The ancient site of Tlos is situated at the modern village of Yaka, 42 km east of Fethiye, and is a major tourist site located on a strategic hilltop in the upper Xanthus River valley. The site is dominated by its impressive ancient acropolis, a rocky outcrop rising from a plateau with steep cliffs covered with well-preserved rock-cut tombs. On top of the acropolis are the remains of an 19th century Ottoman citadel.
For thousands of years, the tale of Troy sung by Homer stimulated the imagination of adventurers and lovers of Greek myths. Even today many travelers, bearing in mind the first lines of the Iliad, direct their steps in the direction of Troy, located in the region of Marmara Sea in the north-western part of Turkey. However, many of them will be utterly disappointed. Unfortunately, the remains of the once magnificent fortress of King Priam do not have much to offer the tourists, compared with the impressive streets of ancient Ephesus, a great theater of Aspendos, or a spectacular stadium of Aphrodisias. Therefore, when visiting Troy, it is best to keep in mind the magic of the mythical place, praised by Homer, and not the current state of its ruins.
The ruins of the ancient city of Assos are situated on a rocky hill, on the coast of the Aegean Sea. Tuzla river (in ancient times known as Satnoieis) flows to the north of Assos. The remains of the ancient settlement are located on the territory of modern Turkish village and holiday resort of Behramkale.
Ancient Alinda was a highly defensible mountain fortress overlooking a fertile plain and is now part of the modern small town of Karpuzlu. The ruins of Alinda are among the finest in Caria, hardly surpassed in splendour even by those at nearby Labraunda. Alinda was also one of Anatolia's biggest trade centres, where the products such as olives, figs, and olive oil were sold.
The landscape of Selçuk is dominated by impressive Ayasoluk Hill. The oldest traces of human settlements on this hill date back to the period of early Bronze Age (3000-2000 BC). However, the attention of tourists is mainly attracted to the ruins of the magnificent Basilica of Saint John. There is also a mighty fortress towering above this site.
