Letoon Ancient City: A Cultural Journey with Archaeological Remains in the Religious Center of Lycia

Letoon Ancient City is a religious ruin located in Muğla Seydikemer. These archaeological ruins, which have survived from the Lycians to the present day, are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List with the date 09.12.1988 and number 484. This city is located on the Lycian walking route. It is also frequently visited from the surrounding tourism centers such as Kaş and Fethiye. In this content, you can learn the history and legend of Letoon Ancient City; you can learn about how to get here.Letoon Ancient City and Letoon Sanctuary is an ancient city located in Muğla Seydikemer. The oldest traces of settlement in the city date back to the 7th century BC. The ruins and ruins captured to date show that this place was a religious center. It is also stated that it was a political area.There are three temples side by side in the center of Letoon Ancient City Ruins. The northernmost one is dedicated to Leto, the middle one to Artemis and the southern one to Apollo. There is a fountain to the southwest of these temples. There is also a church just to the east. There is also a theater from the Hellenistic Period in the north of the city.An inscription written in Greek, Aramaic and Lycian was found around the largest temple dedicated to Leto, the mother of Artemis and Apollo, and this inscription is on display at the Fethiye Museum. The Temple of Apollo in the east, built in Doric style, is less preserved than Leto. The smallest one is the Temple of Artemis. Letoon was abandoned in the 7th century BC. Together with nearby Xanthos, it was included in the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO. In this respect, it is visited by tourists at all times of the year.There are legends about many historical sites in Turkey today. The legend of Letoon Ancient City is expressed as follows:'According to this legend, Zeus, the god of gods, fell in love with Leto, the beautiful-haired daughter of the Titans Kios and Phoibe. He possesses Leto like his other lovers and Leto becomes pregnant. Goddess Hera, the jealous wife of the womanizer Zeus, follows Leto step by step and tries to prevent her from giving birth to the children she will have with Zeus. Finally, Leto escapes to Lycia in Anatolia and gets rid of Hera, and although it is said that she gave birth to her children Artemis and Apollo on Delos Island, according to a legend, she gave birth to Apollo in Patara. When she came to the point where the Letoon Ancient City is located today, she wanted to wash her children in the water here. But the people who are afraid of the goddess Hera do not want Leto here. Leto gets angry and turns the people of the region into frogs. Since the 7th century BC, an altar is built around this sacred water source and dedicated to the water nymphs known as 'Elyana' in Lycian language.Letoon is located near Kumluova Village on the Fethiye-Kaş highway. It is possible to get here by public transportation. You can reach the ancient city by minibuses or buses departing from Kumluova. At the same time, if you wish, you can also come here by private car and taxi from the location below.Adress: Kumluova, 48370 Seydikemer/MuğlaThe entrance fee for Fethiye Letoon Ruins is 25 TL as of 2022. You can also enter here with a Museum Card.Fethiye Letoon Ruins is open every day. Opening and closing hours information is as follows:Opening Time: 08.30Closing Time: 19.30Box Office Closing Time: 19.00NOTE: Since the entrance hours and fees may vary, we recommend that you get information from the website or by phone.Number: 02526141150Websites you can get information:https://muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=LET01&DistId=MRKhttps://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/portal/xanthosletoonThe ruins in Letoon Ancient City give information about what the people living here did in the past. The structures you will see here are as follows:Theater: This theater has a capacity of about 7,800 people. It was built in the 2nd century BC.Terraces and Walls: It is stated that the terraces and walls were built in the Hellenistic Period. They were built in three floors.Temenos: Temenos are sacred areas surrounded by walls in the Ancient Age. There are three temples in Temenos in Letoon. These temples, which survived until the early Byzantine period, are also some of the structures to be seen in Letoon.Leto: The Temple of Leto is one of the best surviving temples. This is at the closest point to the holy water source.Artemis: It is a temple that attracts attention with its elegant and skillful stonework.Apollo: The Temple of Apollo is notable for its three-section floor mosaic.Trilingual Inscription: This is the most important written work of the Lycian Civilization. Today, this inscription is exhibited in Fethiye Museum. You should definitely examine it if you come there.Byzantine Church: This building, thought to have been built in the 6th century A.D., is part of the monastery that settled on the sacred spring.While you are around Letoon Ancient City, other places you can visit here are as follows:Saklikent National ParkTlos Ancient CityGizlikent WaterfallXanthos Ancient CityPinara Ancient City