About Istlada
In the countryside around Demre, Istlada is a small ancient settlement of Lycian sarcophagi, rock-cut tombs, cisterns and houses scattered among olive groves and rocks. Its rural landscape offers insight into production and family life beyond the larger Lycian cities.
History
Settlement dates back to Classical Lycia. Rather than a major political centre, Istlada developed as a rural community linked to Myra and surrounding cities. Funerary monuments, workshops and water-collection systems multiplied in Hellenistic and Roman times. Agricultural terraces and traces of olive-oil production reflect the local economy. Limited settlement and production continued under Byzantium. The dispersed remains are best understood by exploring the area on foot.
Highlights and principal structures
- Lycian sarcophagi
- Rock-cut tombs
- House remains
- Olive-oil workshops
- Cisterns
- Agricultural terraces
Historical period
Lycian–Roman