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Islamic Tourism Cirali, 75 km west of Antalya, is a delightful village on the beach, which welcomes visitors to rural Turkey with pine forests, flowers, thousands of lemon and orange trees and pension upon pension, where guests are immediately members of family. The beach is lined with restaurants, including Kutle, which serve fresh fish and salads. There are also tree houses for the young and young at heart. Loveable stray cats attach themselves to visitors and take a nap on any vacant knee.
Apart from 3.2km of beach Cirali has two major historical sites on its doorstep. Carry on along the beach and you come to the ancient City of Olympos which takes its name from the Tahtali Mountain in the north. The city was one of the most important members in the Lycian Union established in the 2nd century BC. It was built east of Phaselis, along the two sides of a small stream reaching the sea. An ancient bridge connecting the two sides of this river still exists.
In 80BC the city was conquered by pirates under the command of Zeniketes. In 78BC it came under the rule of the Romans and in 130 BC the Roman Emperor Hadrianus spent some time there. Greek and Roman times were the era of polytheism and many temples in praise of various Gods: Apollon, Zeus and Atenna were constructed. The Christians came and went – the first archbishop, Methoidos, was killed by the Romans.
The next invaders were the Venetians and Rodes Knights. In the 15th century, at the time of Faith Sultan Mehmet, the city was joined to the Ottoman Empire. Now parts of the city are used as winter quarters by the nomads who come down from the Taurus mountains.
In ancient times Olympus was a city in a valley open to the sea where ships anchored. It has not been inhabited since medieval times and the ruins among the trees have now gained a mystical appearance. Still visible is the Roman bath, theatre and basicila. There is a site map and some notes on the city’s history provided by the Antiquities Department.
At the end of the site is Lila’s Pansion and Gozieme’s café with pancakes ranging from white cheese to sugar and lemon. It is also an area for tree houses and open fires.
The second historical site is Chimaera of the eternal flames. It is possible to walk to the site from the pensions but the locals are willing to oblige with a lift to the start of the mountain trail leading to the flames.
Before starting on the walk through the pine forests visitors can have a lesiurely drink and watch Turkish television with its endless stream of romantic songs, desparate suitors and forlorne madiens, at a small picnic area. The entry ticket has a colourful image of the site and makes a nice souvenir.
The myth of Bellerophontes originated in Chimaera. After killing Bellero his brother by mistake, Bellerophontes was exiled to Olympos. He had to kill the monster with the body of a goat, the head of a lion the tial of a snake and a mouth strewing flames in reparation. This mission was accomplished with the help of Pegasus, his horse with wings. The monster was buried but his tongue was not and continues to spit flames today. The scientific explanation tells us that natural gas passes under the ground where it is believed Bellerophontes killed Chimaera. At an altitude of 400m the gas begins to burn by itself. Chimaera, one of the most important places of the cult of Hephaistos, the god of the underworld and fire, is also respected as a holy place by Muslims.
Getting there: Fly to Antalya with Turkish Airlines.
Tour operators: IAH Ltd (www.flightholiday.co.uk) specialise in one week excursions combining three days of sight seeing in Antalya with four days in Cirali.
Where to stay: Emin’s Pension (00 90 242 825 7320) along the coastal road is at the upper end of the pension market. Set in an orchard of lemon and citrus fruits it provides breakfast and dinner. The rooms are comfortable and the communal lounge has a tv and internet facilities.
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