ELMALI
Elmalı is a place in the west Antalya that visitors decide almost immediately would be an agreeable place to live, with its history, culture, beautiful setting, and above all its people. Whenever I visit this charming town I wander through the town centre savouring the aroma of hot roasted chickpeas on sale. In shop windows I see the çörek helva which I used to yearn for as a child; oldfashioned coffee grinders made by the last craftsman who stubbornly refuses to give in to changing times; and the pots and pans made by coppersmiths hammering in the ancient rhythm of their trade.
Excavations of the Karataş, Hacımusalar and Akçay settlement mounds and surface exploration by archaeologists in the vicinity of Elmalı have shown that the history of human settlement in the area goes back to 8000 BC. In the 5th and 4th centuries BC Elmalı was part of Lycia, whose characteristic rock tombs can be seen in the villages of Kızılca and İslamlar. The Mylasians, a people closely related to the Lycians, also inhabited the region around Elmalı at that time.
The Hellenes, Romans and Byzantines followed in their wake. In Byzantine times Elmalı was known as Alimala, (Alimola), Amelas or Kabala. In the 12th century Elmalı became part of the Turkish Teke Principality and in 1389, during the reign of the Ottoman sultan Yıldırım Bayezid, became part of the Ottoman Empire.
Home to many civilisations since Neolithic times, the most important archaeological finding here was a hoard of 1900 coins discovered in 1984 by treasure hunters. They were smuggled out of the country, and finally brought back to Turkey from the United States on 28 April 1999. Dating from the 5th century BC, these coins had been struck by city states and ruling dynasties in the Lycian region. The hoard has been referred to as the 'treasure of the century', their outstanding importance lying in the new knowledge that they provided about the regiosed history, such as the existence of dynasties previously quite unknown, for example. Among them were commemorative coins struck in honour of the Greek victory over the Persians.
At a time when the highest denomination coin was four drachma, these commemorative coins weighed ten drachma. They were struck in very limited numbers, and until 1984 only 13 were known to exist in the world. The Elmalı treasure doubled this number.Excavations of sixteen tumuli at Çağıltemeller near the village of Bayındır northeast of Elmalı began in 1985. The team of archaeologists led by Kayhan Dörtlük brought to light many Phrygian period (1200-800 BC) grave goods, including silver and bronze cups, bowls, ladles, fibuli, jewellery, harness mounts, and, most important of all, four figurines representing priests, three carved from ivory and one from silver. These are exhibited today in Antalya Museum. In 1998 a team from Akdeniz University began uncovering the ancient road which led from Elmalı to Fethiye on the coast. In parts the road is still in perfect condition, and the project is expected to attract increasing interest among archaeologists.
Coming forward in time, the traditional wooden houses of Elmalı are one of its most interesting aspects. Built of cedar and juniper, of which there are extensive forests in the area, the houses are constructed to provide adequate protection against the harsh winters in this mountainous area. Set on the hillside of the upper town, they present a charming picture.The single domed, square plan Ömer Paşa Mosque dating from 1607 in Elmalı is an impressive example of classical Ottoman architecture.
Although the mosque has been damaged by fire on several occasions, it remains the largest and most magnificent sacral monument in the Antalya area. Another interesting feature of the Elmalı district is the wooden barns whose form is inspired by Lycian tombs. They can be seen in every village, the finest being in the village of Beyler to the south. The village of Yuva to the west of the town is famous for its traditional textiles: beautiful handknitted socks, storage bags, saddlebags and kilims. Another village renowned for its kilims - a reminder of the former nomadic culture of this area - is Barak. Elmalı's craftsmen produce not only the coffee grinders already mentioned, but also beautiful woodwork. And for their trousseaus, girls make lovely embroidered cloths and needle lace for edging headscarfs.In summer on the alpine pasture of Gömbe local people pit-roast young goat and lamb flavoured with thyme, and enjoy outdoor feasts accompanied by aniseed flavoured rakı. In Akçay the cheeks of the girls mirror the red cheeks of the apples they gather in the orchards. In Elmalı you can enjoy lamb şişkebab fragrant with thyme, followed by delicious icecream made of the rich local milk. For those who wish to stay overnight there are pleasant hotels, which while not offering five-star luxury, make up for it with a warm friendly atmosphere.
Bu haber 20/05/2010 tarihinde eklenmiştir.
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