Kas
Plane Wreck
One of the
diving associations discovered an Italian war plane with 3
propellers that crashed and fell on the reefs near Meis
Island. The plane had crashed for unknown reasons during the
Second World War. The engine of the plane becomes visible at a
depth of 57 meters, the other parts and the tail go down to
the depths of 70 meters. Around the wreck there is still some
unexploded ammunition. Except for the engine, the other parts
of the plane lie under the sea complete, but of course time
has done a lot of damage to the fuselage.
Uluburun
Antique Wreck
A sunken ship belonging to the Early Bronze Age was discovered
in 1982 by a sponge diver 60 meters away from the eastern
shore of Uluburun, 8.5 kilometers to the south-east of Ka?.
After the works started in 1984 and thousands of dives were
done for 11 seasons, a wonderful cargo that was lost in 14 BC
was brought up. The ship was about 15 meters long and was made
from cedar trees. The stern of the ship was lying at a depth
of 44 meters, and the bow 52 meters away. The cargo the ship
was carrying had rolled down to a depth of 61 meters.
In general, the cargo of the ship consisted
of raw materials, but there were manufactured materials as
well. There were over 100 round and flat cobalt- blue,
turquoise and lavender colored raw glass ingots, according to
Ugarit and el-Amaran tablets, they were thought to be Mekku
and Ehlipakku which were brought from Syria and Palestine
shores. Those ingots were the oldest and the most complete
glass ingots found. Among the other unique archeological
findings were cedar wood pieces and a kind of black wood
brought from tropical Africa. The old Egyptians called them
Akaju wood. Among some other raw materials are full size and
carved ivory pieces, more than a dozen hippopotamus teeth,
some kind of small sea snail shells used for fumigation,
turtle shells used as a sound box in musical instruments, tile
or metal mouths, handles and ostrich eggs that were used to
make vases and cups.
At least two are complete, out of five
large earthenware jugs, there were tiles for export, old-fashioned
oil lamps and other artifacts that were thought to be hung on
the walls, but their use is unknown. There were also some
silver bracelets, bangles and gold pendants. The origin of a
golden glass without a handle is unknown. There were beads
made from various materials which included agate, gold, tile,
glass and Baltic amber beads. Among the other works of art,
there were two duck shaped ivory cosmetic boxes with hinged
wings functioning as lids, copper cauldron and bowls, a horn
from a hippopotamus tooth, and a lot of tin cups. A rod used
in religious ceremonies, and the only other similar one was
discovered in Rome.
The bronze weapons on the ship were arrows
and spear points, daggers and Italian and Mycenean made swords.
Among the cargo and the food, figs, almonds, olives, raisen,
seeds of Nigello Sativa, sumach, coriander, pomegranade and
one or two wheat and barley seeds were found. Some lead pieces
for fishing nets, some weavers shuttles to repair nets,
fishing hooks, a fish spear with forks indicate that they
fished from their ships.
Although it was difficult to identify the
nationality of the ship, it is thought to be of Middle East
origin. The artifacts from this ship are on exhibition in the
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
Three Islands
It is an area which consists of some small
islands further away from Tekirova. It is one of the most popular
spots for diving because of its richness, clear sea and closeness to
many other diving spots. It is about 45 kilometers from Kemer
Marina. Another reason why diving centers prefer this spot is that
there are various diving spots and the opportunity for different
types of diving. Another feature of these islands is that they offer
different diving alternatives depending on the weather conditions. A
bit further from these islands there is a forbidden area between
Finike Akcaoru Promontory and Kas, Inceburun.
Gok Cavern
Gok cavern in Finike contains fresh water, which
attracts the attention of divers. Below a depth of 15 meters, the
water in it mixes with salty water. The existence of salactites
inside the cavern indicates that it was dry once upon a time. After
the dives done in 1995, it was recorded that it was the deepest
cavern that a dive had been done up till then.
Gelidonya Antique Wreck
A cargo ship, while sailing to the south east of
one of the 5 largest islands situated in the southern part of Taslik
Promontory, which is the old name for Gelidonya, at the far west of
Antalya Bay, crashed into the rocks and began to scatter its goods
and shortly afterwards it sank and sat on the rocks on its stern.
This wreck, lying at a depth of 26-28 meters, was discovered by a
sponge diver in 1954, and after a study dive in 1960, the ship was
found to belong to the Bronze Age. One of the important features of
these dives is that the excavation was carried out under the
leadership of an archaeologist diver with the same standards applied
on land.
After the analysis of the bushes and the branches
supporting or holding the heavy cargo in situ, it was estimated that
the ship sank towards the end of 13 BC Most parts of the ship were
destroyed by Teredo sea worms. Planks were attached together with
wooden nails used during the Classic Greek and Roman ages in boat
construction. The placement of the cargo gave the impression that
the ship was no longer than 10 meters, but with the recent findings
it is now understood that it was longer than this.
The cargo of the ship was scrap copper and tin
ingots that was brought from Cyprus in order to make bronze articles.
The importance of the Gelidonya wreck comes from the historical
information gathered from the excavation. It is accepted that in the
second half of the Early Bronze Age, Myceans held the monopoly of
naval trade in the Eastern Mediterranean. Phoenicians then began to
adopt naval customs during the iron age. The reason for the dating
Homer's Odyssey to 8 B.C. by the 20th Century linguists is that
Homer often mentions Phoenician sailors and their bronze work.
Furthermore, the Gelidonya Bay wreck excavations pointed to other
possibilities.
