Hamaxia is an ancient Pamphylian site located on the way to the Elikesik village about 6 kilometers (4 miles) north-west of Alanya, near Antalya. Local people call the site as Sinek Kalesi (fly fortress in Turkish) and it's mostly in ruins. The history of the city is still unknown because no scientific excavations have been carried out yet, but the existence of the square and rectangular shaped stones in the constructions tells us that it dates back to the Hellenistic period. Strabon mentions that the town was famous for its cedar trees and that these timber were particularly used in ship building during the Roman period. It's said that emperor Anthony presented this city as a gift to Cleopatra. Around 100-200 AD Hamaxia was a small and poor settlement under the reign of Coracesium (todays Alanya), and during the Byzantine period it lost its importance.
In order to reach the ancient city you will need an off-road vehicle or a motorbike or mountain bike, and it's mostly uphill driving, and then some walking to get into the site. Nearby there are few houses of farmers who live at the Elikesik village with their goats. Nothing much left from ancient Hamaxia; most of the ruins, which are mostly covered with vegetation, are from the Roman and Byzantine period. Some of the ruins that can be seen today are; a fountain and a pool, a religious complex, a small half-circle exedra with seats and inscriptions, necropolis, market area (agora), and some city walls in the north. On some of the ancient inscriptions there are signs of god Hermes, so probabily there should be a temple dedicated to him. Some important findings from the site are exhibited in the Alanya Museum.
Besides seeing the ruins at the site, there are great views of the Mediterranean Sea and beaches, Alanya fortress, and Taurus Mountains that one can enjoy watching from the high grounds of Hamaxia.