About Kas
KAS AS A TURKEY HOLIDAY DESTINATION - A different pace of life
A beautiful harbour town with an upmarket feel , Kas has a flavour all its own. Winding cobbled streets, hillside rock tombs, waterside cafes , restaurants & tea gardens, shops & boutiques - Kas has it all ! There are 2 pebbled beaches in Kas & the sandy bay of Kaputas is only 20 mıns away. ( There are lots of steps down to the sea at Kaputas so have a big breakfast before you go !! ), & Patara beach is also easily reached for a day out on the longest sandy beach in Turkey. Transfers to Kas from Dalaman Airport are approximately 2 hrs 20 mins.
Kas also has plenty of bars catering for all tastes to while away the evening hours. If you want to ‘ go Turkish ‘, sitting on cushions listening to Turkish folk music you will discover plenty of places tucked away within the winding streets & alleys. The daily market is also an interesting place to wander around especially after a beautiful fish dinner, before heading for the bars to continue the stressful business of relaxing !!
Kas is ideally situated as there are lots of cultural & historical sites of interest nearby including the Sunken City of Kekova, & the amphitheatre west of the main square from which there are stunning views across the peninsula out to the crystal waters of the Mediterranean. The Greek island of Meis is just a short boat ride away from the town & is open to daily visitors . As this is Greek owned you will need to take your passport with you .
KAS HISTORY
Kas - Past & present
THE HISTORY OF KAS - Up to modern day
Although the peninsula appears to have been occupied since Stone age times Kas was properly settled by the Lycians when it was known as Habesos & became an important port & member of the Lycian league.
Kas was later given the name Antiphellos ( meaning in front of Phellos ) by the ancient Greeks since it served as the port of Phellos . The Greek island of Kastellorizo ( now known as Meis ) lies just of the coast from Kas so most of the populace of Antiphellos was of Greek origin.
During the times of the Roman Empire , Antiphellos was famous for the exportation of timber & sponges & was even mentioned in the 5th bok of Naturalis Historia written by Plliny the Elder ( real name Gaius Plinius Secundus 23 AD - 79 AD) a Roman author, naturalist & friend of the emperor Vespasian
After 395 the town became part of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and during the early Middle Ages was a bishop's see - and as Antiphellus is still a titular see.
The town was annexed ( then known as Andifli ) to the Anatolian Sultanate of Rum, led by the Selcuks & then later came under Ottoman rule.
After the Turkish war of Independance there was a forced population Exchange between Greece & Turkey & the inhabitants of Antiphellos abandoned the town to go back to Greece
In the early 1990s tourism began booming in Kas, with visitors arriving mainly from the UK and Germany. Tourism has since become the main source of income for Kas although it has led to some indiscriminate building somewhat spoiling the esthetics of the town.