From the studies carried out in 1994, it was
found out that stone anchors were used and so this shows the ship
was Middle-East origin. The articles brought out of this ship are
exhibited in The Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
Paris Ship Wreck
This is a French cargo ship that is lying on the
sand at a depth of 25 meters, about one and a half kilometers away
from the Kemer Marina. There hasn't been a detailed study of this
ship which sank during the World War II, and the reason why it sank
is unknown. There are only rumors. The date of construction of the
ship is estimated as 1896. It has got 3 decks and 2 stores. The bow,
the mid part and the top of the store are wooden so they have been
damaged. Lack of any kind of arms on the deck suggests that it was a
cargo ship. The ammunition in the stores looks as if it was welded
together. In the middle section there is a part where tiles are laid.
Near the boiler, there is a wheelbarrow and pieces of coal. They all
look rather interesting. This wreck, which attracted the attention
of divers, has had a lot of visitors.
Dove Island
This small island, which is to the west of
Antalya and a few kilometers away, is also another spot of interest
for divers. Due to its size and structure, it is not suitable for
settlement. The shore on the west side is shallow (Maximum 8 meters),
and the bottom is mostly sandy. The most interesting part is the
north-east side with its rocky structure going down to 22 meters.
The existence of a small cave on the east shore presents a surprise
for divers. Although the north-east wind blowing from the west
doesn't cause any waves, it may cause surface currents depending on
the strength of the wind. This island is interesting not only for
divers but also for people having a boat trip.
PERGE
Perge is 18 km. east of Antalya between the Duden
and Aksu streams. This is reached along the Antalya-Alanya highway,
turning north at Aksu, going 2 km. further on. As it was not located
on the coast, it was not subjected to raids by pirates and therefore
continued its progress without interruption. It was settled in 1200
B.C. In 223 B.C. Perge, like Side, reached an agreement with
Alexander and thus did not go to war or suffer the usual ravages. It
lived through the Hellenistic, the Roman and the Byzantine epochs.
Its 15,000 spectator theater was built in the 2nd century A.D., and
the nearby stadium could hold 12,000 people. With the exception of
the Aphrodisias stadium, it is the best preserved in Anatolia. There
are 30 rooms, believed to have been used as shops, underneath the
stadium seats. A great many statues and other valuable items have
been unearthed in recent digs, many of which are in the Antalya
Museum. Some of the things worth seeing in Perge are the Hellenistic
gate, the agora, the nymphaeum, the colonnaded streets, the
sarcophagi, the basilica and the acropolis.
The Sunken French Ship
In the Summer of 1942s, in order to take the
North African war under control, the allies were showing their
determination to defeat Rommel, the German general. Whatever the
cost might have been, the allies were determined to cut his supply
routes, and isolate Rommel. Though Turkey seemed neutral, her
sympathy for the allies and her declaration of war with Japan made
its shores unsafe for the axis forces. The same danger was also
valid for the French navy which served the Germans. As autumn was
approaching, a French support ship with a destroyer escorting it,
was running away from the heavy bombing of the allied planes. It had
come close to the shores of Antalya, but that wasn't the end of her
escape. The planes continued their chase as far as Adrasan Bay.
Thinking that it would be a suicide to remain together with the
support ship, the destroyer left the ship. The only thing to do for
the 'Society' was to take refuge in Antalya Bay. But the result
wasn't as had been expected. The people of Antalya, from the strong
points in Karaoglu Park watched in surprise the ship being bombed,
the explosion of its ammunition and its sinking nose down after
being torpedoed, and leaving a lot of dead. The fishermen of Antalya
acted right away and tried to save the wounded and collected the
bodies. This ship which looked like a hospital support ship,
contained ammunition and some vehicles suitable for desert
conditions. For camouflage the sailors weren't wearing uniforms and
while getting help from the fishermen, they tried to take their
personal belongings with them, for these reasons the ship was called
"High Society Sunken Ship".
This ship,whose real name was "San Didier" has
been lying under a buoy around a hundred meters from Antalya Yacht
Harbour.The bow of the ship had turned south, and the deck to north
at a depth of 18 -34 meters and inclined about 35 degrees to
starboard.The ship is about 70 meters in length. Between the years
1946 and 1974 most of its equipment and the human skeletons were
brought up. If we consider hundreds of dives and bringing up of
other equipment, it wouldn't be wrong to say that there isn't much
left to take out. Still, it attracts the attention of wreck divers.
In order to make a dive, it is necessary to get permission from
Antalya Governership and the Sea Police. Another important point to
note is its being close to the harbor and lies in rather crowded sea
traffic.
Travertine
In the area between the two long beaches, Lara
and Konyalti. Diving is possible from land or from a boat at various
points. Depending upon their formation, travertine goes down to the
depths of 14 to 25 meters. Then they give way to sand and silt. The
most interesting depths are the first 20 meters. The rest is like
taking a walk in a desert among junk of tires, plastic bottles and
cans. One of the diving points that offer easy entrance into the sea
is at the bottom of Konyalti is sharp winding road. Here the rocks
go down about 25 meters and provide a wonderful sight of the sea and
the natural habitat in it.
B-24 American War Plane Wreck
In August 1944, a B-24 American fighter named "Hadley's
Harem", while turning back to its base in Cyprus after completing
its bombing mission in Romania, when it was over the Aegean sea, was
shot, but was able to fly to Manavgat, (Township of Antalya) and
fell into sea 200 meters off the coast. The crew who survived were
saved by the Cengel Koy villagers. Three of the crew members are
still alive. In 1995, one of them came to the point of the wreck
with a camera, took some pictures and met the villagers.
In 1995, efforts to rescue the plane wreck were
made and the cockpit was brought up. After they had kept it in the
gendermarie station for a time, it was sent to one of the private
museums in Istanbul. The other parts of the body and the tail lie 22
meters away from Dilkum, 25 kilometers from Manavgat towards Alanya.
Because there aren't any signs showing its position, the coordinates
of the wreck should be well calculated. For a dive a special
permission should be obtained.