There still exists somewhere in the world a place where you have the impression of discovering something that has not yet been reached by mass tourism.
One of these places is Termessos.
Termessos is not a place signposted on hotel excursion boards. Reaching it takes effort, and most tourists at the seaside detest effort.
Despite its proximity to the fashionable and chaotic Antalya, Termessos remains abandoned, excluded from the main communication routes. To reach it you must drive along an isolated mountain road for 10 km, among hairpin bends and suggestive views over the desolate but imposing Turkish hills. But the car is not enough. From the small car park, a strenuous 30-40 minute climb is required, along a non-easy path, among boulders and wild flowers, which at times winds over the very ruins of the ancient city.
The coolness of the mountain cannot counter the scorching sun of Mediterranean Turkey. You will probably be the only ones venturing along that path that morning. Or at most you will have to share your "discovery" with another 2-4 people. And perhaps this is what allows Termessos to keep that little secret that is now impossible to find in many tourist places: tranquillity, the feeling of discovery, the possibility of being perhaps the only ones admiring it at that precise moment.
It is like feeling for an hour like a kind of Indiana Jones, or one of those explorers who reach for the first time the treasures that time has hidden, or yet the protagonist of some Wilbur Smith book. Of course it is only a feeling; the signs and the ticket office bring you back to reality, but once the climb has begun the feeling becomes very pleasant.
Imagine walking alone through the Imperial Forums without the bustle of the city, or arriving at the Pyramids and not finding the dozens of buses and hundreds of tourists. Imagine that to reach them you have to travel a harsh and lonely route that accentuates and strengthens their charm.
Certainly, the architectural importance is not the same as these more famous monuments, but the particular location enhances its beauty. It is no coincidence that this is the archaeological site located in the most spectacular setting in all of Turkey.
But once you reach the most imposing structure of the site, you will be left open-mouthed. To say the view is spectacular is an understatement; unforgettable does it more justice.
In a wild environment, you admire the remains of a grand amphitheatre, positioned right at the foot of a particular rocky mountain that rises vertically behind it. A true eagle's nest, a little Mediterranean Machu Picchu, to give a better idea.
There is nothing left to do but sit on one of the steps. And in silence contemplate what man has managed to build in such a remote, fascinating, mysterious, difficult place. Admire the panorama of the mountains that form its backdrop. Try for a few minutes to imagine what life was like in such a place in past centuries. And how much time has been able to preserve.
You have no difficulty understanding how much its warlike people cared about defending with their soul what they had built. And this is why Termessos remained for a long time unconquered and independent even from the powerful Roman empire.
But if you wish, the effort is not over once you arrive at the theatre. The path continues until it reaches the necropolis. Here the tombs and sarcophagi are scattered disorderly, and among them all the tomb of Alketas stands out for its beauty. The landscape and the atmosphere recall films like the Lord of the Rings.
If you spend your holidays in the surroundings of Antalya, do not miss this dive into the past.
Because Termessos is different. Because Termessos is a conquest. Because Termessos will live forever, and will always be ready to welcome the most attentive tourist.
(entry 5 new Turkish lira - about 3 euros. From Antalya, follow the 650 state road to Budur, then turn left onto the D350 towards Korkuteli, after 15 km turn left and follow the signs for Termessos and continue for 8 km on a mountain road. From Antalya about 30 km)
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