Kitanaura is located near the village of Saraycık, approximately 42 km north of the Kumluca district of Antalya. The ruins were first identified by Spratt and Forbes in 1842. Although various identifications were proposed, including Apollonia and Marmara, the site’s identity remained uncertain for nearly 150 years. In the 1990s, the identification of Kitanaura was confirmed through the discovery of both coins bearing the city’s name and the Patara Road Monument. In this inscription, the city is referred to as “Kitanaura of Termessos.” The first detailed survey of the site was conducted in 2006.
The acropolis, situated on a hill at an elevation of approximately 1,300 m, is flanked on its eastern and western sides by steep cliffs. The main entrance is located to the southwest. The fortification walls on the southern side, particularly those built in a two-tiered system, are the best preserved. The extant walls were originally constructed in the Hellenistic period and were subsequently repaired in later periods. As the site has not yet been excavated, all visible architectural remains are attributable to the Roman period and later phases.
The best-preserved structure is a bath-gymnasium complex dated to the 2nd century CE. Among the numerous tombs located in the necropolis areas to the south and west of the acropolis, the most notable is the monumental heroon.
Heroon of Kitanaura
The monument has a temple-like design reminiscent of the Perikle Heroon in Limyra. The rectangular structure measures 8.35 × 7.2 m at its base. It is located along the road leading to the acropolis, with its entrance facing east toward the acropolis. The roof of the structure has collapsed, and the sarcophagus within has been destroyed. The long northern wall and the rear wall are still standing. In contrast, the long southern wall was demolished in the 1990s during the construction of the modern road passing adjacent to the monument.
The relief frieze on the exterior façades depicts a series of motifs such as weapons, horses, and helmets, which may reflect the military status and heroic identity of the tomb owner. According to the inscription on the façade, the monument was commissioned by Trokondas, son of Trokondas and grandson of Atteous, for himself. The structure is dated to between the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE.
References:
Çevik, N. 2008. “Northeast Lycia. The New Evidence – The Results from the past ten years from the Bey Mountains Surface Surveys,” Adalya 11, 189–233.
Çevik, N. & I. Pimouget Pédarros. 2013. “Kelbessos et Kithanaura sur la territorie de Termessos de Psidia,” Anatolie des peuplesi cites et cultures, 273–288.
Çevik, N. 2021. Lykia Kitabı: Arkeolojisi, Tarihi ve Kültürüyle Batı Antalya, Türk Tarih Kurumu, Ankara.
Petersen, E. & F. Von Luschan. 1889. Reisen in Lykien Milyas und Kibyratis. Reisen im Südwestlischen Kleinasien II, Vienna.
Images:
E. Petersen & F. Von Luschan, 1889
N. Çevik & I. Pimouget-Pédarros, 2013
Ertuğrul Anıl, 2023
Bora Bilgin, 2023
Tayfun Bilgin, 2023