Didim Live - Sightseeing : Bafa Lake (Heraclea by Latmus / Ionia)

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Sightseeing : Bafa Lake (Heraclea by Latmus / Ionia)

Bafa Lake is situated in southwest Turkey, part of it within the boundaries of Milas district of Mugla Province and the northern part within Aydin Province's Söke district, approx. 30 km from Didim. The lake used to be a gulf of the Aegean Sea, named Latmus in antiquity, till the sea passage was gradually closed by the alluvial mass brought by the Buyuk Menderes River.

The southern shore of the lake is traced by the Izmir-Söke highway connecting to towns such as Milas and Bodrum.

The northern shore of the lake, where steep slopes are covered by wild or semi-domesticated olive trees, is virtually untouched to this day.

At the innermost north-east tip of the lake is the village of Kapikiri, a village of just 320 residents, as well as the ruins of Heraclea by Latmus (also called Heraclea in Ionia), to discern from other ancient Greek sites named Heraclea. Square and rectangular stone walls in 6.5 km length with 65 towers are surrounding the ancient Heraclea. Well conditioned "The Temple of Athena" stands on the rocky area behind the harbour and is an example of two-column Hellenistic construction. On the eastern side of the temple you can find the rectangular constructed agora which has two stories. Only its first floor still exists today. The theatre is situated in the northeast of the city.

Heraclea became a safety land of hermitage for monks and priests in the early evangelisation of Asia Minor Christianity. The first monastery was established in the 7th century AD and many monasteries spread around Heraclea. A castle was built to protect monasteries that were scattered through this wild region. The caves around, which are considered to be inhabited by the monks and hermits, are ornamented by marvellous frescoes representing the life of Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary and the saints.

The magic flair of Lake Bafa and the Latmos Mountains is best told with the myth of Endymion. It was here that a handsome shepherd called Endymion asked Zeus to grant him eternal youth and beauty. Although in the usual way of things mythological, he paid a heavy price for his pleasure by having to endure endless sleep in a cave on Mount Latmos in return. Endymion was spotted by the moon goddess Selene, who fell in love with him. Despite his continuing sleepiness, nothing could stop the determined goddess from making love to him while he slept. In the end she bore up to fifty children from her nightly encounters with the sleeping young man.

Not much is known about ancient Heracleia, and archaeologists suspect that the remains make it appear more important that it actually was. Its fate was sealed by the changing shape of the shoreline. Bafa Lake was originally an inlet in the coast, but over a period of time the Buyuk Menderes River deposited so much silt along the side of it that eventually it was cut off to form a lake, leaving Heracleia with no direct access to the sea.

The biggest place is Gerga which is totally unique and has not been described very well up to now. Gerga was a holy place with no settlement. The most noticeable building is the Temple which was built with stones, but constructed like a wooden temple. On more than 50 places Gerga is written on rocks in the area. Also other remarkable things are the different stones resembling menhirs. But up to today nobody knows when and how long this place was used.

Other places that also have not been described well yet are, a cult-place behind the Latmos Mountains near the Bagircik Village and another one in Ekiztas. Both places contain a very big stone, in the form of menhirs, with steps leading onto the top. But nobody knows more about this. Also, the location of Labranda in the same mountains, distinguish the importance of the Mount Latmos in the pre-Hellenistic era. There are many interesting questions reaching up to the prehistoric times to be answered in this region.

A flooded plain in the past, this region comprises the ecosystem features of the Great Menderes Delta in our day and provides habitation for various endangered bird species for reproduction and settling in.

It is an area for residence in winter for more than 300.000 water birds of different species. The boat trips are a wonderful way to see some of the rich birdlife, including flamingos that come over during winter amid the more common coots, grebes, egrets and herons. More than 200 bird species have been recorded in the area. On the western shore of the lake, there is a bird observatory which is a point of interest for local and foreign bird observers in the winter and spring months.

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