroyed.
In ancient regions, people used the parts of old monuments as building materials in house construction thinking that they were cheap materials, and hybrid structures emerged. Ancient rock tombs and stone sarcophagi were around and part of town life. The days I spent with the sponge hunters, the fish we had trouble finding today and the ice creams we ate on simple tea plates remained sweet memories.