Olympos of the Greek word/name " Olympos is a valley at the south coast of Turkey, 90 km southwest of Antalya city near the Town of Kemer.
The city was founded in the Hellenistic period, sharing its name with nearby Mount Olympos (Turkish: Tahtalı Dağı). Its coins date back to the 2nd century BC. The city became one of the six leading cities of the Lycian federation. In the 1st century BC, Olympos was invaded and settled by Cilician pirates. This ended in 78 BC, when the Roman commander Servilius Isaurieus added the city to the Roman Empire. The emperor Hadrian visited the city after which it took the name of Hadrianopolis for a period, in his honour.
Near Olympos, located in the neighbouring village of Çıralı and about 200 meters above sea level, the eternal flames called the Chimaera may be seen issuing from the ground. The fuel source for the flames is natural gas, largely methane, seeping through cracks in the earth. The mythical Chimaera - or Chimera - was a savage beast who sprouted fire from its mouth.
In the Middle Ages, Venetians, Genoese and Rhodians built two fortresses along the coast, but by the 15th century Olympos had been abandoned. Today the site attracts tourists, not only for the artifacts that can still be found (though fragmentary and widely scattered), but also for its scenic landscapes supporting wild grapevines, flowering oleander, bay trees, figs and pines Monumental Graves of the Port During archeological digs of Antalya Museum, a sarcophagus is found out belonging to an unknown captain of Mediterranean Sea. It was made of limestone and appears to be at the bottom part of two storeyed grave room carved into the main rock. In the room there was an other sarcophagus made of marble. On top of the door of grave room, there was a lintel stone on which it was written in old Greek Language that this was a family grave made by Zosimas from Olympos for his family and uncle Eudomos and added that if anybody used this grave without permission, then he should pay a fine to city council.
On the sarcophagus and on a broken tablet, it was written that the sarcophagus was belonged to an Olymposian named Captain Eudemos who had sailed to Marmara and Black Sea and had a good reputation and had the honorary citizenship of Kalkhedon (in İstanbul today).
Just under the frame there was a relief of a boat resembling to sponge fishing boats "tirhandils" which do not exist today and at the bottom sternpost of the boat there was a relief of goddess Aphrodithe born in Mediterranean. One of the responsibilities of this goddess of love and beauty was to protect sailors. At right side of the frame the is an epitaph consisting of four lines, the translation and interpretation of which is written below:
"The ship is entered and anchored in the last port, for not to go out any more. Because there is no more benefit from the wind nor from the daylight. After leaving the morning twilight the Captain Eudomos, Burried there his short-lived ship like a broken wave."
The archeological finds of the dig are being exhibited in Antalya Museum now.
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