Not much remains from this
city since it was established on top of the old city of Antiphellos
in Central Lycia. From an inscription written in two languages,
we can see that the city under Kas was Antiphellos. But the
old name of Kas is Habesos. In the ninth century B.C., Antiphellos
was a very small settlement unit and it was the port of Phellos,
which is a bit
north of Kas. As the Hellenistic age began, Phellos lost its
importance while Antiphellos developed and came to the fore.
This situation also continued in the Roman era and Antiphellos
developed further by cedar tree trade and sponge fishing.
At that time, the city was no longer a port of Phellos but
rather a rich and self-sufficient city.
There are regular city wall remains
on the city’s acropolis, which looks on the side of
Meis island. But nothing has survived to our day from
the northern and western sides of this wall. The remains
of the wall on the seaside are also visible. The city
has a theater that survived with very little damage,
looking down the sea on the right side of the road going
to Çukurbag. The most famous monument in Kas is a sarcophagus
formed from a single block on
Uzun Çarsi Avenue. The monument appears
as you walk among rug shops. The sarcophagus bears an
eight-line inscription on it in the Lycian language,
but the writing has largely been obscured by time making
it impossible to guess who the tomb belonged to. People
ended up calling it the Sarcophagus of the King.
Kas, the closest spot to Meis island, is a heaven for
visitors who are fond of historical sites. The Cukurova
Peninsula stretches into the sea and there are modern
hotels built on this peninsula. The peninsula is also
an ideal three-kilometer-long walking track which offers
beautiful views along its path.
Inside Kas, there are splendid beaches with clean water
like Büyük Çakil, Küçük Çakil and Akçagerme. You can
also go to Çayagzi Beach by boat. There are six caves
around Kas. Mavi Magara (The Blue Cave), the Asirli
island sea cave and the Güvercinlik Cave famous for
its pigeons are 18 kilometers from Kas, and they are
the most famous ones. Kaputas Beach is one of the most
beautiful beaches in the world.
Besides its historical sites, Kas offers
tourists many options including nature sports like trekking,
mountaineering and rafting. The Yesilgöl and Ucansu
waterfalls would be a good choice for those who want
to enjoy nature on their own. Gömbe, on the bottom of
Mt. Akdag, is 70 kilometers away from Kas. Mt. Akdag
has the second-highest summit after the Kizlar summit
in the Western Taurus mountain range. A number of small
lakes that are found here
are beautiful. There is the ancient
city of Komba in Gömbe and the ancient city of Nisa
in Meryemlik near Sütlegen, 13 kilometers away from
Komba. Here there are tombs, an agora and remains of
a theater. Near the town there is the Kandyba ancient
city. One of the good things about Kas is that you can
walk to most of the ruins. For example you can have
a nice leisurely walk to Pehllos, which is 12 kilometers
from Kas. The Phellos ruins are right above the villages
of Çukurbag and Pinarbasi.
Travelling to Kas and not visiting Kekova is simply
inconceivable. You can go to Kekova from Kas by yacht
or you can drive to Üçagiz and then hire a boat from
there. The sight of the sunken city is impressive. Kas
is surrounded by many ancient cities including Istlada,
Apollania, Isinda and Kyaenai as well as many ruins
whose names are not known.
There is another ancient city in the
Bayindir village, 7 kilometers from Kas. The Bayindir
Port is ideal for yachts. On the mountain side over
this port, there is a group of sarcophagi with Lycian
inscriptions carved on them. This must be a very small
ancient city, and its name is believed to be Sebeda.
On the high area on the western side of Kas, there is
an area with a few ruins. There are some remains with
polygonal walls spreading over three hills at an altitude
of 760 meters over Seyret Valley. On the way to Sidek
village, there is another area of ruins, and among the
ruins there is a rock tomb in gothic style with Lycian
inscriptions and polygonal walls.
On a hill on the north of Hacioglan
village, on the north bank of the river, there is a
fortress and three Lycian tombs. Near Çardakli village,
there is an ancient city whose name is unknown and half
an hour south of Baglica, there is a fortress on top
of a hill. There is a small settlement called Tysee
on top of a low hill near the village of Tuse. Near
this area, in a place called Aladam, there is a tomb
with stairs, an unusual structure for Lycia. The surrounding
of Kas offers visitors historical and natural wonders.