Antalya Olympos Ancient City

It is believed that the word Olympos means high mountain in ancient Greek. More than twenty mountains and hills around the world bear this name, and some of the nearby towns and cities are also named. The most famous of these hills is the Thessalian hill, located in the north-east of Greece and considered the home of the ancient Greek gods. The ancient city of Olympos takes its name from the Tahtalı mountain, formerly known as Mount Olympos. Tahtalı Mountain is located 10 km north of the city, and on its foothills, there is the everlasting fire known as Yanartaş. Olympos has been one of the most important cities of the ancient Lycian civilization. The foundations of the city date back to the ancient Hellenistic period, BC. It was built around 300. It is known that in the years when Alexander the Great first started his conquests, he spent the winter months in Phaselis, a port city adjacent to Olympos. BC Olympus is the first time to be traced in historical records. It occurs in 78, the year when Servilius Vatia, the Roman Governor in Sicily, defeated the greatest pirate of the time, Zenicetes, in a naval battle. Zenicetes, who hid his ships in the secret ports of Porto Genoese and Sazak, took control of the entire coastline in the vicinity, and made Olympos a fortress for himself. After the city came under Roman rule again, it was declared as ager publicus (Roman property to be put up for sale or rented). It is said that pirates performed strange sacrificial rites and secret rites for the Persian god Mithras. Mitras is the god of pure spirit and light in Persian mythology, which was widely believed in many of the eastern countries at that time. MS. In 43, Lycia joined the Roman Empire. Festivals were held for the Greek God Hephaestus, the protector of the city of Olympos. Emperor Hadrian's AD. It is also recorded that he visited the city in 130. Olympos hosted a bishop when the Roman Empire was in the process of Christianization. As a result of the continuous attacks of pirates on the city since the 3rd century, the population of the city decreased gradually and the city lost its former importance. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the city was rebuilt by the Genoese, Venetians and Knights of Rhodes and used as a trading port during the crusades. The city of Olympos was abandoned when the Ottoman Navy took over the eastern Mediterranean in the 15th century. Olympos forms a part of the Olympos-Bey Mountains National Park, which is connected to the city of Antalya, covering the southern coast of Turkey. Bey Mountains are located on the western flank of the Taurus mountain range. As you go down the snowy hills, the turquoise color of the Mediterranean can be seen among the green pine and cedar trees. In summary; Olympos was one of the most feared pirate cities of a time. It is thought that the tombs of many pirate commanders of the period are also located in this ruin.