This article contains a list of Lycian place names that have survived from ancient Lycia in Anatolia. Names of settlements and geomorphic features are known from ancient literary sources. Ptolemy's Geography lists places in Asia Minor[1] and specifically Lycia.[2]Strabo's Geography has a section on Lycia as well,[3] as does Pliny's Natural History.[4]Stephanus of Byzantium includes a large number of Lycian places in Ethnica.[5]Hierocles in Synecdemus lists the cities in the eparchy of Lycia.[6]William Martin Leake's Journal of his own trips through Anatolia, as well as of those of many other travellers, with analyses of sources, mainly Ptolemy, is still a valuable source of information on the locations and appearances of the Lycian sites.[7] In addition, numerous inscriptions in the Lycian language state some place names in their Lycian forms.[8] The topographical information comes from the Aydın thesis, and was developed from Turkish military maps.[9]
This article does not address the task of defining Lycia. Over a thousand or more years, the borders of the historical territory, called Lycia in English, are not likely to have remained invariant. This list includes places named by some source at some time as "Lycian", and also any settlement with a Lycian language name, even though located in some other city-state. "Lycia" therefore represents a maximum territory, to which any historical Lycia was never exactly identical.
Aydın studied 44 out of 78 known ancient settlements. Many more archaeological sites are not identifiable with ancient settlements. Aydın also collected information on 870 Turkish settlements over the same region.[10] The moderns, certainly, populate the region much more densely than the ancients.
Some of the modern place names are given in Turkish. For the most part, the equivalent English, French or German pronunciations are good approximations, but Turkish has some letters not present in those languages. Ğ or ğ is not pronounced, but lengthens the preceding vowel. For example, dağ, "mountain", is pronounced daa. Substitution of an English G or g is false. Ç or ç is a ch as in child, Ş or ş is an sh as in shore. What appear to be an English C or c is a J as in John, while the J or j is pronounced as the z in azure. The vowels have a short rather than a long pronunciation. As Turkish is an agglutinative language, the endings do not have the same meanings; e.g., daği is not the plural of dağ, which is daĝlar (daalar).
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., elevation Script error: No such module "convert".. Greek Aperlai, a former port of Lycia, Turkish Siçak Iskelesi,[11] the docks on Aperlai Bay, Script error: No such module "convert". from Kiliçli.
Lycian name from coins. Listed in Ptolemy as Aperroe, in Pliny as Aperræ. Hierocles has Aperlai.
Ptolemy, Pliny, Stephanus, who says it is Homer's Boudeion, Hierocles.
C
English classical name
Inscriptional name
Description
Sources
Cabalia
A region
Ptolemy, Strabo, who calls it Cabalis, and says it contains Oenianda, Balbura, Bubon. The Solymi lived there and the Lydians of Cibyra settled there. Part was in Milyas, part in Pisidia, and part in Rhodian territory, as well as in Lycia.
Strabo. An independent city, ruler of the Tetrapolis, never politically part of Lycia, but housing a population element speaking the language of the Solymi. The state was called the Cibyratis.
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., Greek Korudalla, Script error: No such module "convert". from Kumluca. Elevation Script error: No such module "convert"., not a mountain village.
Ptolemy, a mountain village of Pliny.
Cragus (KP)
Greek Kragos, a monetary district of Lycia
It had its own coinage. Implied by Ptolemy's "near the Cragus mountains."
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., elevation Script error: No such module "convert"., Greek Kuaneai, Script error: No such module "convert". from Turkish Yavı.[17]
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., elevation Script error: No such module "convert".. Greek Gagai, located at Yali, within Mavikent, within Kumluca. This is not, however, a mountain community. Opinions vary.
A mountain village in Pliny, an old fort in Stephanus. Hierocles has Gaga.
Glaukou demos
Stephanus says it was named after the hero, Glaucus.
Listed in Ptolemy and numerous classical texts and inscriptions, as well as being the Lukka lands of Late Bronze Age Hittite and Egyptian inscriptions.
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., elevation Script error: No such module "convert"., Greek Mura, Script error: No such module "convert". from Sumeli in Demre.[22]
Strabo, Pliny, Stephanus. Hierocles has Myra Metropolis.
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., elevation Script error: No such module "convert"., Greek Patara, a port city, capital of the Lycian League, at Turkish Gelemiş.[23] Also named Arsinoe.
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., elevation Script error: No such module "convert".. Script error: No such module "convert". from Egelkoyu in Tekirova.[23]
Ptolemy, Strabo, who says it is a city with three harbors and a lake.
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., elevation Script error: No such module "convert"., not a mountain village. Greek Rhodia, near Kumluca.[24]
Stephanus, Ptolemy, Pliny, who calls it Rhodiopolis, and a mountaian village.
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., elevation Script error: No such module "convert"., Script error: No such module "convert". from Kaleüçağız.
Stephanus, Pliny.
Sindia
Greek Sindia
Stephanus, possibly the same as Strabo's Sinda near or in Cabalis.
Script error: No such module "Coordinates"., Greek Telmessos, at Turkish Fethiye, elevation Script error: No such module "convert"..
Ptolemy, Strabo, Pliny. Stephanus says it is a city of Caria, although expressing also the Lycian view. Hierocles has Telmisos.
Tenedos
Stephanus
Termera
Stephanus
Termessus
Trm̃mis
Greek Termēs(s)os
Described by Strabo as a city of Pisidia in the pass to Milyas. Same name as Lycia. Strabo says the Termessians are called the Solymi. Cibyra is just below and near Termessus.
↑This article relies heavily for its Lycian names on Script error: No such module "Footnotes".. Bryce in turn was influenced by Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". Houwink ten Cate lists all the inscriptions bearing on the names. Most present variants. Only one appears in column 2 above, typically that favored by Bryce. There are slight differences in the transliteration to English as well.