Ariassos Antik Kenti
A Pisidian city at 900 metres on the Çubuk Beli pass along the Antalya–Burdur road. It is known for its three-arched monumental gate and the bath ruins spread across a steep slope.
Ariassos is a Pisidian city founded in the 3rd century BC, positioned to control the Çubuk Beli pass that opens from the Antalya plain into inland Anatolia. Its most famous structure is visible even from the roadside: the three-arched monumental entrance gate, locally also called the 'Gate of the Djinn', added to the city in the Roman period.
The city spreads across a steep slope. The path climbing from the gate reaches in turn the bath complex, the necropolis and the agora above. The high walls of the baths still stand; some sarcophagi in the necropolis have toppled along the slope, leaving their reliefs visible. The theatre is largely buried.
At 924 metres Ariassos stays cool even in summer, and in spring the surroundings fill with wildflowers. The site is free and unstaffed; you need to find the roadside sign and continue about 1 km on a dirt track. It makes a second mountain city to pair with Termessos on the same day.
- Best time
- Spring and autumn
- Budget
- Free
Tips
- On the Antalya–Burdur road at the Çubuk Beli pass; slow down for the sign.
- The path up from the gate is steep — sturdy shoes needed.
- Can be planned on the same day as Termessos.