Syedra is an ancient city in Cilicia on the southern coast of Asia Minor. On the shores of of a small bay near Alanya, about 35 kilometres away, are the ruins of this ruins of this ancient city. You can only get there by car. It is located on a hill that serves as a dividing line between the present-day villages of Korgisak and Seki.
As you approach the town, the panorama of the Mediterranean opens up in full splendour. The nearest settlement is the village of Seki. It has retained a special touch of antiquity, thanks to the fact that the locals used a lot of antique building materials in the construction of their dwellings. Excavations in this area have been going on for quite a long time and until recently, they were not very successful. The biggest surprise of all awaited the archaeologists at the foot of the hill, where the remains of a settlement were found, probably dating to the period from the 7th to the 13th century AD.
The ruins of Syedra are the ruins of a Roman city founded in the 3rd century BC. Numerous mosaics and columns have been perfectly preserved to this day, a triumphal arch and three ancient pools of water, which were apparently reservoirs of drinking water, which the locals still use to irrigate their fields. The water in the reservoirs is replenished by a spring in the vicinity, which was discovered in antiquity. The distinctive features in the decoration of the walls of the spring allow us to attribute it to the Roman period. The inside of the reservoirs was covered with plaster. Its reddish traces can still be seen today. The alternate filling of the reservoirs was made possible by by a special staggered system of water supply, which, when examined, only one drainage hole was found. Colourful wall paintings in the cave next to the spring. The only way to see them can only be seen with the help of illuminators.
Little information about the history of Syedra has survived to this day. For the first time the city is mentioned in written sources dating back to the middle of the 1st century BC. It is known that in 48 BC Pompey stopped here, returning from the war. It is also known that during the Roman Empire from Tiberius (18-37 AD) to Gallen (260-268 AD), the city of Ciedra minted its own currency. Coins have also been found in the city, minted in honour of Marcus Aurelius and Antony between 138 and 161.
Very close to the road and on the adjacent hill, you can see the remains of the of the lower city, parts of its walls, necropolis and baths. A little higher up, in the northeast, the high cliffs offer a fine view of the city's acropolis and Sedir Chayi.
There is another interesting structure that has been preserved in the territory of this It is a building two storeys high, inside of which there are surviving pieces of mosaic. Some historians are of the opinion that it's a basilica, while others are convinced that it was a palace in the past. In favour in favour of the former is the well-preserved buildings on either side of the building's ledges.
To the north of this structure is a street of the ancient city. In various places granite columns can be found in various places, testifying to the high level of wealth and the former greatness of the city in the Byzantine era.
In the centre of the settlement there is a very large cave. It appears to have been carved into the rock before Christ. The cave, judging by the frescoes that are located at the entrance, it was a place of religious worship, and even later it was used as a shelter. You can still get into it, but you can't really wander there, as all the passages are blocked with stones.
Also of special interest are the remains of the Turkish bath, located in the eastern part of the city. They are quite impressive in size. In some places you can still see fragments of the floor covered with a mosaic pattern. This is most likely most likely a traditional Turkish style ornamentation, often found in bath complexes of ancient times.
Next to the baths, from north to south stretches a wide road with columns on the sides of the road. On the north side of the road are walls with niches in them. Between researchers and scientists still exist disagreements about the purpose of this building and the time of its construction.
Specialists of the Archaeological Museum of Alania in 1994 was conducted a study, the results of which shocked everyone. It turns out that the road with columns had previously had a width of ten metres, and its length was approximately two hundred and fifty metres. The columns at the southern end of the road had had a roof, and those on the north side were covered with wood. Between them there was an area paved with stone.
Archaeologists at this site have found very many plaques with inscribed records of the of jousting or games played at the time. Some of these have been sent to archaeological museums around the world for study. It's possible that these plaques may be related to the site, but it's too early to be 100 per cent certain.
In the evenings, the ruins of the ancient city are illuminated, which gives holidaymakers the illusion of unreality, a synthesis of antiquity and modernity.
