Rock-Cut Human Reliefs - Near Corycus, Turkey

As there were no car hire companies in Tasucu, we hailed a dolmus (one of the many small local buses that ply up and down the roads) and for 1.50 TL each (about 60p) got a lift to Silifke, the local big town.

Here we tracked down what appeared to be be the only car rental place in town...but they had had no cars. An English speaking real estate agent in a neighbouring office came to our rescue. He said, "you can rent my car for the weekend." We exchanged mobile telephone numbers...and that was it. No contract, nothing. He handed us the keys and said he would meet us back at his office at 09:00 Sunday morning. Total trust!

We had two days so we headed off into the Turkish mountains armed with a very sketchy map as the Turks (like the Greeks) consider detailed maps a security risk.

A Tomb Carved Into Rock at the Top Edge of the Gorge

The Devil's Glen with the Sea in the Distance

One of our objectives was about 8 Km north of the village of Kizkalezi. It is called Adamkalayar by the locals. We turned off a track and drove to the end of a rutted path until we reached the edge of Seytan Deresi  (The Devil's Glen). The place is certainly not a glen, but is a beautiful gorge running from the mountains all the way to the sea. It has sheer sides and at a guess, about 1000 feet deep.

The Human Rock Reliefs are Half Way Down...

A German friend in Finike had told us about this site where Romans had carved reliefs into the cliff walls. These are like statues, but carved from the rock into the cliff face. There are 13 in all.

Ok...? The Path Down Is Here Somewhere!

The Path Started By The Tree On Top...

Down We Go...!

Ancient Steps - No rail, and a 500 foot drop to the bottom of the gorge!

One figure is of a man reclining on a Kline (A Roman couch), another holds a bunch of grapes, another a lance and a battle axe. Some of the figures are female with loose flowing robes and veils over their heads. All are carved in fine detail.

There is one remarkable relief of a complete family. It dipicts a lady with her daughter, the husband, and the family dog. The site is unique. It is believed to be from the Hellenistic and Roman eras.

We Made It to the ledge!

There is no evidence of tombs here, just the carvings looking out over the gorge. Because of its precarious location few visitors find, never mind visit, the site and thus it remains very well preserved.

Amazing Life Size Figures Carved Into The Cliff

It appeared that archeologists had recently been working at the site and kindly left a rickety ladder that allowed us to get a closer look at some of the carvings. We could see that some had inscriptions when we were able to get closer. We think they might have been names of the individuals and their families.

Both Male and Female Figures

Cathy Explores a Hole Dug By Archeologists

A Well Cut Into The Cliff To Catch Rain Water

The pictures do not do justice to the difficulty of getting down to the rock carvings. Thankfully getting back up was slightly less daunting as you were looking up the cliff rather than down at the 500 foot drop into the gorge below. We thought they were joking when we were advised to 'take a rope'.

Archeologist Left a Ladder Behind

There Is An Inscription Below The Carving

I Think The Man Is Paying His Respects To Those Still Alive

The rock-cut human reliefs (and the climb down the wall of that gorge) are not something that we will forget for some time to come. Certainly this was one of the highlights of our stay in Tasucu.

Back to the Top...I Think This Is The Way We Came Down?

Saint Pantaleon Mosaics - Ovacik, Turkey

Looking for a quiet place to spend the night on our way to Tasucu, we stopped in a small quiet anchorage near the village of Ovacik just under the Goktepe promontory.

We anchored Makarma in the corner of this small natural harbour near where the local fishermen keep their boats - always a good indication of where the best place to park to avoid wind and swell.

We noticed some ruins onshore just across from where we had anchored and the following morning launched the dinghy to investigate.

Later we learned this unassuming site was very famous, but by land the village of Ovacik could only be reached via a torturous track that barely passes as a road. Here we were anchored only 50 metres away!

What a discovery! When ashore, we could see what appeared to be the outline of the of a small Byzantine church and the floor was covered in fine sand.

When Cathy brushed away some of the sand it was one of those "Indiana Jones moments" of discovery! Under the sand were very complete and beautifully coloured mosaics!

We spent the next few hours brushing away sand uncovering and recovering these amazing mosaics.





Later we learned the church on the site site dates back to the 5th century. The mosaics are made of colourful cubic tesserae (each tile about 1cm square) in amazingly vivid colours of red, black, white, green, blue and yellow.



The mosaics included scenes of birds, baskets of bread and wine cups.


Cathy discovered a central mosaic in the nave in front of where the bema would have been.



The six line inscription says, "The ship-owner Paulos has fulfilled his vow for his healing" (Our Greek gets better every day! )




This is a photo we found in a local history book of what the complete mosasic looks like when uncovered.

We also learned that the church was built on top of an earlier Roman temple to Aphrodite. Obviously people had occupied this small natural harbour for thousands of years.

The hillside were full of the stones of ancient riuns and tombs sites. While climbing through the rocks and exploring the hillside we encountered our first Turkish snake (!)

