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From Köprülü Canyon to the Mountain Theatre of Selge
Historical Sites

From Köprülü Canyon to the Mountain Theatre of Selge

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The Köprüçay is a river that rises in the Taurus Mountains and flows into the Mediterranean south of Serik.

Manavgat, Antalya
Historical Sites
Radar Editör
September 30, 2026

About Trip

The Köprüçay is a river that rises in the Taurus Mountains and flows into the Mediterranean south of Serik. Known in antiquity as the Eurymedon, it has cut through the limestone between the village of Bolasan and Beşkonak to open a canyon 14 kilometres long, with walls rising more than 100 metres; the Culture Portal counts it among the longest canyons in Türkiye. The canyon and the surrounding mountains were declared a national park on 12 December 1973, and the area of roughly 36,600 hectares became Köprülü Canyon National Park. The park takes its name from a stone bridge that has stood over the river for more than eighteen hundred years. The old road that crosses that bridge carries you up the mountain to the ancient city of Selge, founded at 1,250 metres, and to the village of Altınkaya, which lives intertwined with the city's ruins. This trip brings three things together in a single day: the green water of the canyon, the stone bridge of a Roman road and a mountain theatre close to the clouds.

Getting there

The park lies within the district of Manavgat and, according to the Culture Portal, 63 kilometres northwest of the district centre. Coming from Antalya, follow the highway between Antalya and Manavgat; about 5 kilometres after passing Serik, turn north at the signposted junction on the left and continue for roughly 37 kilometres along the river. The road brings you to Beşkonak, regarded as the gateway to the park. After Beşkonak the road climbs along the edge of the canyon, crosses the river on Oluk Bridge and winds its way up to Altınkaya, that is, to Selge. Linking this route in a single day by public transport is not easy; going by your own vehicle or on a day tour is the most practical option. The road up to Selge is narrow and winding, so plan to start back before dark.

The canyon and its water

The national park lies in the karst belt of the Central Taurus. The Nature Conservation and National Parks 6th Regional Directorate lists geological formations made up of 20 different rock types in the area; the canyon walls are formed mostly of the limestones of the Beydağları formation. Worked by water over the ages, these rocks have turned in places into oddly shaped towers and hollows; Adam Kayalar and Tazı Canyon are also listed among the park's important natural assets. The Köprüçay is oxygen-rich water, and the ministry's records include the red-spotted trout, found only in Türkiye, among its inhabitants.

The park's most surprising treasure is its trees. According to the Culture Portal, the cypress forest covering about 400 hectares inside the park is the largest natural cypress forest in the entire Mediterranean Region. Alongside the cypresses, cedar and black pine forests shape the character of the park. The ministry reports that at least 574 plant taxa have been recorded in the area, 118 of them endemic. Because the altitude rises from 150 metres to 2,500 metres, a short journey takes you from coastal vegetation into mountain forest. The number of vertebrate species is 224; the wild goat, Krüper's nuthatch (Anadolu sıvacıkuşu), which the Culture Portal describes as Anatolia's only endemic bird, and the birds of prey soaring over the cliffs are the best known among them.

Oluk Bridge and the Roman road

About 5 kilometres north of Beşkonak, between the two rock walls of the canyon, the single-arched stone bridge built by the Romans crosses high above the water. Known in Turkish as Oluk Köprüsü and in foreign sources as the Eurymedon Bridge, the structure is dated to the 2nd century AD. The bridge is about 14 metres long and 3.5 metres wide, with an arch span of 7 metres. Its voussoirs were set without mortar, held in place only by pressing against one another; the bridge is very well preserved, and the road up to Selge still crosses it today. It was part of the ancient road linking the coastal plain of Pamphylia with the mountainous interior of Pisidia. Some 42 kilometres further down the same river, at Aspendos, there is another Roman bridge; together the two show how busy a route the Eurymedon was in antiquity.

Before driving across the bridge, stop on the bank and walk down. The finest view of the bridge is from river level, where the arch seems to hang in the sky between the two canyon walls. The park has a second historic stone bridge over the Kocaçay: Büğrüm Bridge. Stretches of the ancient stone road that linked Selge with the cities of Pamphylia can also be traced here and there inside the park.

