European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 7, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Touring Turkey it s a Steep climb up and Down the Mountainside past the ruins of  heavens Are within reach from this ancient City by Effie Bathen staff writer at terme sos you can climb High enough to reach up and touch the Clouds. The ancient ruins North of the Mediterranean port of Antalya Are All that remain of a City too Tough for Alexander the great to conquer and too stunning to be missed when Louring the Southern. Turkish coast. Rising steeply almost a thousand feet into the rugged Taurus mountains the ancient site makes a Good Day trip _ combining history rugged Mountain scenery and a bit of a his the climb starts along a Rocky Footpath from the parking lot to one of the City s three Walls. What becomes immediately apparent is the inaccessibility of the fortress perched Between two peaks South of chill ii Mountain. No one really knows Why the ancients chose the unusual Remote site. In ancient times the tenacious people who lived there were under the protectorate of the Pis Idian Power lords of the Taurus mountains. The City reached its Peak with a population of 150,000 under the influence of the Creek or what the turks prefer to Cal hellenistic influence. The people were also Independent enough during roman times to keep a roman face off their coins. Next to the failed siege of Alexander the most dramatic event in the City s history involved one of his generals Antigonos Mono Thalmos who proclaimed himself master of Asia minor after Alexander died in 319 b.c., he battled with the local general Lacatus of Isidia a Catus was no match for Antigonos whose forces included some 40,000 foot soldiers and 7,000 cavalry plus numerous elephants. Lacatus sought Refuge at the fortified City. However elders overruled the efforts of the City s youth to protect Lacatus. When Antigonos camped his army at the front Gate they threatened to turn Lacatus Over to him. Rather than leave terme sos and surrender Lacatus committed suicide. Today his Tomb is one of the most distinguished in the cemetery or necropolis that covers the rugged Hills above the Central town. Most of the City a other sins and glories Are buried under centuries of Earth and Forest but some Are still easily identified. A Large Section of the gymnasium still stands and is one of the first Sites readied from the path through the main Gate. One window s Center Stone Learis perilously out of line a sign that it will someday join the others easing Down the Hillside. In other sections doors Lead to nowhere and Bushes a few through the floor of a Public Bathhouse. A narrow path follows the next Hill to the agora or marketplace. Oddly a Tomb sits in its midst. Some argue that it the Tomb of Lacatus who although Defeated became a Symbol of personal Honor to the Young Termes sians. That theory is debunked however by authorities who matched the markings on the Hillside sarcophagus with designs used by Alexander s generals. Another quiet path leads to one of the most magnificent Amphitheatres in Turkey but visitors can find lots of shortcuts Over fallen stones and columns if they Don t mind sharing the path with some prickly Holly and doing some hand Over hand climbing. The grand Amphitheater is impressive a especially the View of the rugged Mountainside that must have once been the backdrop for dramas staged for crowds of up to 4,200. Now one exit is a Maze of crumbled columns solved Only by a few vines and thistles. Piles of More giant stones cover sections of the  not far away later custodians of history cleared the Way by fashioning a Wall out of the hunks of Stone. The Odeon or smaller theater was used for horse and foot races and especially wrestling. It seated about 600. Today five huge cisterns 36 feet in diameter and 24 feet deep Are hollow and dry. An Aqueduct carved into the Side of the Mountain apparently ensured a reliable water Supply and contributed to the City s Security. The City was abandoned sometime in stripes Magazine january 7, 1993