Blue crabs and birds in the Goksu Delta

If you’re a keen twitcher, then you’ve heard of the Goksu Delta, just on the outskirts of Tasucu. It’s a wildlife reserve composed of 35 km of sandy beach extending either side of the low spit of Incekum Point backed by acres of wetlands and two huge lagoons. Green and leatherhead turtles come here to breed and migrating birds land here to rest up for a while during the spring and autumn migrations. We spent a whole day there with Suleyman Arslan from the local Belediye as our guide.

Anything out there? The view from one of the hides

Ahh - what's this?

Turtle heaven

Although we don’t know a sparrow from a reed warbler, we took our ships binoculars with us and spotted a jackal in the reeds at the water’s edge and many kinds of wading birds.

Lagoon view

We stopped for lunch at a beach hut belonging to the fisherman’s cooperative beside the salt water lagoon, and ate freshly caught wild seabass and the special blue crab that is only found in the delta.

Suleyman catches his blue crab for lunch

......and here it is ready to eat with lemon chilli dip

You could imagine yourself in the south Pacific

Fish traps beside the salt water lagoon

On the way to Silifke afterwards we passed an encampment of makeshift tents which would not have looked out of place on the steppes of Mongolia. Under the shade of an awning a group of teenagers was dancing to the strains of a vibrant folktune.  We were told the people who lived there were nomads who had come from the east to pick the strawberries and apricots now in season.

While we were visiting Silifke Castle a wedding party arrived for a photo session, giving us an excuse to tease Suleyman about the fact that he’s still unmarried. He’s still raving about the girls he met in Thailand last year.


We finished off our tour at the underground chapel of Ayia Tekla. St Thecla was a female disciple of St Paul. She lived as a hermit in this cave that was later consecrated as a shrine in her memory. 

Suleyman tries out an empty grave for size at Ayia Tekla

Suleyman generously invited us to his home for breakfast the next morning where he lives with his mum, who served up the best borek we’ve ever eaten. 

Breakfast at home with the Arslans

Despite having few words to communicate, we talked about our respective families with the help of photos and Suleyman had to put up with more good-natured joshing about his singleton status.  We were very touched by their hospitality.

Heading off piste - east of Anamur

We've decided to go east from Finike in search of the real Turkey, away from the charter boats and tourist gulets. We are going in search of places with a bit of local colour that don't see many visiting yachts. Do they still exist? Our first main stopover - Alanya - is a big package holiday destination, and Russians or Germans make up 20% of the population. Not exactly a good start to our quest.

View from Alanya's castle

On the plus side, it has a stupendous castle perched high on a headland and some interesting Ottoman boatsheds, and we make the most of the marina’s swimming pool.

Ottoman boatbuilding sheds at Alanya

Leaving Alanya, we anchor overnight in the little fishing harbour of Gazipasa which is sheltered under the lee of a craggy headland scattered with the ruins of ancient Selinus. We are the only yacht in the harbour. Two large fishing boats are tied to the quay, and the only sound is of frogs croaking in the marsh beside the river.  A couple of diggers have finished work for the day. They are constructing a new marina here.

Anamur Burnu

When we round Anamur Burnu the next day, the sun appears and the rugged coastline flattens into a long sandy beach backed by the Taurus mountains. We pass the picture-book castle of Manmure Kalesi and reach Bozyazi.

Trawler berthed astern of us at Bozyazi

We moor up with the fishing boats alongside a high quay owned by the fishing co-operative. It's a working place littered with lines and nets.  We’re told the dusty roadside café nearby sells beer but you have to bring your own glass. We haven’t been there an hour before a guy called Onur arrives and offers to take us to his restaurant for a meal. We arrange a rendezvous for the next evening.

On the dolmus - Galatasarai vs Fenibahce football derby tonight

After a short trip the next morning on the local dolmus, we visit Manmure Castle which we'd seen from the sea.  Recep, who is an enthusiastic rose grower gives us a guided tour of what is the most complete castle in Anatolia.  And there's an obligatory stop to smell his roses and take tea. 

Apart from a TV crew setting up for a show, we are the only visitors.

With Recep in his rose garden

 Back at the harbour a trawlerman comes in with a full load of tuna. It’s clear from their beaming smiles that the fishermen are elated by their huge catch.  It was all they could do to fit the lot into a transit van.

Looked so good, we decided to buy a couple for tea!

When we take their photo, they generously offer us a plate of tuna steaks - which go down well pan-fried for lunch next day.

Finally we get some wind and coast under the genoa down to Aydincik, another small harbour given over to fishing boats, dominated by a fine mosque. There’s just room for us to anchor in the middle, and we feel like some strange migratory bird that’s landed unexpectedly in a duckpond.

That evening a wedding party (with the bride in a classic meringue-shaped white dress) poses in the bandstand on the quay for photos with Makarma in the background. In the morning when we go ashore in the dinghy, shouts of welcome guide us to the nearest landing steps.  We go in search of a Roman mosaic floor which is said to depict how the ancient harbour looked, but the gates are locked and we have to settle for a glimpse from the distance. 

The wind picks up mid morning and the downwind sail under genoa to Ovacik is uncomfortably rolly.  On the way we’re approached by a cutter belonging to the Coastguard. As they draw close we’re uncertain what to expect but we needn’t have worried.  Over the VHF they explain they've come over to bid us welcome and wish us a good day before they gun their engines and roar away down the coast.