Xanthos-Letoon

Xanthos-Letoon is a paired archaeological World Heritage property in southwestern Turkey comprising the ancient city of Xanthos and the sanctuary of Letoon, both key centres of Lycian civilization. The sites preserve civic, funerary and religious remains from the classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.

At Xanthos visitors encounter city walls, tombs and a Roman-era theatre that illustrate Lycian urban and funerary practices. Letoon provides the remains of temples dedicated to the goddess Leto and associated cult installations, representing the region’s religious architecture and inscriptions.

Xanthos served as a regional capital of ancient Lycia with continuous occupation and monumental building from the first millennium BC through the Roman period; Letoon functioned as its religious sanctuary. Both sites contain inscriptions and architecture that document Lycian institutions and artistic exchange with Greek and Roman cultures.

The sites lie near each other inland from the Mediterranean coast in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey, set among agricultural plains and low hills and reachable from coastal towns such as Fethiye and Kaş.

• Visiting both sites: The two adjacent archaeological sites are best visited together; trails link the ruins and signage explains major monuments such as the theatre at Xanthos and the temple foundations at Letoon.

What to See #

• Xanthos: Xanthos - the ancient Lycian capital with remains including a citadel, funeral monuments and a Roman theatre illustrating the city's political and funerary architecture.
• Letoon: Letoon - a nearby sanctuary complex dedicated to Leto, with temple foundations and votive finds that attest to its role as a religious centre in Lycia.