Letoon
June 9th, 2008 admin
In the village Kumluova (“sandige level”) west the Eşen of river and of Xanthos lie the ruins of the antique Letoon. The name of this city in the luwischen/etruskischen original was Ladauwa and meant ” Worshipping place of the mother goddess Lada”. The history of this holy place is enough to far forwards Christ birth. It cannot be surveyed that the Muttergöttinnenkult everywhere effective in Anatolien had spread also in Lykien. He was adapted to the region and arose in form of the three-agreement of Leto, Artemis and Apollo. Letoon was created at times of the Lyki federation as holy city and fell in the 5th Jhd. like the other lykischen cities also under Persian rule. The Perser zollten the religious cult however respect and caused to the city no damage. From Alexander the rough one up to the Romans it maintained its status and its function as holy city. In the early years of the Christianity the mission acre activities obtained success with their propaganda that the mother goddess/Leto was to be equated Lada with the mother of Jesus, Maria, and its son Apollo with Jesus, and so the Christianity spread in the area. The holy place of the heidnischen faith of the time was protected nevertheless and protected. As in the 7th Jhd. n. Chr. Arab army crowds, which were endeavored to spread the Islamic faith had ashore set Fub, destroyed them immediately Letoon. On the area the remnants from three temples are to be only seen to. First was in the ionischen style of built Leto temple in Peripteralform. With beside the fact is assumed he was built for the practise of a religious forerunner of the faith in Leto. The third temple was dedicated to the children by Leto, Apollo and Artemis, was likewise a Peripteraltempel and its ground was with colored mosaics decorated. In the north of the holy area the theatre with 26 semicircular seat rows stood. At its south entrance 16 masks were appropriate, from which some Gods and other mythologische natures represented. At the north entrance an interesting grave stood. And of the stage building there is no more trace.
