Letoon / Kumluova

To the west of Xanthos-Creek Eşen amid are the charcoal of the age-old city-limits Letoon aural the adjustment Kumluova. The name of the city-limits is “Ladauwa” in the Luwian/Etruscan original, acceptation “worshipping abode of the mother goddess Lada”. History of this angelic abode dates aback to bags of years afore Christ. The Mother Goddess Cult begin everywhere in Anatolia unavoidably took basis in Lycia, too.

It is accepted that the cult, accepting been acclimatized to the area, took appearance in the anatomy of the leash Leto, Artemis, Apollon. Letoon which was accustomed as a altar in the Lycian Federation fell, like all the added Lycian cities, beneath the aphorism of the Persians in the 5th centry B.C., however, the Persians admired and did not accident this city. The sanctuar maintained its actuality and functionality from Alexander to the Romans. The missionary activities during the aboriginal years of Christianity gave aftereffect with the advertising of anecdotic the Mother Goddess Lada/Leto with the Holy Virgin and her son Apollon with Jesus Christ and thus, Christianity became advance throughout the area. Notwithstanding this, the angelic website of the agnostic acceptance was preserved.

The Arab raiders appetite to advance Islam during the 7th aeon A.D., as anon as accepting landed on the shore, broke Letoon, the ambition laid. One aboriginal encounters in the breadth the charcoal of three temples congenital alongside anniversary other. The aboriginal one is the peripteral adjustment temple Leto Temple, Ionic in style, and the adjoining one was congenital in affiliation with a acceptance afore Leto. The third temple accepted to accord to Leto’s accouchement Apollon and Artemis was afresh congenital of peripteral adjustment and its attic was paved with coloured mosaics. To the arctic of the angelic website is the theatre with 26 caveas visible. 16 masks were begin at the southern access some of which accord to deities and some to fabulous characters. Situated at the arctic access is an absorbing tomb. There is no assurance of a date building.