Simena (Kaleköy)

Set on a small peninsula on the coast between Kaş and Demre, directly opposite Kekova Island, Kaleköy is a village that lives among the remains of the ancient city of Simena. On the hilltop stands a medieval castle, on the slope sarcophagi mingle with the houses, and along the shore tombs and building remains stand in the shallow water. The Culture Portal describes Simena as one of the rare settlements in Türkiye that can only be reached by sea. The village belongs to the district of Demre. The city's name first appears in written sources in the first century, in Pliny. However, an inscription in the Lycian script and a silver coin found at Aperlai take its history back to the fourth century BC. In the Lycian League, Simena was represented by its neighbour Aperlai. An ancient coastal guide records the city as Somena and gives its distance from Aperlai as 60 stadia. The city was damaged by earthquakes in antiquity and part of it sank into the sea. Along the shore you can see steps, Lycian-type sarcophagi, a jetty and building remains in the water. When the sea is calm, walking along the shore or passing slowly by boat is the best way to make them out. The ruined remains of a Roman bath also stand on the shore. According to its inscription, the building was a gift to Emperor Titus from the people and council of Aperlai and the other cities of the League. The castle is reached from the shore by a steep path with steps in places. Along the way you see building remains and sarcophagi interwoven with today's houses. The funerary inscription on one of these sarcophagi shows that it belonged to Mentor, son of İdargus. The castle is described as an Eastern Roman fortress built in the Middle Ages against the pirates who nested around Kekova. The first thing you notice on reaching the castle is the small theatre carved into the natural rock, with seven rows of seats and room for about three hundred people. Water cisterns and rock tombs are also found inside the castle. To the northeast of the castle stretches a large necropolis of sarcophagi and rock tombs. The Lycian inscription on one of the house-type tombs is especially notable. Between the merlons of the walls you look out over the bay, the remains along the shore and the sea stretching to Kekova Island opposite. On the northern shore of Kekova Island lie the partly submerged remains of the ancient city of Dolichiste, which was destroyed by an earthquake in the second century. On 18 January 1990 the area was declared the Kaş-Kekova Special Environmental Protection Area by a decision of the Council of Ministers. The area of about 258 square kilometres stretches from Ulu Burun east of Kaş to beyond Kekova Burnu, and its shores are hard to reach by land. The ministry notes that diving is forbidden in certain coves because of the archaeological remains. Check the swimming and diving rules for the areas with submerged remains before you go, and do not step on the stones in the water. In 2009 Simena was among the cities proposed for the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List under the "Ancient Cities of Lycian Civilization". According to the Culture Portal, Kaleköy is reached by boats leaving from Üçağız or Çayağzı; Wikipedia notes that it can also be reached on foot from Üçağız. Simena is one of the archaeological sites of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; check the official website of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for current opening hours and admission fees. The path up to the castle is steep and stony, so wear closed shoes that do not slip. In the midday heat of summer the climb becomes hard, and the morning or late afternoon hours are more comfortable. The village is a living settlement; do not enter private property while exploring the remains between the houses.