Etenna - Do you know the ancient site near Sirtköy?

Wednesday, 14 January 2026 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

Etenna - I hadn't either, until I stumbled upon a passage in a little-known guidebook that led me to a Greco-Roman settlement high in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains near the village of Sirtköy.

I couldn't find this place in any of the standard modern guidebooks, so my curiosity was piqued, and I set off with friends.

The road to Sirtköy is generally easy to drive. From the D400 towards Alanya, shortly before Manavgat, turn left towards Sarilar and Dolbazlar and follow the road straight ahead (there are signs for Sirtköy again in Sarilar) until you reach the village of Sirtköy, where the road ends at a square by the village fountain.

From here, we began our ascent to the ruins of Etenna. The path led past an old Lebanese cedar, along the remains of an ancient paved road, initially alongside the city wall and past houses, up to a massive brick cistern.

To the left of the path, hidden in the undergrowth but offering a magnificent view of the surrounding landscape, which can be enjoyed repeatedly throughout the walk, lies a podium temple

Etenna - Up to the Basilica and the remarkable rock tombs

The path became increasingly difficult, at times leading across scree slopes and requiring some scrambling, but thanks to the friendly guidance of two young men from the village, we managed to reach the basilica and the remarkable rock tombs, which date from the 4th and 5th centuries BC.

The entire city is littered with stone blocks, hidden in a partially dense thicket of holm oaks.

Good footwear and perhaps a walking stick are very helpful for this excursion to Etenna. After visiting the ancient sites, which took about two hours, the path led us back to the village of Sirtköy.

Chatting merrily, drinking tea, baking flatbreads

The spring water at the village fountain quenched our thirst, and soon the village men gathered, as tourists, they told us, rarely came here.

After a brief chat about where we were from and where we were going, our equipment, and the beauty of the landscape, we returned to our car.

On the way, we noticed women sitting together under a veranda roof, chatting merrily, drinking tea, baking flatbreads for the whole village, and preparing gözleme in particular.

One woman kneaded the dough, another formed small balls, which a third rolled out into round flatbreads on a wooden board.

The next person spread a mixture of chopped nettle leaves and cheese on one half of the flatbread, folded the other half over, and pressed the halves, especially the edges, firmly together.

The filled dough was then baked on a hot baking sheet heated by a wood fire. These gözleme tasted delicious. We were invited in and generously provided with tea and the filled flatbread, making it difficult to say goodbye. This experience, however, vividly enhanced the memory of a wonderful trip to the Taurus foothills.

- Wolfgang Dorn

(The mentioned guidebook is by Günther Korbel. One title: Southern Coast of Turkey, published in 1991 by BW Verlag, Edition Erde - Travel Guide, and is apparently still in print.)

Please also read:

Selge / Altınkaya - Köprüçay and Köprülü Canyon

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