Termessos

Termessos is one of the most spectacular ancient sites in Turkey — a city of the size and complexity of classical Athens, perched at 1,050 metres in the mountains north of Antalya, so remote and inaccessible that it was simply abandoned rather than quarried for building material. The result is an extraordinarily complete ruin: theatre, gymnasium, five separate agoras, tombs, and temples, all wrapped in cedar and pine forest.

The site is reached by a 9 km road from the main highway, then a 45-minute walk uphill through the Güllükdağı-Termessos National Park. The ascent is steep enough that you will arrive breathless, which only adds to the drama. Come early in the morning to beat the heat and have the ruins to yourself.

things to do sight historic ancient ruins hiking
A story
Termessos was the only city in the region that Alexander the Great chose not to attack. He besieged it briefly in 334 BCE, looked at the narrow mountain gorge and the walls above, and decided the cost of taking it was not worth the prize. The city remained independent for centuries, never fully absorbed into either the Hellenistic or Roman empires.