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Termessos has the most dramatic
situation of any ancient city
in Turkey. Just look at its theater:
High in a mountain defile 38 km (24
miles) north of the Mediterranean
coast city of Antalya (map),
the walled city of Termessos defied
even Alexander
the Great in 333 BC.
Now protected within Güllük
Dagi National Park, Termessos
requires at least half a day (4
or 5 hours, preferably in the morning—start
early), and bring a water
bottle and snacks or a picnic
lunch.
The park opens at 08:30 am in summer.
Last entry to the park is at 17:30
(5:30 pm), but you don't have to leave
the
park until 19:30 (7:30 pm). In winter,
the park may open at 08:00 am, and
close early if there is bad weather
(heavy rain, fog, snow), but otherwise
the last entry is often 16:30 (4:30
pm).
In early May 2007, I
started driving from Kaleiçi, Antalya at
08:35 am, reached the entrance to the
national park at 09:15
am and payed the
YTL9.50 admission fee.
Just beyond the park entrance is a
restaurant, cafe and snack shop, picnic
area, toilets, a small "exhibition
room" (museum) of
photos of Termessos's ruins, and a
forlorn stuffed deer.
Guides wait
here on most days (particularly weekends)
for those who might want to employ
them for a tour of the ruins—not
a bad idea if you have a lively interest
in archeology, as Termessos is an unrestored
site: signs mark the major buildings,
and the principal paths are kept mostly
clear of brush, but you still get a
good Indiana Jones feeling as you poke
around in the scrub looking at the
fields of tumbled limestone blocks.
From the park entrance, I
drove the 9 km (5.6 miles) up a winding,
one-lane
switchback road to the archeological
site parking lot, arriving at 09:30
am, an hour after leaving Antalya.
At the site parking lot are a few
picnic tables, a sign saying "No Picnicking"
in Turkish, toilets, a tiny ranger
post, a temple and propylaeum dedicated
to Emperor Hadrian and the goddess
Artemis, and an ancient cistern.
From the parking lot, I walked fairly
slowly along the rough path uphill
toward the city heights.
After 10 minutes I was at the Lower
City Walls. A few more minutes brought
me to the City Gate, and another 10
minutes to the Gymnasium and Baths.
By 10:00 am, after a half-hour hike
from the parking lot, I was at the
Upper City Walls and Drainage
System,
on level ground at the top of the
valley.
A few minutes walking on level (but
rough) ground took me to the spectacular
Theater with its vast views and precipitous
site, teetering on the rim of a steep
defile.
Major sights at the top include
the Upper Agora, Odeon-Bouleuterion,
Hereon (monumental
tomb), Cistern
with Five Partitions, Colonnaded
Street, and
the Corinth Temple.
After a look at the Corinth Temple,
I started down the rocky path to the
parking lot and arrived just over 16
minutes later. My visit to the site,
including walking up the hill, lasted
two hours. One hour
would be too little, three might also
be
fine, four would
be too much, unless you plan to bushwhack
to the Southern Necropolis and/or
the fire watchtower at the very top
of
the valley. The paths through the scrub
to these places were not cleared at
the time of my visit.
Seeing Termessos requires
climbing over rough rock (some huge
stones)
and perhaps walking a bit in scrubby,
scratchy brush. It is not an easy place
to walk. Spraining an ankle or two
is easy to accomplish,
so be
careful.
To reach Termessos from Antalya, leave
the city following signs for the Otogar (bus
terminal), then signs for Burdur, Korkuteli,
Denizli and Mugla.
The park entrance is off the
Burdur-Korkuteli highway.
Visit on a day excursion from Antalya,
or stop for a half day going to or
from Antalya along the Burdur or Korkuteli highways
on your way to or from Pamukkale and Denizli.
You should consider combining your
visit to Termessos with one to the
Karain Cave, 19 km (12 miles) east
of the Termessos archeological site
parking lot. The two sites make a good
day excursion, and you can be back
in Antalya in time for a late
lunch and a swim.
Distances & Travel Times
Antalya: 38
km (24 miles) S, 1 hour
Karain Cave: 19 km (12 miles) from
the Termessos archeological site parking
lot
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