BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Newly Established Hiking Trail Guides Adventurous Travelers Through Turkey’s Archaeological Wonders

Bible and Archaeology News

Named by The Sunday Times as one of the world’s top ten walks, the Lycian Way hiking trail weaves along 300 miles of Turkey’s southern coastline through hundreds of archaeological sites. Investigated and marked in the early 2000s by British expat Kate Clow, the Lycian Way connects the cities Fethiye and Antalya through modern villages, mountain hamlets and Lycian and Roman sites. Raved about by hiking enthusiasts and nature lovers, the Lycian Way holds a special place for archaeologists.

Hikers experience the wonders of the Lycian Confederacy (including the restored parliament at Patara [see “Restoration Completed on the World’s Oldest Parliament”], the sites of many of Paul’s Mediterranean stops, the birthplace of St. Nicholas, the eternal flames at Chimaera (which inspired the eponymous monster) and many more timeless heritage sites. While experiencing the peace of Turkey’s mountains and sea, hikers encounter dozens of unexcavated sites, and by sharing their interpretations and photographs with archaeologists, vacationers can promote local cultural heritage.

We warn our readers—the trail is an arduous adventure, and only for very accomplished hikers. Many of the sites along the Lycian Way, however, including Myra, Andriake, Patara, Kalkan and Xanthos, can be visited in comfort and with archaeological explanation on upcoming tours with the Biblical Archaeology Society.

The Lycian Way is a newly carved out trail full of natural and archaeological wonders, including Butterfly Valley near the town of Faralya.

Read more about the Lycian sites in Julie Skurdenis’s regional guide from Archaeology Odyssey.

Excavations at Myra indicate that the early Christian city was remarkably preserved. Find out the latest excavation results in the Bible History Daily news update “Exposing St. Nicholas’ Christian Capital at Myra.”