Interesting places in Turkey

The ancient city of Kyaneai is located on the D400, above the Turkish village of Yavu on a mountain ridge.

The city was surrounded by walls on three sides. In the south, fortifications were not necessary due to the natural conditions. The city walls are particularly striking because of the use of spoilers and their apparently quick construction. They must have been erected at a rather late date.
 

In the northern and western part of the city wall there are three partially preserved city gates. In the enclosed city area, hidden between bushes and trees, one finds several buildings, mainly from the Roman Empire.

The Hellenistic theatre was built on a natural slope and, like the entire city, has not yet been extensively researched and excavated.
The theatre, dating from the 2nd century BC, is undoubtedly the best preserved building in Kyaneai.

However, Kyaneai receives special attention because of the extraordinary concentration of typical Lycian sarcophagi. More than 300 of these sarcophagi with ogival lids can be found in and around the city. They date from the 4th century B.C. to the Roman era. Among the oldest is the richly decorated sarcophagus of Khudalije, a Lycian dignitary. However, the vast majority of the sarcophagi of Kyaneai date from Roman times.

You can reach Kyaneai via the coastal road D400, between Kaş and Demre/Myra. Kyaneai is signposted from the D400 at three access points with the typical brown signs. While from the village of Yavu you can reach the former urban area on foot with a good physical condition, we recommend for visitors with less sportive ambitions the in April 2013 quite well drivable path, which ends directly at the theatre.

Coming from Kaş, take the first of the three signposted access roads on the left, just before the village of Yavu. The well drivable path leads after about 3 km around the mountain to another path branching off to the right, which after another kilometre leads directly to the ancient theatre.