Turkey In Photos - Letoon

Since excavations began, the remains of three temples, a nymphaeum and two porticoes have been uncovered, as well as a number of interesting inscriptions. The low ruins of the three temples occupy the center of the site, beyond the relatively uninteresting agora.

Beyond the temple, to the southwest, lies a nymphaeum, which consisted of a rectangular structure with two semicircular recesses on either side, with niches for statues. A church was built over the rectangular section of the nymphaeum in the 4th century. Returning to the car park at the entrance, you’ll come to a large, well-preserved Hellenistic theater on the right, entered through a vaulted passage. Sixteen blank plaques, once adorned by comic and tragic masks, decorate the southwest entrance to this passage and nearby is an interesting Roman tomb.

Each May, the Letoon theater hosts a local “Tomato Queen” competition, in which young girls are judged for the most tomato red cheeks. The top scorers receive cash prizes and are designated Tomato Queen and Princesses, passable contestants are given bottles of tomato sauce, while the losers are pelted with ripe tomatoes by the spectators.