Mount Güllük-Termessos National Park

Mount Güllük-Termessos National Park
Güllük Dağı-Termessos Milli Parkı
Ancient theater of Termessos
Mt. Güllük-Termessos NP
Location	Korkuteli, Antalya Province, Turkey
Nearest city	Antalya
Coordinates	36°59′18″N 30°28′04″E
Area	67,020 daa (67.02 km2; 25.88 sq mi)
Max. elevation	1,665 m (5,463 ft)
Min. elevation	250 m (820 ft)
Established	3 November 1970 (1970-11-03)
Governing body	Ministry of Forest and Water Management
Website	www.milliparklar.gov.tr/mp/termessos/index.htm

Mount Güllük-Termessos National Park (Turkish: Güllük Dağı-Termessos Milli Parkı), established in 1970, is a national park located in Antalya Province, southwestern Turkey.

Overview

The national park is located in Korkuteli district of Antalya Province, northwest of Antalya, 23 km (14 mi) in the Düzlerçamı direction from 30 km (19 mi) on the Antalyal-Burdur highway D-650.

Established on 3 November 1970, the national park covers an area of 67,020 daa (67.02 km²; 25.88 sq mi). Rising from the travertine plains of Antalya, Mount Güllük contains the ruins of the ancient city of Termessos, founded by the Solymoi, one of the indigenous peoples of Anatolia. In the ancient city that has survived to this day, the most important works include tombs from the Hellenistic period, the royal road from the Roman period, agora, theater, cisterns, walls, towers, and a drainage system. In the region, where hills, valleys, and canyons are often found, there is the Mecene Strait, which reaches a depth of 600 m (2,000 ft).

Fauna and flora

The national park, with an elevation difference of 250–1,665 m (820–5,463 ft), hosts a rich flora and fauna as well as historical values. The region is the habitat of the fallow deer, which is an extinct endangered species. It is also home to mammals such as mountain goats, caracals, lynxes, stone martens, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, badgers, hedgehogs, bats, and rare predators such as Eastern imperial eagles and songbirds. The endemic plant species in the national park, covered with red pine forests and maquis plant communities, also add special importance and value to the biodiversity of the region.

Activities

The national park, where camping and picnicking are possible, hosts tens of thousands of visitors every year. The best time to visit is between April and December. The national park contains the Mount Güllük Interactive Natural History Museum, Turkey's first interactive nature museum, where the plant and animal species specific to the region can be examined, accompanied by technological applications.

See also

• Termessos
• Altınbeşik Cave National Park
• Beydağları Coastal National Park
• Köprülü Canyon National Park
• Saklıkent National Park