Tlos

Tlos Review

From the acropolis of Tlos a fine view can be had to the west of the Xanthos Valley—then as now a rich agricultural area—and to the east of the mountains that cradle Tlos's Roman theater. The fortress at the summit is Turkish from the 18th century and was a popular haunt of the pirate Kanli ("Bloody") Ali Aga. Below the fortress, off a narrow path, is a cluster of rock tombs. Note the relief here of Bellerophon, son of King Glaucus of Corinth, mounted on Pegasus, his winged steed. The monster he faces is the dreaded Chimera—a fire-breathing creature witha lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail. (Famously, Bellerophon had been sent to the King of Lycia with a sealed message saying that he should be put to his death on arrival. Unwilling to kill this noble figure outright, the Lycians sent him on apparently fatal tasks like fighting the Chimera. He survived them all with the aid of Pegasus and won half a kingdom. The Chimera's fire can still be seen coming up from the ground near Çirali/Olimpo.) If you have time, hike over to the theater you saw from the fortress; among the ruins are carved blocks depicting actors' masks. Nearby, the old baths provide more good views of the Xanthos Valley.