YAILAH. 



57 



or Roman building was found, nor even a single 

 tomb or sarcophagus — sufficient evidences of the 

 modern date of the site. The position they 

 occupy is, however, important ; it commands 

 this road to the uplands, and overlooks the 

 bazeer-yan yailassy, a fertile plain or basin, of 

 about two miles in length and one in breadth, 

 having no outlet, which appears scooped out 

 of the summit of the mountain five or six hun- 

 dred feet below the fortress. The winter rains 

 and melted snow still covered the fields seve- 

 ral inches deep, and the summer-houses were 

 as yet uninhabitable. This was our first view 

 of a Yailah, and we were enabled from it to 

 form a fair idea of the numerous basin-like 

 hollows of the elevated districts in the interior 

 of Lycia, to which the inhabitants ascend from all 

 parts of the coast at the commencement of the 

 hot season. The period of returning to these 

 upland plains is anticipated by the natives with 

 pleasure, and they speak of their yailahs with 

 evident pride and satisfaction, fully appreciating 

 the advantage and luxury of these retreats from 

 the powerful heat of the summer's sun in the 

 valley and plains on the coast. 



Through the Bazeer-yan Yailassy, there is a 



