Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Lycian Way Is An Ideal Journey With Respect To Walkers

By Lee Palmer

If you needed to relax and unwind in days gone by, a long walk in Mother Nature would do the trick. With the world becoming more technologically advanced, modern amenities are now even spilling over into the time people spend outdoors. The Lycian Way is one of the last natural hiking trails left in nature today.

The advances in technology have definitely helped to make our lives easier. However, it has also allowed people to get accustomed to receiving quick fixes by way of their modern gadgets. Some people would not even know how to live without their gadgets.

This is often so to the point that they simply can?t function without them. This is true whether it be for work or relaxation. One way of leaving all the modern amities behind is to go hiking. The Lycian Way snakes along the coastline of the Tekka Peninsula in Southern Turkey.

Lycia is the simple name for the Lycian Way. Spanning some 500 km, this is the first ever long-distance trail in Turkey. Turkey is famous for its awesome landscapes and hiking the Lycian Way will enable hikers to catch glimpses of it. The peninsula's wonderful coastline, limestone peaks, canyons, valleys and cliffs are just a few of the scenic treats in store for hikers.

The Tekka peninsula was first occupied by the Lycians, an Anatolian indigenous tribe. It was in 1250 BC that the Lycians inhabited the peninsula. During this time they formed a federation known as the Lycian League. In fact, our current political federation is based around a model of their federation.

Although the Lycians took a stand against the Persians, Greeks and Roman, they were always victorious. It was only in the third century AD that some of the Lycians federated states were destroyed by an earthquake. The surviving states took a blow and eventually ended up as Christian Byzantine settlements. The Lycian highlands were eventually taken over by Turkic tribes with the arrival of the Ottomans.

Remains of the original peninsula inhabitants can still be found today. Hikers who follow the Lycian Way are sure to come across the remains of the Lycians. There are also Roman structures such as amphitheatres, temples and aqueducts to be seen along the way. Remains from the time of the Ottomans can also be seen such as Byzantine churches and domed cisterns.

The trail was marked according to the French "Grand Randonee" standards and opened to the public in 2000. Other European hiking trails adhere to the same standards. The pathways are clearly marked for the hikers. Every 100 meters is a red and white parallel band that marks the way.

Certain destinations along the way are also marked by sign posts. There are also small towns along the way such as Patara, Kas, Finike and Kalkan. It generally takes hikers a month to complete the full trail. The standards committee have designated levels of difficulty to certain areas along the trail.

There are steep uphill and downhill portions that can prove to be too difficult for inexperienced hikers. There are also pit stops along the way where hikers can rest. These rest stops are made possible by the villagers. They open their homes to hikers who find themselves in remote parts of the trail.

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