Pinara, Ancient Lycian city in Muğla Province, Turkey
Pinara is an ancient Lycian city in Muğla Province, near Fethiye, set on hilly terrain at the foot of a massive rock formation. The visible remains include a theater, an odeon, temples, and hundreds of tombs carved into the vertical cliffs above the city.
Pinara was one of the leading cities of the Lycian League, holding the highest voting weight within the federation before surrendering to Alexander the Great in 334 BCE. The city later came under Roman rule and continued to be inhabited for many centuries before being abandoned.
The rock faces around the ruins are covered with tomb facades carved to look like small houses, a burial style common across Lycia. The inscriptions on these tombs switch between Greek and Lycian scripts, showing how both languages were used side by side here.
The site is reached by a narrow road from Minare village, a short drive from the main road between Fethiye and Kas. The terrain is steep and uneven in places, so sturdy footwear and enough water are worth bringing before you set out.
One of the rock tombs has a relief carved onto its roof showing a walled city with towers and gates, considered one of the oldest known depictions of an urban plan in Lycian art. This carving may show how Pinara itself looked when it was an active city.
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