Regular readers may recall that around this time last year Fethiye Times took an overnight camping trip to Aphrodisias which, of course, was reported on the website.  This year’s trip was to Sagalassos and Burdur.

Sagalassos, in common with many other ancient sites all over Turkey, has traces of settlement going back thousands of years.  However, its peak period was the 2nd century AD when, as part of the Roman Empire, it was a major hub located in the mountains due north of Antalya. 

Two years ago parts of a massive statue of Hadrian were unearthed at the site and instantly loaned to the British Museum for their Hadrian Exhibition. 

We had hoped to see the Hadrian artefacts on our trip.

To get to Sagalassos by the easiest route in terms of good roads you follow the Antalya yayla road to Korkuteli, then take the Burdur road and the first brown sign for Sagalassos is on a right turn in the town of ƥltik槬 some 35 miles after Korkuteli. 

Ten miles after the right turn you come to Ağlasun, from where a road leads up into the hills and ends at Sagalassos.

Excavations at Sagalassos have been ongoing since 1990 done by the University of Leuven in Belgium. 

They dig in July and August and have now attracted archaeology students/experienced archaeologists from all over the world. 

Visiting during the dig season has the bonus of volunteer guides, who are incredibly knowledgeable and take you on a detailed tour of the site free of charge. 

For details of our tour keep logging on to the site.