To the west of Xanthos-Creek Eşen located are the remains of the ancient city Letoon within the settlement Kumluova. The name of the city is “Ladauwa” in the Luwian/Etruscan original, meaning “worshipping place of the mother goddess Lada”. History of this sacred place dates back to thousands of years before Christ. The Mother Goddess Cult found everywhere in Anatolia unavoidably took root in Lycia, too.

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Kaş is a small fishing, yachting and tourist town, and a district of Antalya Province of Turkey, 168km west of the city of Antalya. As a tourist town it is relatively unspoiled.

Geography:
The town of Kaş is on a hill running down to the sea. The district has a typical Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters, which allows the growth of oranges, lemons and bananas. The lowland areas are also planted with cut flowers and a variety of fruits and vegetables, many are grown all year round under glass. The hillsides produce honey, and almonds, while at high altitudes there are extensive pine forests. The weather is drier at high altitudes. Although agriculture is still important tourism is the main source of income in the district, which has many hotels and guest houses.

About 2 km offshore from Kaş is the Greek island of Kastelórizo (in Turkish Meis Adásı).

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Travelling from Kaş to Fethiye one arrives at the village Gelemiş at the southern point of the plain Xanthos-Eşen. Scattered in the marshy area and among the dunes of sand of the coast exposed to sand erosion remains of the ancient city Patara are seen. The name of the city is “Padaura” in the Luwian/Etruscan language. The word “pa” means “water” and “ura” means “ground” and accordingly, the name of the city means “marshy ground / river ground”. It appears that the inlet extending up to The Taurus Mountains in the north during prehistorical times was filled with the silt carried by the creek Patara in time and thus, formed a small bay.

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