ASSESSMENT OF SHRINE RUINS AND MONUMENTAL TREES OF TLOS ANTIC CITY IN TERMS OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Abstract

Religious rituals such as the tradition of visiting shrines and tree cult have been in existence for thousands of years in the different regions of Anatolia. Clear examples of such still- existing rituals are the visits paid to “Türbe” Quarter in Yaka Village of Fethiye District in the Province of Muğla and making wishes and hoping for heals from the holly tree. The data, which has been obtained from the research that has been launched the scope of a TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) Project in 2011 and the study that have been on the drawing of historical ruins and documentations in Türbe Quarter, have been transferred to the Geographic Information Systems. Although the certain date of the historical ruins is not exactly known, it has been thought that the ruins may belong to Menteşoğulları Seigniory of Türkmen Tribes. In the scope of project, the study have also been done to determine the age of 3 Cupressus sempervirens var. horizantalis (cypress) that are within the ancient ruins and their environs. The oldest one has been understood to be about 910 years old. As a result, in this study, historical ruins and monumental trees within the boundaries of Tlos Antic City being one of the important settlements in the Lycian Region have been assessed in termsof cultural landscape.

Keywords

• Tlos Antic City
• Yaka Village
• Türbe Quarter
• Ancient Ruins
• Menteşeoğulları Seigniory
• Monumental Tree
• Cultural Landscape