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| Caretta Caretta Turtles Caretta Caretta Turtles with their large heads, (the name Loggerhead comes from the fact that they have oversized heads), and reddish brown shells come to Iztuzu beach to nest from May - September. |
DALYAN : A Heaven For Relaxation...
THINGS
TO SEE IN DALYAN Sultaniye
Thermal Bath & Mud Baths
Distances
to Historical Sights
|
Dalyan
is established in an environmentally protected area. This is one
of the few surviving places of paradise, an area of natural beauty
and historical interest. The ancient city of Caunos lies here with
its ruins dating back to the 3rd Century. The Dalyan channel through
which water circulates between the Mediterranean and Koycegiz Lake
winds its way down past the ancient Rock Tombs to the sea, via a
small network of lakes and waterways. Through the rustling reed
beds rising between 3 and 5 metres in height. With its mixture of
fresh and salt water, these wetlands are now home to a vast number
of fish and other water life, as well as the birds of many species
which feed on them, species such as the Sparrow hawk, Crane, Kingfisher
and Jay. The Stork is also native to this area migrating here at
the end of March to nest until the end of August. Dividing the delta
is the Iztuzu sandbar stretching for 5 km east from the south of
the channel. With fine crystal sand, shallow turquoise sea Iztuzu
beach is the ideal seaside spot. Which can be reached by regular
dolmus or boat service from Dalyan. This is also the beach where
the endangered Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta Caretta) and the green
turtle (Chelonia Mydas) have returned to lay their eggs since the
beginning of time. The nesting time being from May till October.
Along
the channel of the delta from Köycegiz are The Sultaniye Thermal
baths the water is 40 degrees C .The water has been used since Hellenistic
times, first by the Carians then the Byzantines. The ruins from
these buildings are now submerged .The waters which contain radioactive
elements (harmless) and Hydrogen sulphur are believed to cure rheumatism,
skin disorders, liver, spleen and bowel complaints, as well as being
beneficial for nervous and digestive disorders. The Mud baths are
also said to remedy rheumatism as well as cleanse and beautify the
skin.Popular belief states that a mud bath will take ten years off
you. Once you have covered yourself in the mud you then wait for
it to dry in the sun. The sulphur pool in which you clean yourself
after your Mudbath is also at a temperature of 40 degrees.
The ancient
city of Caunos stands midway along the channel. It grew into a major
area on the border between Lycia and Caria, the people were said
to be famous for their yellowish skin and eyes. Caunos was said
to be the son of Miletus and the Grandson of Apollo, he is believed
to have fled from the city due to unnatural feelings between himself
and his sister. The city sprawls over a broad slope overlooking
the sea and delta. At Caunos there is an Acropolis surrounded by
the city walls that are Byzantine, a theatre, four temples, an Angora,
Roman Baths, Palestra and a Cistern. The demise of the city was
due to the harbour that continually silted up which is now 5 km
from the sea and marshland, and also disease due to malaria. Rhodes
purchased Caunos in the 2nd century, after many wars it went back
to Carian rule only to be given back to Rhodes in 88BC. Caunos has
a long and varied history and is well worth a visit. You can visit
Caunos at any time although it is advisable to avoid the midday
sun. First you will have to cross the Dalyan channel via rowing
boat then walk up to the city. Caunos can also be visited as part
of a day tour.
Twelve
Km from the centre of Dalyan lies the five km long sandbar that
juts out from the main land into the Mediterranean. This site was
earmarked for development until it was brought to the authorities
attention that it was one of the last nesting grounds for the endangered
Loggerhead Turtle. A campaign with David Bellamy and a local woman
Kaptan June (Haimhoff) were successful in stopping the development
of Iztuzu Beach. Visiting times to the beach are restricted from
May - September when the Turtles are nesting. From 08.00-18.00 are
the open times so as not to interfere with the nesting habits of
these Turtles. Sunbeds and shade are available at the beach for
a small charge also cold drinks and snacks are served throughout
the day. You can reach Iztuzu by Boat or Dolmus, the boat winds
its way down the channel, through the rustling reeds to the open
tip of the beach.
These
tombs are the resting place of the Kings of Caunos. They are carved
from the rock in the style of Lycian rock tombs. There are two types
of tomb to be found in Dalyan, simple chambers cut into the rock
face and more elaborate Temple tombs, there is also a large unfinished
tomb. Many tombs were built with false walls placing valuables behind
them so as to fool robbers, eventually this was to no avail as all
the Tombs were emptied of their treasures.
Since
1986 Turkey has taken steps towards the conservation of wildlife.
Today there are 385,000 hectares of protected land in Turkey, 38,500
of which are in Dalyan. Within part of this area is the protected
beach where the Loggerhead Turtle, (scientific name Carretta Carretta)
come to nest. The Loggerhead Turtle is designated as threatened
on the Federal Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species List. These
Turtles with their large heads, (the name Loggerhead comes from
the fact that they have oversized heads), and reddish brown shells
come to Iztuzu beach to nest from May - September. They have yellowish
to white undersides and can measure up to three - four feet in length.
These Turtles are air-breathing Reptiles, which have a special gland
that allows them to drink seawater. The waters in which they live
are sub tropical with temperatures between 16 -20 degrees centigrade,
usually in bays, estuaries, lagoons or the mouths of large rivers.
In temperatures lower than this they become stunned and drift helplessly.
The Loggerhead Turtle reaches maturity around 16 years of age; they
can weigh between 150 and 300 pounds. Their diet consists mainly
of Jellyfish, Molluscs and Crustaceans. The mating takes place a
few weeks before the female lays her eggs. The Loggerhead Turtle
usually returns to the beach where they themselves hatched. The
sperm collected during mating will fertilise all of her clutches.
The adult female may lay several clutches each season, usually she
will lay eggs every two -three years, although some have been known
to lay eggs every year. When the female lays her eggs, she seems
to look like she is crying; she is in fact flushing out sand and
excess salt from her eyes. (The salt is from the gland that enables
her to drink seawater).| //Deutsch |  |