Warning from İlber Ortaylı on 'vandal tourism and monstrous hotels': It must be prevented

Ortaylı stated, "The Lycian Way is the natural route that includes the region between Adrasan in Antalya and Ölüdeniz in Muğla. A significant portion of this route was called Lycia in the ancient world, and in recent years, it has been trending toward intense tourism and, even worse, intense settlement. 

With the vandal mass tourism and monstrous hotels that ruined the eastern coasts of Antalya and Belek now also closing off the beach, this kind of trend must be prevented; those who ignore the cries of nature lovers are now laying their hands on the Lycian region," he said.

In a post on his social media account, Ortaylı criticized the scale that tourism in Antalya has reached via the Lycian Way, warning with the words, "It is an exceptional region where Turkish history from ancient times to the recent past is concentrated, and where historical artifacts and natural beauties coexist; however, it can only survive through exceptional rules, careful administration, and a conscious citizenry."

İlber Ortaylı's social media post is as follows:

"A natural masterpiece: The Lycian Way

The Lycian Way is the natural route that includes the region between Adrasan in Antalya and Ölüdeniz in Muğla. A significant portion of this route was called Lycia in the ancient world, and in recent years, it has been trending toward intense tourism and, even worse, intense settlement. There is always something worse than the worst. With the vandal mass tourism and monstrous hotels that ruined the eastern coasts of Antalya and Belek now also closing off the beach, this kind of trend must be prevented; those who ignore the cries of nature lovers are now laying their hands on the Lycian region.

Lycia is a region known in history for its uniqueness. It is not a place that can be imported into the Hellenic world in a heartbeat. Its language is very old, and besides the ruins that date back to 3000 BC, the language itself still exists. It is a challenging subject for classical world philologists. Since the philosophy of the Enlightenment and the writings of Montesquieu, Lycia has attracted attention. This is because a common federation and parliament formed by many cities in this region are located here. The ruins of this parliament can be seen in Patara. The excavations in the region are being conducted by Prof. Dr. Cengiz Işık and his team. Truth be told, apart from the summer heat, it is a place where wonderful hikes can be taken in April, May, September, October, and even November.

You can traverse a 500 km route while watching the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean. In this sense, the border even extends to the ruins of Knidos in Muğla. The hiking trail should be closed to traffic; it should only be accessible to people and vehicles like bicycles. Outside of the humidity and heat of summer, it is very difficult to understand the reason for this brutal hotel development in a region where people can truly see 3000 years of Anatolia, its most vivid works as seen in the amphitheater in Myra, watch the sea at the Gelidonya Lighthouse, and swim in almost every bay.

Each of the royal tombs on the Fethiye and Teke Peninsula is a uniquely valuable treasure. Let us not forget that the chain of caravanserais starting from Iran also extends to the Phoenician basin. It is an exceptional region where Turkish history from ancient times to the recent past is concentrated, and where historical artifacts and natural beauties coexist; however, it can only survive through exceptional rules, careful administration, and a conscious citizenry."