HERACLEIA, LATMOS AND BAFA LAKE : THE LAND OF GODS , SELENE AND ENDYMION The village of Kapikiri is on lake Bafa between Izmir and Bodrum, close to the Aegean sea . The antique city of Heracleia is in the village and the earlier settlement of Latmos is within walking distance. They lie at the foot of the Latmos mountains, 1375 meters high, called Besparmak mountains in Turkish because they resemble the five fingers of a hand. The six kilometre long defence walls and sixty-five watch towers, still intact in most places, surround the cities and rise up along the edges of the mountains. These mountains are the result of an unusual geological formation, consisting of huge granite boulders. They look like bizarre surrealistic sculptures carved by the hand of nature over millions of years. With a little imagination, one can see a ferocious eagle standing on its prey or the sun, wind and rain beaten face of a million year old woman. Endless inspiration for an artistic spirit! There are hundreds of natural caves some of which were used by pre-historic people going back 8-9 000 years. Their paintings are still clearly visible. The linear figures of men and women dancing, possibly praying to Latmos gods and following wedding processions as well as the figures of animals decorate the cave walls. Some of these pre-historic paintings are unparalleled in the world. These caves were first discovered in 1994 and more than one hundred paintings have been recorded until now. The discoveries have caused a sensation in the field of archaeology. Still in other caves, one can see the colourful frescoes made by early Christians and friars who used the caves as refuge from persecution and for prayer. Over the years, an archaeological team headed by Anneliese Peschlow, undoubtedly the expert on Latmos and Heracleia, has been making many other similar discoveries, the most recent being the discovery of Hittite inscriptions which are unique in this part of Anatolia. The tales of the two cities of Heracleia and Latmos go back at least 3000 years . Latmos, the earlier city and Heracleia, the later city, show the cultural and architectural traces of different ancient civilisations: Carian, Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine. The present village of Kapikiri is itself a traditional Turkish village. One could even speculate that some of these villagers, with their distinctive physical features, may be the descendants of the ancient peoples. Since Heracleia is located in the village of Kapikiri and along the lake, the whole area is officially protected as a cultural and historical heritage. It is forbidden to construct any new buildings or to make changes to the old village houses. Also the lake Bafa and its surroundings, a permanent or temporary home for thousands of birds such as pelicans, flamingos, hawks, partridges, geese, storks and others, is protected by law as a natural reserve. In fact, over 250 species of birds have been recorded in the region. There are also wild pigs, rabbits, jackals and fox in the mountains. Due to strict laws, the area has so far been completely spared from large scale touristic developments and thousands of summer residences which have unfortunately spoiled certain coastal areas in Turkey and elsewhere in the world. It is an ideal spot for anyone who seeks tranquillity, nature, history and a close contact with traditional Turkish village customs and ways of living. In fact, it provides an ideal refuge, like it did for pre-historic cave people and early Christians, from the hustle and bustle of large scale touristic developments and stresses of modern life. The village of Kapikiri has only a few small family run pensions and restaurants. No mass tourism, shopping centres, souvenir shops, discos or all night entertainment. Long ago, the lake Bafa was a connected to the sea. By the water, one can still see the remains of the ancient harbour. Over time, silts washed down the mountains by the old Meanders river (today's Menderes Nehri) have cut off the connection. There are five small islands on the lake and no one but a few goats and cows live on them. They are covered with olive trees and ancient ruins, particularly the Byzantine monasteries. Around the lake, there are numerous isolated beaches ideal for a picnic and swimming. Being very shallow, they are safe for children. Finally, the awe inspiring and mysterious Latmos mountains have been an endless source of mythologies and stories for thousands of years. It is truly the “land of myths and fairy tales” (masallar diyari). Some people, upon first sight describe it as Tolkien. All historical studies show that these mountains have been considered sacred for thousands of years and can easily be compared to Mount Olympus in Greece . Gods and goddesses, in human and none human form, have lived and reigned over man and nature in these mountains. As the dark clouds slowly descend from the Mount Latmos, the thunder roars and echoes among the boulders and as lightning hits the mountain peaks, one can even today feel that gods must still be living up there somewhere. One monk, Paulos, the Young, famous in many parts of this part of the world, established the Stylos monastery here around 1000 AD However, the most well-known story is the one about Selene, the lunar goddess, and Endymion, the shepherd. Endymion and Selene fall in love with each other. A love between a goddess and a human being! She embraces him warmly in her “light' and bears him fifty daughters. Zeus, the father of all gods, grants Endymion's wish for eternal life by putting him to deathless and ageless sleep. The early Christians integrated this myth pre-dating Christianity into