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Olympos
is the  name
of both the ruins of an
ancient port on the
Mediterranean and of a
mountain (currently
knwon as Mount Tahtalıi
[2,365 m]) located some
20 km from Cıralı. Mount
Tahtali is one of about
20 mountains in Anatolia
and Greece that used to
be known as Olympos and
were regarded as the
seat of the gods. For
more information about
the mountain and the
mountain village of
Beycik please visit
http://www.beycik.de.
The port
of Olympos is first
mentioned in the 2nd  century
B.C. Throughout its
history, the city was
known under a variety of
names, among which is
believed to be
Hadrianopolis. Under the
Roman emperors the god
Hephaistos was revered
as the most important
deity. Olympos fell into
disrepair when pirates
ransacked it several
times in the 3rd century
A.D. and was abandoned
altogether in de 15th
century under Ottoman
rule.
Today,
the ruins of the city
are located directly on
the beach, on both sides
of the mouth of a
(mostly dy) river which
emerges from a
spectacular gorge
further land inward. The
ruins comprise, among
other things, the
remains of a theatre, an
impressive temple and
various buildings
containing well
preserved sarcophagi. A
large necropolis is
situated
on the sloping southern
bank of the river.
Another part of the city
is located on a rocky
promontory directly
above the beach. Because
the ruins are partially
overgrown with a thick
forest of climbing vines
and laurel and fig trees
visitors may easily be
deceived into thinking
that they are the first
to rediscover the site
since centuries.
Among
the other places of
interest in the direct
vicinity of the ruins
are the village of
Cıiralıi, the
fire-spitting mountain
Mount Chimera (Yanartas)
and the striking rock
formation Deliktas.
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