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Kekova

Meeting Point of History and Nature

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Kekova Island

Meeting Point of History and Nature

Kekova, (Lycian: Dolichiste) is a small, rocky island off the coast of Kaleköy and Üçağız, near the Demre district of Antalya province. It is often referred to as "Kakava" in the sources. Although it has a surface area of 4.5 km², no one lives on this island. The part on which there are hostels and cafes and accessed by boats is Kaleköy, on the opposite shore of the island, connected to the mainland.

After the Italian occupation, a compromise could not be reached between Turkey and Italy on which country the island would belong to, and then the island was left to Turkey with the agreement in 1932. On the north side, shipwrecks from the ancient city of Dolkisthe, which was destroyed by earthquakes in the second century, are occasionally encountered. Kekova was re-established and developed during the Byzantine period, but its development could not continue due to Arab invasions. Kekova and its surroundings were declared a protected area on 18 June 1990 by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Although it was decided to do all swimming and diving with special permission by the government, this ban was lifted in the following years for places other than historical shipwrecks.

On the north side are the partially submerged remains of the ancient city “Dolchiste/Dolikisthe” which was destroyed by an earthquake in the 2nd century. The city, which was rebuilt and still flourishing during the Byzantine Empire, was eventually abandoned due to Arab raids. The shipyard (with the bay of the shipyard, the ancient city of Xera and the remains of the shipyard Byzantine church) is in the northwest of the island. Kekova area is 260 km2 (100 sq mi) and includes Kekova island, Kaleköy and Üçağız villages and four ancient cities named Simena, Aperlae, Dolchiste and Teimioussa. Kaleköy (locally just "Kale") (ancient Simena) is a Lycian region on the Turkish coast. Aperlae is a small village with partially submerged ruins[3] and a castle.

Access to the village is possible only by sea. Üçağız (former name Teimiussa) is a village with Teimiussa ruins to the east, 1 km from Kaleköy, to the north of a small bay with the same name. The name Üçağız' means "three mouths", referring to the three outlets to the open sea.