Lost Lycian artifacts to be exhibited underwater

ANTALYA

Works for the “Lycia-Kaş Underwater Art Park,” where replicas of smuggled historical Lycian civilization artifacts will be exhibited under the sea in the southern province of Antalya’s Kaş district, will be finished soon.

For the project, carried out in cooperation with the Kaş District Governor’s Office, Kaş Municipality, the Western Mediterranean Development Agency and the Chamber of Shipping, the replicas of the historical artifacts were made of water-resistant materials.

More than 650 lost Lycian artifacts, which will be presented to the visitors in the art park on an area of approximately 10,000 square meters under the sea, were lowered into the water by divers.

Underwater photographer Şükrü Gürsoy made 25 dives and stayed underwater for 30 hours to capture the moments while the artworks were being replaced in the water.

Kaş District Governor Şaban Arda Yazıcı and Kaş Mayor Mutlu Ulutaş accompanied the activities carried out in the Limanağzı region by the divers working at the diving schools in the district.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Yazıcı said that the artifacts, inspired by Lycian mythology, were chosen from the lost heritage that were smuggled from the region.

Noting that the project gives huge importance to the aquatic ecosystem, Yazıcı said the opinions of scientists who are experts in the subject were taken into account, so the artifacts were made from materials that do not cause pollution for sea creatures.

Stating that the project aims to increase the number of diving activities from 80,000 to 300,000 per year and to expand tourism activities to 12 months, Yazıcı said:

“The purpose is to create an area where visitors who come to the region with tour boats can watch without diving. The artifacts lowered into the Limanağzı region will offer pleasant visuals to visitors in a depth of 5 meters to 20 meters. Thanks to the project, the pressure of the boats that anchor heavily in the area where the artifacts are unloaded will be prevented, and fixed vaults will be placed on the area in order to protect the posedonia meadows.”

Among the works to be exhibited underwater are the columns on the Patara Colonnaded Street, Poseidon and his Horses, the Chimera and the Legend of Bellarophoron, and the Erbinna Monument (Nereids) in the ancient city of Xanthos that stand out.