HIKE THROUGH HISTORY
Ruins in Konakli
/ / Travel Reports / Turkey 2023 / Hike through history
On the right side of the D400 highway from Antalya to Alanya, towards the sea, lies the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Augae in Konakli. This coastal city in ancient Pamphylia, with its capital at Side, was founded in the late Roman period (300 to 350 AD). The buildings are in a very deteriorated state, and part of the eastern side of the city's acropolis has been destroyed. It is believed that Augae, which has connections to the Luwian and Hellenic languages, means "Temple of the Mother Goddess." Due to financial difficulties and a shortage of personnel, archaeological research and excavations were not completed. There is also limited detailed information available about these ruins. The same fate befell other ruins in the vicinity of Alanya: Syedra, Leartes, Iotape, Hamaxia, Cibra, Justiniapolis, Naula, Ptolemaios, Pisarissos, Marassos, and Gülefşan. One day, we also set out to visit the Roman city of Augae.
From the reception of the Nox Inn Deluxe Hotel, we descended to the beach and passed by the Aria Resort & Spa and Eva Beach hotels until we reached the Nox Inn Club. Beyond it, we turned right onto a neatly paved road leading towards the D400 highway. We walked through a lunar landscape, with orange rocky blocks lining the left side and a desert on the right side, where new hotel complexes were being built. Just before reaching the D400 highway, we turned left onto a gravel road leading uphill. A bus, number 50, was parked on the sidewalk, and its driver was calling out to us. From his gestures, we understood that the road to Konakli was just a short distance further. We replied that our path led to the ruins in that direction. His smile said it all. It didn't deter us. On our way back, he wasn't parked there anymore; he had embarked on his daily driving routine along the Konakli - Alanya route.
The gravel road led to partially demolished houses. Beyond them, it turned into a path, gradually becoming overgrown with thorns that grew thicker as we advanced. However, even this didn't deter us. Below us was the D400 highway, and behind us, we had expansive views of the surrounding area. Particularly striking were the newly constructed hotel complexes, stretching towards the sea. Inland, the foothills of the western Taurus Mountains rose above the outskirts of Konakli. We also spotted the Ali Şahin mosque and the Kizilaliler mosque with their two minarets. However, our focus was ahead of us. Somewhere amidst the dense, neglected vegetation lay a piece of local history - the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Augae. The path became increasingly overgrown, and eventually, we concluded that its lower branch didn't lead to our destination. We retraced our steps slightly and began to ascend more easily passable path towards the stone wall on the hill, surrounded by the Elite Admiral residences.
We reached our destination. Before us lay several stone foundations and fragments of walls, with visible window openings. Through dense vegetation, we approached the tallest ruins built from rubble and large stone blocks used as door pillars, a poignant reminder of the Roman period that brought one of the great economic and cultural booms to this place. This area was also visited and explored by Austrian researchers Rudolf Haberdey and Adolf Wilhelmen, who conducted archaeological studies in Cilicia from 1891 to 1892. We examined the remains of the Roman city from all accessible angles and then set out on the journey back. We spent a long time removing remnants of fine thorns from our shoes and shorts, which had clung to them in huge quantities. Following the same path we came, we returned to our hotel, Nox Inn Deluxe.
Photo gallery: The ruins above Konakli