Other Galleries

This album contains all our galleries which are not for our talks

Lykia - Xanthos and Letoon

30D_IMG_1824 Xanthos. The Vespasian Gate.
30D_IMG_1820 Site of the Xanthos Nereid Monument, a free-standing temple tomb removed to the British Museum
30D_IMG_1219 Xanthos Nereid Monument reassembled in the British Museum. The Nereids were the daughters of Poseidon. This is afree-standing temple tomb built during the Persian domination but obviously in the Greek style. While there are friezes of soldiers, the Lykians liked a good party after death and there are feasting scenes.
400D_IMG_2164 Theatre at Xanthos. This is on the oldest part of the site and it has been remodelled from a hellenistic theatre into a roman arena with a barrier in front of the seats
30D_IMG_1842 Xanthos. Lykian sarcophagus standing on a pillar by the theatre, and the 'Harpy' pillar tomb
30D_IMG_1838 Xanthos. The frieze of the Harpy tomb on site is a reproduction
30D_IMG_1265 Xanthos. The original Harpy frieze is in the British Museum. A king seated. At each end, winged harpies carry the souls of the dead
30D_IMG_1832 Xanthos. Agora and opposite the theatre, the Yazıtlı (with-writing) pillar. Probably also a pillar tomb originally, it carries an extensive inion in the Lykian language
30D_IMG_1831 Xanthos. Details of the Lykian inion. Lykian was only written briefly between 500 and 350BCE. Like those of greek, latin and other languages geographically, the alphabet is derived from Phoenician
30D_IMG_1814 Xanthos was inhabited for about a thousand years. Roughly from 500 BCE to 500 CE, covering persian, hellenistic and roman periods. This is the christian basilica church
30D_IMG_1810 Xanthos. A free-standing Lykian sarcophagus tomb on a plinth
30D_IMG_1785 A pillar tomb above a collection of house tombs. Xanthos probably has the largest variety of Lykian tomb styles anywhere. House, free-standing house, sarcophagus, sarcophagus on plinth, pillar, temple and free-standing temple.
30D_IMG_1786 Xanthos. Base of the Payava Tomb. Now only the plinth and hyposorium. The remainder, including the frieze of the upper part shown here, was removed to the British Museum
30D_IMG_1244 The upper section of the Xanthos Payava Tomb in the British Museum. The room is normally closed and we thank the Museum for access
30D_IMG_1644 Moving to Letoon, which was the religious centre of the Lykian League. The theatre at Letoon with quite a lot of rubble covering the orchestra
30D_IMG_1641 Letoon. The back row of the theatre with nicely carved seats.
30D_IMG_6948 Letoon. The Vomitorium (exit) from the theatre
30D_IMG_6911 Letoon. The temple of Leto partially reconstructed
30D_IMG_1653 Letoon. There are lots of spare column drums and other pieces on site which have been partially sorted before possible use in reconstruction
30D_IMG_1655 Letoon. New pieces are also being carved to help in the reconstruction
30D_IMG_1661 Letoon. The interior - naos - of the temple of Leto showing where some new pieces have been used
30D_IMG_6917 Letoon. Next to the temple of Leto is the temple of Artemis. Not much more than a lump really. Artemis and Appolo were the children of Leto.
30D_IMG_1667 Letoon. Next to the temple of Artemis is the temple of Appollo. In the floor is a replica mosaic showing the attributes of Appollo. Archer, Sun God, and Musician. Original in the Fethiye Museum
30D_IMG_6922 Letoon. The christians have a lot to answer for. They largely dismantled the temples, burned some of the stone to make mortar, and built a church. Nave and apse of the church.
400D_IMG_6922 Letoon is close to the sea and on alluvial soil. Rich for farming, but the water table is high. Remains of the Nymphaeum (water fountain) in apse layout