2009.09.06
Dalyan
DALYAN
Dalyan is located in Muğla province and in borders of Ortaca region. The region has been sentenced as Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Protection Area by the Council of Ministries in 1988.
The areas is composed of Lake Köyceğiz with an surface area of 55 km2, a 10 km long channel connecting the lake and the Mediterranean Sea , and a delta is formed where the channel approaches the sea where Iztuzu Beach takes its place in front. Mountain chains covered with forest border, the east and the west side of this system. Köyceğiz, Dalyan, Ekincik, Çandır and Gökbel are the main centers of population close to the system. This is one of the few surviving place of paradise, an area of natural beauty and historical interest.
Climate:
Köyceğiz-Dalyan, has a Mediterranean climate, thus it presents the typical flora characteristics of this climate type. The region has very rich plant cover. Delta site, which covers a considerable area between Dalyan Beach and Lake Köyceğiz, consists of a channel system divided by reeds and ad rushes with a length up to 3m.
The distance from the sea is 12 kilometers, that is surrounded by rich plants, and agricultural fields.
Caunos
Kaunos ancient city in the coast of Dalyan canal connecting Köyceğiz Lake to Mediterranean starts in the north of the port and ends in the rocky places on the upper part of Dalyan village. According to the legend, Kaunos who is the son of Miletos did not answer that love when his sister Byblis falls in love with him and then Byblis hanged herself. Thereupon, Kaunos was sent to exile, came to Karia region and founded the city. The most important characteristic of the ancient city is the rock tombs which stand strongly even today. There were shipyards in Kaunos and a port (Sülüklü Lake of today) at the lower part of Akropolis (Fortress and city walls, City center), according to Strabon the geographer from Amasya. In those times, the sea was reaching up to Acropolis. The city was ruled by the Persian, Egyptian, Rhodes, Bergamo kingdom and Rome Empire in the course of time. It lost the importance when the sea ebbed and Kaunos port was filled with sands. The north walls of the city are in the form of ruins remained from the Middle Age. The theatre of the city is at the bottom side of Acropolis, and it has 33 rows. In addition to this, there are Rome bath, temple, basilica, meeting hall and a lot of sculpture bases in the city.
İztuzu Plajı
The village is in the center of a broad delta at the head of which lies the 7 km. long sandbar called Iztuzu beach. The endangered Loggerhead Turtle has turned here for hundreds of years to lay its eggs.
Caretta Carettas
Two (Caretta Caretta and Chelonia mydas) of the eight known species in the world lays eggs in the Mediterranean coasts of our country regularly. The adult males have longer tails than the female ones. Their reproduction periods are the months of May-August. The female which comes to the beach in the night returns to the sea without laying eggs if she is disturbed with anything. If she is not disturbed, then she comes to the beach and starts to dig a hole where she will lay eggs. She digs the hole with her rear feet and while one of her feet dig the hole she takes away the sand with her another foot. After digging the hole properly, she starts to lay her eggs either one by one or in groups. After she completes laying eggs, she uses the sands to cover the eggs again by means of her rear feet. After all of these processes, she returns to the sea. The incubation period of the Caretta Caretta turtles is about 60 (sixty) days, and the young animals that crack their eggs in the end of the incubation period remain without any action in the sand for about 26 hours period of time. After that, they start to climb to the surface by means of helping each others. The young animals that reach the surface reach the sea by means of following the horizon light in the night full moon. If there is any other light source in the surrounding, then the young animals may suppose this is the horizon light and lose their ways, and this leads to their deaths. Because of this reason, the İztuzu Beach is closed for people between the hours 20:00-08:00 in the reproduction periods of the mentioned Sea Turtles
Çamur Banyoları
There are thermal spings in the south of the Köycegiz lake, at the foot of the Evlenmez Mountain, and around the Dalyan stream and lake. The medium-size spring is known as “”Gelgirme Velibey”", the small one is known as “”Riza Cavus Girmesi”". The medium-size thermal sping is preferred for its mud bath. It was newly restored and opened to tourism. This spring is famous for its beauty mud. The water boils naturally under the rocks. The warm water softens the skin and eliminates wrinkles because it contains a high ratio sulphur. Some experts claim that the mud is good for some illnes. After you have spread the mud on your body, you have to wait until it has dried. Then , you can clean your body in the pool or shower. The medium-size thermal spring is connected to the Sultaniye Thermal Spring which is a few hundred meters away.
