Bafa Gölü is a lake with national park and archaeological sites in the Aegean region in the Turkey.
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| Bafa Gölü | |
| province | Muğla |
|---|---|
| Residents | unknown |
no value for residents on Wikidata:  | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | |
background
history
The earliest finds go back to the 4th millennium. Numerous cave drawings attest at least to the use of the mountain slopes of the Latmos Mountains as a place of worship. Settlement finds from this period have not yet been made. In the 2nd millennium BC BC also reached the empire of the Hittites Hattuşa the region. Traces from that time can still be found here today. During this time, the summit of Tekerlekdağ, which is one of the most distinctive peaks in the Latmos Mountains, became a place of worship for the worship of the weather god. A tradition and a cult that could be traced back to the Middle Ages. The first settlement activities are also grouped during this time. The core of the settlement activities was undoubtedly honey production, as honey from Caria was known nationwide. The export could go to Egypt be detected. Olive oil was added over the centuries. The game population should also have been plentiful at that time. It is not known when the first settlers founded Latmos, but in the 6th century BC. There is the first evidence for the existence of the city. Since the city complex is rather hidden in the mountainside, it is generally assumed that the place was at the time of the Ionian conquest around 1000 BC. Arose as a place of escape. At first the settlement consisted only of scattered buildings adapted to the area. Nevertheless, this settlement belonged to the Delisch-Attic League from an early age. Only in the 4th century BC The settlement was surrounded with a wall and lived up to the title city. The Endymion cult can also be directly connected to the city of Latmos for the first time. According to legend, the young Endymion lived as a shepherd in the Latmos Mountains until the moon goddess Selene fell in love with him and entered into a relationship with him. In order to give this relationship the necessary divine duration, the Selene negotiated with Zeus and got eternal youth and eternal sleep for Endymion in a cave in the mountains. From this relationship there were 50 daughters and one son, who by the way was called Phtheir and after whom the mountain range opposite was named. Towards the end of the 4th century BC BC the Macedonian general Pleistarch, who meanwhile ruled over large parts of Caria, founded the ancient Pleistarchia next to Latmos, which was renamed Herakleia shortly afterwards. Since Latmos was abandoned at the same time, it can be assumed that the residents were relocated. In contrast to Latmos, Herakleia with the port facility was laid out with an imposing city wall, clearly visible from afar. As the new capital of Caria and a new network of roads, Herakleia was able to gain importance as a transshipment point for Carian goods from the mainland to the sea. As Antiochus III. set out to take the whole area, put Herakleia on the right map early and surrendered to Rome, which then defeated Antiochus. In gratitude for this, Rome declared the city to be free and independent and the city began to flourish. Marble and iron in particular were added to the existing export goods. In the course of the upswing that followed, many new settlements were built in the area around the city. From 129 BC The city lost its claim to regional leadership when it was incorporated into the province of Asia Ephesus. In addition, the mouth of the meander silted up more and more, so that the lake was increasingly cut off from the sea. One of the two marble quarries was almost completely exploited, while the second was fully under the administration of the city Miletus stood and exclusively for the temple in Didyma was reserved. But they ran out of money and the downturn continued. A bishop was installed in Herakleia in the 4th century AD, but epidemics and warlike incursions by the Goths left the region behind. Almost all settlements were abandoned by the end of the 6th century. But already about a hundred years later, new life came to the region when the Latmos Mountains became a retreat for expelled monks from the Sinai-Area was. A thriving monastic culture soon developed in the area. Almost every island was occupied with a monastery. There were other monasteries in the mountains. The main product was still honey. Paul the Younger worked here in the 10th century AD. However, after the defeat of the Byzantine troops against the Seljuks in the 11th century AD, the situation changed fundamentally. Turkish attacks on the monasteries increased and so almost all monks left the region by the end of the 12th century. Only the relocation of the imperial seat of Constantinople to Nikaia changed the situation again. Numerous protective castles and fortified structures restored security. A renewed upswing began and the heyday of monasticism on Bafa Gölü. The monasteries were inhabited again and expanded. The center was the settlement of Melanoudion and countless hermits settled in the barren Latmos Mountains and left behind cave drawings and inscriptions. When the imperial court returned to Constantinople, Byzantium's interest in the region around the Latmos also waned. Within a few years the whole region was taken over by Turkish groups. The new masters now devoted themselves to agriculture and the old virtues of honey extraction. The region was badly hit by the plague in the 18th and 19th centuries, so that only a few places survived. Since then, many small farms have only been abandoned as ruins. The meanwhile very bad agricultural conditions do not make the situation of the remaining inhabitants any easier. In recent years, however, tourism has increasingly created a new source of income. Small guesthouses and a touch of eco-tourism not only preserve the landscape and culture but also secure the remaining income in the place.
landscape
In terms of landscape, the region has changed significantly over the past 2000 years. 2000 years ago this lake belonged to the so-called Latin Gulf and was the direct coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the deforestation of the forests in Central Anatolia and the associated erosion, the delta of the meander increasingly filled with sand and over the years cut the lake from the Mediterranean. The inflows into the lake are a little higher than the outflows and so there was a damming effect that raised the water level by a few meters.
Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna are diverse and unique. Although most of the large mammals are now extinct, there used to be bears and tigers here, but with a little luck you can still see wolves, eagles and other impressive animals here. Bird explorers in particular get their money's worth here, as the list of birds sighted here now includes 256 different species.
climate
getting there
By plane
The nearest airport is in Bodrum to find. From there it continues on the road.
By bus
In the street
Coming from the south, take the D525 from Milas in the direction Izmir or Söke. Shortly before the Bafa Gölü shows a sign at the exit of the village Bafa in the direction of Kapıkırı on the right. The sign is not large and is currently (as of 2012) in the middle of a construction site. Follow these signs for about 15 km to your destination. The route via Bafa is also the fastest route from the north.
Fees / permits
In the village of Kapıkırı there is a ticket booth in the central driveway. If this is occupied, an entrance fee of 3 TL will be charged. With a booking confirmation of a guest house in Kapıkırı, the entrance fee is waived.
mobility
Dynamic cardsThe individual archaeological sites are best explored on foot and, of course, with this panorama it is best to cover the paths on foot. But the distances can be a bit long, so self-drivers have a clear advantage here. Otherwise, one or the other guesthouse can help out with a transport service. If you want to go out on the lake, you should just ask at the guest house. A fisherman with a boat and a suggested route to the best bathing spots and most beautiful islands is quickly organized here.
Tourist Attractions
- Cave drawings. In the meantime, more than 160 drawings have been found that date from the 4th millennium to the 2nd millennium BC. Go back. They are considered to be the first prehistoric rock paintings in Asia Minor and their style is unique in the world. Human figures and animals are shown almost uniformly in red. The people in particular are shown in a very simplified way as a kind of stick figure, but they interact with one another. The theme of love or dancing seems to be chosen here often. Many of these caves, or mostly just protected rocky outcrops, are easily and freely accessible and leave a deep impression.
- Inscription from Suratkaya. On the slope of the Suratkaya, a more than 3000 year old inscription of the Hetither was discovered only in 2000. It is considered to be one of the most important indicators that it is Miletus the historical Millawanda. The inscription probably served the purpose of marking the boundary. The inscription is difficult to reach in rough terrain. You shouldn't do without a mountain guide here.
- Latmos. The exact date of foundation is not known. The place is mentioned for the first time in the 6th century. But the city was more like a cluster of houses built on the slopes of the Latmos Mountains. Since the houses were well adapted to the mountains and difficult to make out, it is generally assumed that the city was built around 1000 BC. More or less as a Carian retreat or hiding place, as coastal places such as Priene, Miletus or Didyma were lost to the new Ionian settlers. The settlement was not surrounded by a wall until later. When the Macedonian general Pleistarch built the ancient Pleistarchia right next to Latmos, which was later to be renamed Herakleia, Pleistarch had Latmos destroyed without further ado to convince the people to move into the new city.
- Agora. The grave of Endymion and the remains of a Byzantine chapel can still be found here today.
- Rock houses
- city wall. The city wall consisted of a wall ring which in places integrated the inaccessible rocks as masonry. The complex was reinforced by 17 towers and 3 forts. There were city gates in the south and in the east. Additional fortifications strengthened the defense system. For example, there was a citadel on the northern city wall. During the construction of the city of Herakleia, the building material used for the fortification of Latmos was used, so that today only the basic features or even only the embedding in the rock can be seen.
- Herakleia. Successor city of Latmos.
- city wall
- Agora
- Athena temple
- Endymion sanctuary
- necropolis
- Byzantine monastery in the Latmos Mountains. The number of monasteries on Bafa-Gölü varies greatly and depends on what is really still seen as a monastery. Numerous remains of small chapels with a simple dwelling are in one view a small monastery and in the other only the house of a believing Christian. There is no dispute about the number of large, important monasteries. There are seven monasteries, some of which are of supraregional importance.
- Islands. The islands, which almost all appear as peninsulas depending on the water level, are all more or less covered with archaeological sites.
- Latmos Mountains
activities
shop
kitchen
accommodation
- Agora Pension, Agora Pansiyon Kapıkırı Köyü Milas 48234 Türkiye. Tel.: 90 (252) 543 54 45, Fax: 90 (252) 543 55 67, Email: [email protected]. Price: Double € 420.00 / week half board & including soft drinks / surcharges for single overnight stays possible.- Well-run guesthouse located right in the center. German-speaking with good hiking opportunities. The Herakleia tour is included. German-speaking guided tours with very well trained guides possible
- Kaya Pension, Located in Kapıkırı directly on the beach. Tel.: 90 (252) 543 53 80, Fax: 90 (252) 675 46 98, Email: [email protected].
- Pelican Pansiyon, Kapıkırı Köyü Milas 48234 Türkiye. Tel.: 90 (252) 543 51 58, Email: [email protected].
- Karia Pension, Kapikiri Bafa Lake Muğla / Turkey. Tel.: 90 (543) 846 54 00, Fax: 90 (252) 543 54 90, Email: [email protected].- Camping is also possible here
