Antiphellos was originally founded as the port of the city of Phellos. Through the expansion of its trade activities, it grew significantly larger than Phellos and, by the Hellenistic period, became an independent city. Coins were minted under its own name. The Lycian name of the city is Wehinta.
To date, no comprehensive excavations have been conducted at Antiphellos. The earliest visible remains are tombs dating to the dynastic period. At the neck of the peninsula, the acropolis hill rises parallel to the sea. The best-preserved structure in the city is the Roman-period theater, built on its southern slope, likely atop an earlier Hellenistic theater. The theater was restored in 2011.
The ancient city extended between the acropolis and the port to the east. Most of the buildings in this area are now buried beneath the modern settlement, although traces of the fortification walls surrounding both the settlement and the acropolis hill remain visible. Following a salvage excavation in 2012, a structure previously identified as a bouleuterion on the map of Charles Texier was reinterpreted as a Hellenistic temple. This building appears to have been repurposed in later periods.
The Lion Tomb of Antiphellos
This monument is a Classical Lycian sarcophagus set on a hyposorion, featuring a chest that imitates wooden construction and an ogival-shaped lid. The tomb takes its name from the two lion-head protomes on either side of the lid.
The sarcophagus, still standing in its original location, is now situated in the busy center of Kaş. Nineteenth-century travelers Spratt and Forbes observed that, among the hundreds of sarcophagi in the area, this example stood out for both its architectural features and its lengthy inscription.
The nine-line inscription (TL 55) on the north face is arranged in stanzas and written in Lycian B, which is considered an earlier dialect of the Lycian language. Although the text has not been fully deciphered, it is understood to refer to an individual named Pixre. He may be represented in the relief on the pediment of the lid, shown standing before a seated woman. Pixre likely commissioned the tomb for his entire family.
This dynastic-period tomb is among the oldest in Antiphellos. Jan Zahle dates it to 390–380 BCE.
The Doric Tomb
The Doric Tomb is located on the northwestern edge of the acropolis hill. It is a square-plan structure carved into the bedrock and derives its name from its Doric stylistic features. With the exception of its east-facing façade, it is enclosed on three sides by rock walls.
The roof, thought to have been pyramidal in form, has not survived. An inscription in Greek is located above the entrance. Inside the chamber are three klinai decorated with floral motifs.
The most notable decoration appears on the western wall and the projecting corners, above the kline opposite the entrance. A 3.36 m-long U-shaped frieze depicts 26 female figures—interpreted as dancing girls—holding hands. Unfortunately, the figures are heavily worn, and many details are no longer clearly visible.
The tomb is dated to the 4th century BCE.
References:
Çevik, N. 2021. Lykia Kitabı: Arkeolojisi, Tarihi ve Kültürüyle Batı Antalya, Türk Tarih Kurumu, Ankara.
Fellows, C. 1839. A Journal Written During an Excursion in Asia Minor, London.
Fellows, C. 1847. Lycia, Caria, Lydia, illustrated Mr. George Scharf with descriptive letter-press by Sir Charles Fellows, London.
Gülşen, F. F. 1998. “The Doric Rock Tomb at Antiphellos,” Adalya 3, 63 – 86.
Mayer, L. 1803. Views in the Ottoman Empire, London.
Schürr, D. 2005. “Das Pixre-Poem in Antiphellos,” Kadmos 44, 95–164.
Texier, C. 1849. Description de l’Asie Mineure, Vol.3, Paris.
Woudhuizen, F. C. 2012. “Lycian Forms of the Enclitic Pronoun of the 3rd Person: An Overview of the Relevant Data,” CollAn XI, 415-436.
Zahle J. 1979. “Lykische Felsgräber mit Reliefs aus dem 4. Jh. v. Chr.,” JDI 94, 245–347.
Images:
L. Mayer, 1803
C. Fellows, 1839, 1847
British Museum
C. Texier, 1849
F. F. Gülşen, 1998
Bora Bilgin, 2022, 2023
Reha Özer, 2022, 2023
Tayfun Bilgin, 2022, 2025