The perpetually burning flame of Chimaera is located in the hills above Çirali, about 5km from Olympos. The fire burns in a natural vent in the ground and can be seen at night with the naked eye from far out in the sea. It can be extinguished by heaping it with earth, but reignites itself in a few minutes. The most interesting thing about these flames is that they are fueled from material that is NOT organic. These are the only flames of this kind.

The ancient Lycians saw these flames as the breath of the Chimaera, a fire-breathing dragon. According to Hemer in the Iliad, Bellerophon (who is from TLOS), to whom the gods granted beauty and manhood, was falsley accused of seducing Anteia the wife of Proetus. Proetus sent Bellerophon to his father-in-law, the Lycian King, Iobates, to be put to death. But Iophon, unwilling to kill Bellerophon, set him to kill the fire-breathing monster, part lion, goat and serpent. With the aid of the winged horse Pegasus, he succeeded, and returned, after completing other tasks set by Lobates, to Xanthos where he married the king's daughter and became heir of the Lycian throne. Carried away by his success, Bellerophon tried to ride Pegasus up to Mount Olympus; for his presumption, he earned a great thunderbolt from Zeus.

At the northern end of the beach, a small village of some two dozen pensions and modest hotels has grown under the name of Çirali. The perpetually burning flame of Chimaera is located in the hills above Çirali. The fire burns in a natural vent in the ground and can be seen at night with the naked eye from far out in the sea. It can be extinguished by heaping it with earth, but reignites itself in a few minutes. The ancient Lycians saw in it the breath of the Chimaera, a fire-breathing dragon.
TIP: You can hike/run from Olympos to Chimera. It's a nice 3 mile hike on a good road. It will be dark when you are done the visit so take the shuttle back with the rest of the group.

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Last edited on Oct 25, 08 1:23 PM.
Contributors: Kamila N. , Douglas B. Show History

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Douglas B.

Oct 19, 2008

While experiencing Turkey in 2007, I happened upon an interesting and unique natural phenomenon. This phenomenon is called Chimaera. Located near the picturesque and tranquil village of Cirali , the Chimaera is best visited at night. So what is this phenomenon? Along the hillside flames appear from the ground. These flames are naturally occurring and are fueled by gases escaping from the earth. It is a sight to see. I’m told that the Lycians believed the flames were the breath of a fire-breathing dragon named Chimaera. For more detail, dust off a copy of Homer’s, The Iliad. Not to spoil the story for you, but Lophon with the help of Pegasus, was successful in slaying the fiery beast. It is an interesting story. Chimaera is just a short hike from Cirali. Hiking from Olympos is also an option if you use the beach. Otherwise, it is a short drive. Rented scooters are available in Olympos and this makes for a nice outing, just make sure your scooter has functioning head and taillights. Don’t forget a torch or flashlight to light the trail once you are there. Good journeys!

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Kamila N.

Oct 25, 2008

I didnt like that place... its really long way climbing, and they made high rock stairs which makes ur walking a nightmare! and i was expecting something amazing, natural flames wohooo but i got really disappointed... flams are little and nothing spectacular is there... and going down is even worst than going up.... ugh!!!!

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