Kekova Island and Sunken City

Kekova Island, Kaleköy and Üçağız villages near the Demre district of Antalya province in the historical Lycia, together with the three ancient cities of Simena, Teimussa and the old Tersane (Xera) with Byzantine ruins, complete the region known today as Kekova, which is claimed to mean ‘thyme plain’ in Turkish. Just beneath the waters around Kekova Island lie the ruins of a city called Dolikisthe, home to the world’s first democratic federation before the Ottomans, Byzantines and even Romans.

The Lycians were a peaceful federation of city-states dating from 2000 BC and included the maritime trading city of Simena. In the 2nd century AD, however, Simena disappeared beneath the waves after being shaken by a series of violent earthquakes. The ruins of the city of Simena can still be seen today, only a few metres below the clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The ruins of Simena include a shipyard, foundations of public buildings, houses and even fragments of amphorae. Above the shoreline are other houses, several Lycian tombs with distinctive arched roofs and the remains of an early church. There is also a stone staircase leading down to the sea. Later Simena became a small fishing village and for a while served as an outpost for the Knights of Rhodes.

Kekova Island and Sunken City
In the fishing village of Kaleköy on the mainland it is possible to see the remains of ancient and medieval buildings, and right on the hill is a castle built partly on ancient Lycian foundations by the Knights of Rhodes, containing the smallest amphitheatre in Lycia. At the eastern end of the village is a Lycian necropolis with a beautiful cluster of sarcophagi surrounded by old olive trees. Kekova Island, where the ruins are located, is now uninhabited and it is difficult to see any living creature other than a few goats grazing among the ruins. However, when the time comes, villagers cross the island to harvest the wild thyme that gives the island its name. After the Italian occupation of Kastelorizo, Kekova, which was temporarily inhabited during the summer months due to the wood harvest at that time, became disputed between Italy and Turkey. However, the 1932 Convention signed between Italy and Turkey confirmed that it belongs to Turkey. In 1990, the Turkish government declared the area a Special Protection Area for the protection of Kekova Island and its surroundings, and listed it as a “provisional” candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status. The Kekova Special Environmental Protection Area is 260 km² and is managed by the Special Areas Protection Authority of the Ministry of Environment.

Swimming, snorkelling, diving and jet-skiing are prohibited in the area around the sunken city. However, charter boats carrying tourists are allowed to cruise over it at a slow speed to get a good view of the ruins both above and below the waterline.

Before you go
From the village of Üçağız, two-hour trips can be made around the gulf with very crowded tour boats. If you are staying in Kaş or Kalkan, it can be enjoyable to participate in all-day gulet trips from Kaş. Apart from that, it is possible to explore the entire Lycian coast with gulets rented for a week or longer, called blue cruise. You can also book a canoe trip from Kas, where you can go to Kekova by crossing the strait with the canoes you rent from the coastal village, and if you get tired due to wind or waves on the way back, you can return with the help of a support length from the mainland. If you are staying in or near Side, Excursion Love organises excursions that will make you happy. Click here!