Letoon in SW Turkey possesses ‘memory of Lycia region’

By Ali Riza Akkir

MUGLA, Turkey (AA) - Located in southwestern of Turkey, UNESCO World Heritage site Letoon possesses a "memory of whole Lycia region," a university professor said.

"Letoon carries global values that are common for all mankind. Letoon is an archive and possesses a memory of whole Lycia region," Sema Atik Korkmaz, head of Letoon Archaeological Research and Excavation Project at Baskent University, told Anadolu Agency.

Korkmaz said Letoon was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.

According to the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry website, Letoon, which is located in Seydikemer district of southwestern Mugla province, was built around 7 BC.

During the Antique age, Letoon was a religious center for Lycia. The temples of Leto, Apollon and Artemis are also located at this historically important site.

"It was the common worshipping area for whole cities. At the same time, Letoon is a place, where decisions were taken," Korkmaz said.

She added Letoon attracts many visitors both from home and abroad.

"Located on the Lycian Way [Turkey’s touristic long-distance footpath, which is approximately 540-kilometer long and stretches from some Aegean Sea coast to Mediterranean region], it also attracts trekkers," Korkmaz added.

The professor said UNESCO World Heritage is a "prestige" list and shows the development level of countries.

According to the UNESCO website, Letoon shows the blending of Lycian traditions and Hellenic influence, especially in its funerary art.

"The epigraphic inscriptions are crucial for our understanding of the history of the Lycian people and their Indo-European language," it added.