Entrance to one of the oldest churches in the world in the historical city of Kaunos Dalyan Turkey
Dalyan means "fishing weir" in Turkish. Bass and mullet and Sea Bream swim upstream from the sea to Köyceğiz Lake where another large town of the region, Köyceğiz, is located. The fish spawn there, and when returning to the sea they are caught in the "dalyans". Dalyan achieved international fame in 1986, when developers wanted to build a luxury hotel on the nearby İztuzu beach, a breeding ground for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle species, Caretta Caretta, which have been in existence for 95 million years!. A major international storm blew up, with David Bellamy championing the cause of the conservationists. The development project was stopped and the beach is now a protected area. Above the river on sheer cliffs are the weathered facades of Lycian tombs cut from rock, circa 400 BC. The ruins of the ancient trading city of Kaunos are a short boat trip across the river. The interesting ruins of the city are half an hour from the modern town of Dalyan (Dalian), on the right bank of a little brook, the ancient Kalbis/Calbis (Dalyan River). Among them are a theatre, a large rectangular building that was probably a temple, others of uncertain description, a Byzantine church, and very curious rock-hewn tombs. Kaunos remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church, Cauniensis; the seat has been vacant since the death of the last bishop in 1972.
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Photo credit: © Ali Kabas / Alamy / Afripics
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