The city is located at the southwest end of the Bey Mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, 3 km north-northwest of Akalissos. It was first identified by Spratt and Forbes in 1842. Idebessos had a polis status and was represented in Lycian League as a sympolitea along with the cities of Akalissos and Korma. Although it is thought to have an older origin, the existing remains do not go back any further than the Hellenistic Period. However, no excavation work has been carried out in the city yet. Detailed surveys were carried out in 2000 and 2008 by Akdeniz University. Some of the buildings that make up the city are on the plain facing west and some are on the slopes of a steeply descending hill to the east. The slope settlements are protected by walls. The small theater with only 7-8 steps is in Hellenistic style. A small bath supported with an aqueduct and a three-aisled Byzantine Period basilica are among the identified structures. The necropolis area extends from the south of the bath to the west of the theater. All of the sarcophagi belong to the Roman Period and some of them have inscriptions. The tanks of the sarcophagi are mostly decorated in Psidian style but the lids are ogival-shaped in Lycian style. There are no rock tombs.
References:
Başgelen, N. (ed.) 2005. Lycian Journal 1892 – Ernst Krickl, Archaeology and Art Publication, İstanbul.
Bayburtluoğlu, C. 2004. Lykia, Suna-İnan Kıraç Akdeniz Medeniyetleri Araştırma Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
Çevik, N. 2021. Lykia Kitabı: Arkeolojisi, Tarihi ve Kültürüyle Batı Antalya, Türk Tarih Kurumu, Ankara.
Kızgut, İ., S. Bulut & N. Çevik. 2009. ‘An East Lycian City: Idebessos’, Adalya XII, 145-172.
Image sources:
N. Başgelen, 2005
İ. Kızgut et al., 2009
Bora Bilgin, 2023
Tayfun Bilgin, 2023