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Destination Guide
Citadel of Kyaneai & Valley of Tombs (Yavu)
Ancient LyciaFrom Kalkan 45 min
Kyaneai: The City of Sarcophagi High on Mount Yavu
Perched high on a 600-metre mountain ridge above the village of Yavu, midway between Kaş and Demre, ancient Kyaneai is one of Lycia's most dramatically sited hilltop cities, located 48 kilometres from Kalkan.
Deriving its name from the ancient Lycian word for 'deep bellflower blue', Kyaneai contains an astonishing necropolis of over 380 carved stone sarcophagi, earning it the celebrated archaeological distinction as Lycia's 'City of Sarcophagi'.
Archaeological Treasures
- Over 380 Monumental Sarcophagi: The most densely concentrated sarcophagus field in the Mediterranean, featuring ornate carved lion heads, relief shields, and inscriptions.
- Mountainside Roman Theatre: Carved into the sheer slope overlooking the vast Yavu Valley and distant sea, this theatre offers one of the most sublime vistas in Anatolia.
- Massive Rock Cisterns & Library: Built without a natural mountain spring, the city's engineers carved colossal cisterns deep into the living rock to capture winter rainfall.