March 28: Antalya to Olympos
Mt. Olympos

The city of Olympos is in a valley at the south coast of Turkey, 90km southwest of Antalya city near the Town of Kemer.

The city was founded in the Hellenistic period, sharing its name with nearby Mount Olympos (Mt. Tahtali) which is 2,365m above sea level. Its coins date back to the 2nd century BC. The city became one of the six leading cities of the Lycian federation. In the 1st century BC, Olympos was invaded and settled by Cilician pirates. This ended in 78 BC, when the Roman commander Servilius Isaurieus added the city to the Roman Empire. The emperor Hadrian visited the city after which it took the name of Hadrianopolis for a period, in his honour.

In the Middle Ages, Venetians, Genoese and Rhodians built two fortresses along the coast, but by the 15th century Olympos had been abandoned. Today the site attracts tourists, not only for the artifacts that can still be found (though fragmentary and widely scattered), but also for its scenic landscapes supporting wild grapevines, flowering oleander, bay trees, figs and pines.