Cyanae

Cyanae is situated above the village of Yavu which is well sign posted half way between the road between Kas and Demre. Cars need to be parked near the mosque prior to the long walk of at least an hour to climb to the city, a walk of about two kilometres and a rise of 800 feet. Whilst it is possible to make an independent climb to the city I would advise hiring one of the local villagers who appear mysteriously as if by magic! They know where all the interesting buildings are so can save much time in exploring the site. The paths both up and down pass many sarcophagi, some more interesting than others. Without a guide it would well nigh be impossible to find oneself around the inner city. The site is so well covered by vegetation that until this is cleared it is very difficult to distinguish what the various structures represent.

It is not known when the city was established but inscriptions indicate that it existed in the fourth century B.C. The city expanded in the Roman times, enjoyed being an episcopacy in the Byzantine period but became desolate by the 10th. Century. Cyaneae or Kyaeni is also called the City of the Sarcophagi, and there are many some illustrated below. Other interesting buildings within the city walls that extend some 450 meters are a theatre, the remains of a possible Byzantine church, an Acropolis, library and baths. All over the site there are numerous wells and cisterns.

By virtue of it’s size and position Cyanae held a dominating position in the area Pliny and many other geographers mention the city and inscriptions add further to it’s importance. In particular is the fueed that developed after the city wanted to award honours to one of it’s citizens, one Jason, son of Nicostratatus, a contemporary of Opramoas of Rhodiapolis whereby there was an objection by another citizen by the name of Moles which was only resolved after it was referred to the Emperor Antonius Pius who granted the cities request. An example of small town bigotry!

Many of the inscriptions mentioned by George Bean no longer exist or are totally ineligible. The continued action of weather on the limestone renders interpretation only possible by experts and the use of squeegees to obtain an image for interpretation. It must be presumed that the many inscriptions mentioned by Bean are recorded for future archaeologists, some may have already been removed to the museums in Antalya.