Kaş

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Kaş

Kaş

Kaş is the jewel of the turquoise coastline, characterized by a charming maze of bars, markets and beach clubs. It is a small fishing, diving, yachting and tourist town 168 km west of Antalya. While the Teke peninsula has been inhabited since the Stone Age, Kaş seems to have been founded by the Lycians, and was called Habesos or Habesa. It was a member of the Lycian League, and its importance at this time is attested by the existence of one of the richest Lycian necropolises. In the Hellenistic period and during the Roman Empire, it was used as the port of Phellus. The Hellenistic Amphitheatre is situated 500 meters from the Kaş city center and was able to accommodate 4,000 spectators. The Amphitheatre is the only building of its kind in Anatolia with a seafront façade. During the early 1990s tourism boomed in Kaş, with visitors coming mainly from the UK and Germany. It is a peaceful, charming town with a turquoise sea and jasmine-scented narrow streets. There are many small guest houses and quiet cafés serving home-style food. In Kaş there is an annual arts festival, jazz concerts are held in the Hellenistic theatre, and the Kiln Under the Sea art collective has organized underwater ceramics exhibitions. The town is one of Turkey's leading diving destinations. It is visited by beginners and advanced divers alike. There are over 15 diving centers and diving schools in the area. Diving in Kaş provides an abundance of fish and other marine life such as octopus and sea turtles. In addition to biodiversity, Kaş also offers a huge diversity of underwater cultural heritage.