Letoön
Temple of Leto at Letoon
About 17 km south of Patara, in the
village of Bozoluk are the ruins of Letoon. With Xanthos, Letoon forms a
UNESCO World-Heritage-Site. The sanctuary of Letoön was founded in honor
of Leto the mother of Apollo and Artemis. The godess Leto was of
Anatolian origin and became the national godess of the Lycians. The Letoön was the
official religious sanctuary, oracle and festival venue of the Lycian
federation. It became Christianized during the Byzantine period and only
was abandoned during the Arab raids of the 7th century.
The site consists of three temples to:
Apollo, Artemis, and Leto. There is also a lnymphaeum and a large
well-preserved Hellenistic theatre.
More about Letoon and its history is
available on the
Lycian Turkey site.
Click on the thumbnails to get a greater picture