The story of Selge

Selge, on the southern slope of the Taurus, was one of the most powerful mountain cities of ancient Pisidia. Ancient authors traced the city's origins to the Lacedaemonians, that is, the Spartans; Strabo also mentions an earlier settlement founded by Calchas. The KÜRE Encyclopedia takes the city's roots back to the end of the 2nd millennium BC and writes that Selge came successively under Lydian, Persian and Alexander the Great's rule. When Alexander passed through the region in 333 BC, Selge sent envoys to him; the city was then at war with its neighbour Termessos. In 218 BC the army of Achaeus besieged the city; after an act of betrayal Selge was forced to surrender and paid a heavy indemnity.

The city's strength came from the fertile land among the mountains. Sources list olive oil, wine, timber, the fragrant resin called storax and an ointment made from iris root among Selge's products. The city enjoyed its most brilliant age in the Roman period; Strabo reports that its population reached 20,000. Wrestlers appear on the obverse of the coins minted by Selge, an image that resembles the coins of Aspendos. The city also kept its importance in the Byzantine period; Zosimus, the 5th-century historian, writes that Selge was strong enough to drive back a band of Goths. According to the KÜRE Encyclopedia, the area came under Turkish rule in the 13th century and the name Selge gradually turned into Zerk.

The theatre and the city's ruins

Start your walk around Selge at the theatre. It is the city's best-preserved building, and it is known to have been restored in the 3rd century AD. When you climb to the upper rows of seats, the Taurus peaks open up behind the stage, and it becomes obvious why the city was built so high, inside a natural fortress. Around the theatre and across the slopes lie traces of the agora, stoa, gymnasium and stadium, the remains of a basilica and of other Byzantine-period buildings, a colonnaded street, a bath and cisterns. On the hill to the north stand the foundations of two temples dedicated to Zeus and Artemis. The acropolis appears in ancient sources under the name Kesbedion; sections of the towered walls that ringed the city and of an aqueduct can also be seen. Most of the remains are unexcavated and lie scattered among heaps of stone and fields, so you need patience to work out which stone belongs to which building as you walk.

Altınkaya, the village inside the city

Selge's most striking feature is that the ancient city is not fenced off like a museum. Today's Altınkaya neighbourhood, formerly Zerk, sits right in the middle of the ruins; houses, gardens and animal pens stand among the walls and columns. According to a report by Anadolu Agency, the neighbourhood's Yörük residents, after long making their living from livestock, turned to tourism and took on the role of the city's volunteer guides and guardians. They offer visitors handmade goods and local food. The Nature Conservation and National Parks directorate also notes that, alongside traditional farming and herding, crafts such as making the kabak kemane, a gourd-bodied bowed instrument, and spoon carving live on in the area. As you pass through the village, do not enter courtyards or cultivated fields, and ask permission before taking photographs.

Trails and the river

The park is very well suited to walking. The ministry reports 26 walking routes inside the national park. The second branch of the 500-kilometre St Paul Trail, waymarked by the Culture Routes Society, also starts at Beşkonak and runs north over Roman roads, footpaths and forest tracks as far as the ancient city of Adada. According to the society's description, this walk follows the canyon from south to north, runs on the Roman road in places and also passes Selge; it is the best way to feel the city's link with the coast on foot. The river is the park's other face. Rafting on the Köprüçay is the park's best-known activity; the Culture Portal also lists canoeing, canyoning, swimming and rock climbing among the activities possible in the park. For rafting, go on the water only with licensed operators and wearing a life jacket; do not head out on the river in a boat without a helmet and life jacket.

Season and time of day

The Culture Routes Society notes that the best time for walking in the region is spring and autumn, and that July and August are hot. Selge sits at 1,250 metres; do not pack for the temperature on the coast, and take a light extra layer with you. If you set off early in the morning, you can spend the first hours of the day at the theatre and the second half on the riverbank.

Practical notes

  • According to the Culture Portal, entry to the national park is free; still, check the current visiting conditions on the national park's official page.
  • There is little shade at Selge and the ground is stony and uneven; sturdy shoes, a hat and plenty of water are essential.
  • Phone reception may weaken inside the canyon and on the mountain road; download your map in advance.
  • Do not light fires or pick plants within the national park boundaries, and take your rubbish back with you.

Sources

Location - From Köprülü Canyon to the Mountain Theatre of Selge

Trip Info
CityManavgat, Antalya
TypeHistorical Sites
DateSeptember 30, 2026
SourceRadar Editör
Radar TürkiyeAuthorRadar TürkiyeVisit SourceGet Directions