their beliefs and rituals, thus sanctifying Endymion. It is almost certain that Endymion himself had been a local god of Mount Latmos well before the arrival of the Greek gods in this region who dethroned him. Endymion's shrine, surrounded by olive trees hundreds of years old, is located in the village on a hill and overlooks the lake, with the Latmos mountains in behind . If you happen to be at Kapikiri when there is moon, especially full moon, you will agree that this myth cold not have originated anywhere else but here. The Latmos mountains, lake Bafa and Endymion's shrine almost burn in Selene's light. Undoubtedly the most romantic and melancholic sight anywhere in Turkey ! Part of the myth is that the lid of Endymion's grave was left open so that Selene could always see and caress him and that Endymion cried for her. Throughout the ages, people claimed that they heard a sad humming sound from the shrine. If you can shake yourself off modern cynicism and other beliefs for a moment, you may even hear same the humming today as the wind whistles down the mountains and softly caresses the silvery olive branches. This myth has been a source of inspiration for many poets and painters in Europe for several centuries. AGORA PENSION The pension is in the centre of the village of Kapikiri and surrounded by antique ruins. It is operated by the Sercin family who are originally from this village. Orhan, the father, served for one term as the elected muhtar (the village administrator) and is actively involved to preserve and protect the natural, historical and cultural characteristics of the region. He is also part of a nation-wide organisation of selective group of small family-owned hotels. Their philosophy is to provide an alternative to large scale mass tourism, while respecting nature, history and local culture. The members of the organisation meet annually in Istanbul for several days and exchange ideas. Ozgun, his wife, prepares many traditional Turkish dishes, including a large variety of appetisers (mezes). Moreover, being a lover of good food and fine cuisine, she is very familiar with many dishes from different parts of the world and integrates them into her cooking. Their two teenage sons, Mithat and Oktay help out in every way and are excellent guides. They too have their own incredulous stories about the mysterious Latmos mountains. After a few days here, you may even make up your own tales and enrich the ancient Latmos tradition. The pension has ten rooms. Seven are in the main building with private bathrooms. They all have air conditioning(hot and cold) and radiators. One even has a traditional wood-burning fireplace. The temperature in the region is mild even in winter and one can walk around with a sweater on. But heating helps especially at night in winter and spring. There is always hot water. There are also three detached wooden bungalows, surrounded by trees and flowers, with common facilities. All rooms have recently been refurbished and renovated. One part of the building has been converted to a cosy traditional Turkish bath by using marble from the region, the same marble used in ancient times. It is ideal for a family, a group of friends or by yourself to relax after a good walk in the mountains, lose a few pounds or sober up in case you have indulged yourself too much in Turkish food and drinks. FOOD: Your stay includes breakfast and dinner. A typical breakfast consists of eggs from the village (not factory eggs), local honey, olives from the Latmos mountains, cheese, yoghurt, jams and butter made by Ms. Ozgun, fresh milk, oven baked dark village bread, fruits, tea and coffee…For dinner, we serve three to four hot and cold appetisers, with emphasis on local vegetables, endemic mountain plants and the use of local olive oil. Our main dishes combine local meat and fresh vegetables. They are often cooked in traditional clay pots (guvec) in our wood-burning out-door oven. Depending on the weather governed by the capricious Latmos gods and poor fisherman's luck, fish is also available. For desert, in addition to famous Turkish sweets made in our kitchen, we serve seasonal local fruits such as figs, melons, oranges, tangerines and grapes. The meat we use comes from the Latmos region where cows and sheep are still free from hormones and artificial feed. They do not need such stuff given the abundance of grass, oregano and other mountain plants. We also have a small garden where we grow some vegetables and herbs by using only natural fertilisers. Anything else we need is provided by local villagers who have fields by the lake. Anyone with special dietary needs should inform Ms. Sercin in advance. The philosophy of all-inclusive pre-packaged tours does not apply here! Ours is family operation free of formalities and rules. Lunch, snacks and picnic packages are also available for a modest extra charge. There are also a few other restaurants and cafes by the lake which you may want to visit during your stay. They are owned by friends from the village. In addition to soft drinks, we serve beer, raki and a good selection of reasonably priced regional and national wines. If you are not familiar with raki, we recommend that you consume it with “care”. It is called the “lion's milk” (aslan sutu) and some of our guests exhibit a remarkable personality change after a few shots. Thank Selene, mostly in a positive direction! Tea and coffee pots brew all day long and you may simply serve yourself for no extra charge. The pension has both an in-door and out-door restaurant section in the midst of flowers, oleander and eucalyptus trees. They have a view of the ancient Agora and the temple of Athena . The temple