Ancient Choma (Hacimusalar)

Hacimusalar is in the central Lycian plateau. The ceramics and other surface finds collected indicate occupation from possibly as far back as the Neolithic and extending into the Late Roman/Byzantine period and beyond.

Epigraphic evidence suggests that this was the site of the ancient city of Choma and the river which flows past the site has been identified as the River Aedesa mentioned by Pliny.

The prosperity of the settlement during antiquity would have depended to a large extent on its strategic location on a major route through the highlands down to the Lycian coast and on its rich environment, which provided excellent hunting and fishing and well irrigated agricultural land. The site was situated until very recently on the shore of a large lake (drained only within the past 20 years) and the mountains surrounding the plain were covered by dense cedar forests ...