From inscriptions that have been found, we know that the history of the
ancient city of Simena goes back to the 4th century B.C.
If we go ashore via the jetty next to the sarcophagus on the seashore and climb the hill behind the houses, we reach the castle of
Simena.
This castle was used during the Middle Ages by the
Byzantines.
In the medieval walls of the inner keep are a few blocks of all that remains of
ancient temple.
Inside the castle is a small natural theater carved into the rock.
This is the smallest of theaters among the cities of
Lycia.
West of the theater there are rock
tombs here and there. Above the rock
tombs is a
Roman wall built of dressed stone and located on the wall are late-period embrasures thus giving one a glimpse of three eras simultaneously.
On the shore are the
ruins of public baths whose inscription is still legible and reads "A gift to the emperor Titus made by the people and council of
Aperlai as well as by the other cities of the confederation."
Looking from the castle towards Ucagiz it becomes clear how beautiful and safe a natural
Harbor this really is.
Simena (or Kalekoy, its present-day name) is only a temporary shelter however. The actual shelter for
yachts is
Teimussa (Ucagiz), a landlocked
bay surrounded by green hills. There is a road overland that leads here.
The
ruins of the
ancient city of
Teimussa are located here. Very little is known about the history of the city however.
One inscription indicates that its history goes back to the 4th century B.C. One sees mostly the
ruins of a necropolis here and no city walls or other major structures have been encountered.
The oldest sarcophagus is from the 4th century B.C. and is shaped like a house.
Over it is the nude portrait of a young man. The inscription tells us that it belongs to "Kluwanimiye". The work is
Roman and a later addition to the sarcophagus.
One may reach
Kekova overland from
Demre Cayagzi as well as in
boats that you can rent at
Kas.
After leaving
Kekova you pass Kisneli Island and Asirli Island and come to
Gokkaya Harbor.
Gokkaya is a beautiful
bay and a fine
Harbor.
On the way is a big sea cave that was used at one time by pirates.
From here one comes to Cayagzi (
Demre), also called Kokar
bay, alongside of which are the
ruins of
Andreake.
From here, one may take a car to
Myra, the city of St. Nicholas, which is quite close.
This is also a place from which one may visit other
Lycian cities as Isinda at Belenli, Apollonia at Kilincli, Istlada at Kapakli, Kyaenai at Yavu, and Trysa and Sura at Golbasi.
The area is also filled with thousands of
Lycian sarcophagi lying everywhere.
Other interesting sites in
Turkey are:
Antalya,
Kemer,
Phaselis,
Olympos,
Demre,
Kekova, Simena,
Aperlai,
Kas,
Kalkan,
Patara,
Xanthos,
Letoon,
Tlos,
Pinara,
Oludeniz,
Fethiye,
Gocek,
Knidos,
Caunos,
Ekincik,
Gokova,
Marmaris and
Bodrum.