is almost intact and perched on a hill overlooking the lake Bafa and the islands, with the mountains in behind. We have also a small library of books in different languages providing information about the region. We have in our village a genuine troubadour, Mehmet Akgun, who learned playing the traditional string instrument saz when he was a young boy shepherding goats in the mountains. He sings the songs and tells the stories of the Latmos mountains. Apollon would be envious of him! Several times a week, he will come and sing for you. ACTIVITIES AND SIGHTS: HOW TO SPEND THE DAY It would be impossible to feel the mystery and beauty of the area in only a few hours. But if it is all the time you can squeeze into your busy holiday schedule, then even a short visit will take you into a timeless world. However, if you decide to spend a few days, there is no shortage of what you can do. The following are only a few examples: A LEISURELY STROLL IN THE VILLAGE OF KAPIKIRI AND HERACLEIA : STROLLING BY THE LAKE : A half hour walk by the lake will take you to the fields cultivated by the villagers. Along the way, you will see numerous two thousand year old sarcaphoci carved into huge boulders with their stone lids half open. Several of them are partially submerged in water. There is only one other place, Kekova, in Turkey where you can see a similar sight. Villagers, dressed in traditional cloths, go to their fields on the lake every morning, riding horses and donkeys. If you wish, you can continue your walk further for several hours along the lake to completely isolated beaches where you can swim and picnic. You will be walking on worn-out antique stone roads and pass through ancient ruins. In the spring you will be walking on a carpet of flowers. If you want some shade or if it rains, simply walk in a cave! You can also do all of this do on the back of a donkey! Children love it. Do not worry! The donkeys are well-behaved. BOAT TOURS : The Agora pension will organise boat tours with a picnic by the lake if desired. The tour takes two hours. There are five small uninhabited islands which are full of ancient remains, mainly Byzantine monasteries. One of them is also a bird sanctuary where thousands of birds have their nests on the top of olive trees. We make sure that these nests and other birds on the lake are not disturbed by visitors and locals. There are no big or high speed power boats. The smallest island is only 40-50 meters from the beach of Kapikiri and one can walk to it, the water only waist deep for an adult. There are numerous isolated beaches surrounding the lake, excellent for swimming and picnics. As indicated earlier, they are perfect for small children since the water is very shallow 20-30 meters. It very is clean even though there are natural weeds in some spots. The lake and its environment is a bird watchers” paradise throughout the year.
DAILY TREKKING TOURS TO MONASTERIES AND PRE-HISTORIC CAVES RELATIVELY CLOSE-BY: There are several ancient monasteries (e.g. Yediler monastery, Stylos monastery), pre-historic caves and caves used by early Christians. The tours can be done during one day. The caves have pre-historic paintings as well as frescoes based on Biblical stories . The earlier settlement of Latmos (1000 BC) is only an hour's walking distance one way. These tours will generally last between 2 to 8 hours going and coming back. However, you need someone from the village to guide you. They are impossible to locate for a visitor. The tours can be done throughout the year. Anyone in reasonably good health, except very young children, can do these tours with easy. LONGER TREKKING TOURS: For those seeking some adventure, mountain tours, 2-5 days, can be arranged. These combine overnight camping as well as staying with villagers in the Latmos mountains. The Agora pension will organise the tours, including food and donkeys to carry the necessary material and will provide you with guides. However, our guests are expected to carry their own belongings. These tours combine natural and historic sights as well as the opportunity to experience the traditional ways of living in the villages on the top of Latmos mountains. These villages are still largely cut off from modern life. The roads followed are the same antique roads used for thousands of years, paved with huge stone blocks. Very safe to walk on and no cliffs to fear! Once again, these tours are suitable for all age groups in reasonably good health, except for young children. The ideal time is from September to the end of May. But for those who really want to test their stamina, shorter 1-2 day tours can also be arranged during the summer. OTHER SITES OF INTEREST CLOSE TO BAFA Bafa is very close to numerous historic sites and famous holiday spots on the Aegean . To cite a few: Epheuses, Miletos, Prienne, Dydima, Iassos, Bodrum, Kusadasi, the historical town of Milas . All these places can be visited within a few hours. HOW GET TO HERACLEIA AND KAPIKIRI The lake Bafa is almost equidistant from the Dalaman airport in the south or Izmir in the north. 2 1/2 hour of driving distance from either direction. If you happen to be in Bodrum, Marmaris or at Epheuses, you will be much closer. Along the main road on lake Bafa , at the town of Bafa , you will see the sign to Heracleia and Kapikiri. Take the exit and drive to the end of the road, about 8 kms. You will be in the village. If you are taking the bus, get off at Bafa. You can a taxi to Kapiri or simply call the Agora pension. We will come for you. RATES Your overnight stay includes breakfast and dinner. For two people sharing a room, the rate is 100 YTL . For a single person, the rate is 60 YTL. |
