Rhodiapolis Ancient City is located in Sarıcasu Neighborhood in the north of Kumluca district of Antalya . The hill at an altitude of 300 meters and the ancient city built around it, the slopes to the east and south of the hill are adorned with ancient structures. The most important feature that distinguishes Rhodiapolis from other Lycian cities is its urban system.
In the city, which gives an example of successful urbanization in a very narrow and difficult land, there are no gaps other than streets and streets. Almost all of the buildings on the sloping land were built in an organic connection with each other. The main street, which rises from the bath located in the east of the city, at the foot of the settlement, must be seen to make sense of the settlement of the city.
Rhodiapolis Ancient City, Antalya
Rhodiapolis Ancient City , located in Antalya’s Kumluca district, is one of the city’s least known historical settlements. The city, which is located 5 km west of the Kumluca district center, on the hilltop of the Sarıcasu Neighborhood, takes its name from Rhodes. The greenhouses located in Kumluca and the surrounding plain from the peak of the ancient city, one of the colonial cities of the Rhodesians in the Mediterranean Region, have an interesting view.
The city, which was a colony of Rhodes like Gagai, Phaselis, Korydalla and Olympos, was a part of the Lycian League just like other cities. The name of the city, which is thought to be pronounced with different names in the Lycian language, is mentioned as Wedrenni and Wedrennehi in some historical records .
The most important feature that distinguishes the ancient city of Rhodiapolis from other cities of the period is that the first hospital complex in the world was established here. The hospital complex, which was established by Heraclitus of Ephesus, who carried out important studies in fields such as medicine and philosophy in 575 BC, enabled many people to visit the city looking for cure.
Another reason why the name of Rhodiapolis was heard in many parts of the world in ancient times is Opramoas, who is known for his philanthropy to all Lycian cities. Opramoas, who was honored many times by the Lycian League, helped many cities that were included in the Lycian League after the earthquake in 141 BC. This philanthropic identity enabled him to become a citizen of all Lycian cities.
The mausoleum of Opramoas, who is the only person in the world to have citizenship of all cities of the Lycian League, is located in the area behind the stage of the Rhodiapolis theatre. During the time of Opramoas (2nd century AD), who had important duties such as the emperor’s high priest and the clerk of the union, the city experienced its heyday and gained the appearance of a regular city. Architectural structures from the Roman and Byzantine periods can be seen together in the city.
In the city, which has a Greek planned ancient theater with a capacity of 1,500 people, the structures that have survived to the present day include a theatre, bath, agora/stoa, sebasteion, temples, church, many water cisterns, cenotaphs, necropolis area (cemetery) and residences for civilians.
Due to its location, the water problem of the city, which is located at a distance from water resources, was tried to be solved with the built water cisterns. Water was supplied to the city for many years through the aqueduct (aquadukt), which is located in the northwest of the city and has no trace of it today.
The city, which has the most interesting burial (necropolis) area in the Lycian geography, has different burial areas in the east, southeast and north of the city. The most interesting remnant of the burial areas, most of which are sarcophagi from the Roman period, is the rock tomb with an inscription in the Lycian language.
The restoration works that started in 2006 in the ancient city, whose landscaping and restoration process was carried out by the Municipality of Kumluca, have been carried out by the Archeology Department of Akdeniz University since 2009. Although the excavations started very recently, the structures unearthed in the city in a short time are worth seeing.
In addition to the theatre, bath, agora, stoa and main street unearthed during the excavations, the Asklepion, a health complex, was also unearthed. A temple and a library were also discovered inside the Asklepion complex. The 1,500-seat Hellenistic theater of the ancient city, which has been restored, met with music for the first time in over a thousand years with a concert held on June 22, 2011.
Rhodiapolis Ancient City is located in Sarıcasu
Neighborhood, 5 km from Antalya’s Kumluca district. Kumluca is located on the Antalya-Fethiye Highway, to the west of Antalya. To reach Kumluca from Antalya city center, it is necessary to use the D400 highway.
This highway includes the route covering the Antalya-Kemer-Kumluca-Finike-Demre-Kaş line. After arriving in the center of Kumluca, you can reach the ancient city by following the 5 km long Sarıcasu road. Rhodiapolis Ancient City is 100 km from Antalya city centre, 499 km from Izmir , 784 km from Istanbul and 626 km from Ankara .
The closest airport to the Rhodiapolis Ancient City is in Antalya. Antalya Airport is 114 km away from the ancient city and the town centre. After reaching Antalya Bus Station by tram, HAVAŞ service or municipal bus from Antalya Airport, you can go to Kumluca with the buses of Batı Akdeniz, which departs every 30 minutes from the bus station. Antalya-Kumluca bus ticket is 20 TL. There are regular minibus services from Kumluca center to Sarıcasu.
Rhodiapolis Ancient City is one of the least recognized ancient cities of Antalya and the Mediterranean Region. The city, where the first hospital complex in the world was built, deserves to be seen with its magnificent view, architectural structures built during the Roman and Byzantine periods and the city plan that symbolizes the Lycian culture.
