Fethiye dates back to the sixth century B.C. The town was
once a grand Lycian city called Telmessus. A small attractive
port with side-walk restaurants, small cafes and several old
buildings behind the main street converted to attractive stores.
Most of the town is brand-new, built after an earthquake which
flattened Fethiye in 1957, which strangely left the huge Lycian
Sarcophagi that stand around virtually untouched. There are
also a series of Lycian Rock Tombs standing majestically in
the cliff behind the town. The largest of these is that of King
Amyntas, identified from a 4th century BC inscription. The Dead
Sea is an idyllic location of Turkey's most beautiful beaches
and a breath-taking lagoon which is featured on the cover of
many tourist brochures.
Sites to Visit & Environments
Tlos
Tlos is an ancient Lycian city. Numerous rock tombs are cut
into the side of the acropolis hill, of which the so called
Tomb of Bellerophon is the most famous.
Pinara
Once a great city, Pinara is believed to have existed since
the Trojan War and perhaps even earlier. The town is built
on two acropolis hills. Many sarcophagi are scattered about
the main acropolis hill. To the south are rock cut house tombs
and remains of a Christian church, an Odeon theater a large
house-type tomb dubbed the Royal Tomb , believed to be the
funerary monument of a prince. Inside the Royal Tomb are various
relief's of different Lycian cities.
Ghost Town of Kaya
Kaya was once a wealthy Greek town of 5000 people. The Greeks
abandoned Kaya as part of the general population exchanges
between Greece and Turkey at the end of the Greco- Turkish
War of 1919- 1922. Kaya today is an eerie ghost town that
is worth an early morning stroll. Hundreds of houses with
their roofs crumbled from the quakes that rocked the region,
remain standing along rock paths. Two well-preserved churches,
one built in 1888 and still having frescoes depicting biblical
scenes, remain intact. Several chapels exist below the church
on the hill.
Oludeniz
Oludeniz" (Dead Sea) is a misnomer. Although it resembles
a perfectly calm lagoon, it has a small mouth opening to the
sea through which boats could once enter. Ringed mountains,
pine trees and a long sandy beach, Oludeniz was an ideal shelter
for yachts seeking protection from the stormy sea. But Oludeniz
was closed to yachts in 1984 to prevent pollution of its crystal
waters.
Xanthos
This town stands on a rocky plateau high bove the largest
and fullest river in Lycia. Heredotus relates the tragedy
of this city as follows: in 540 BC and once again in 42 BC,
upon encountering a brutal enemy force threating their city,
the natives collected their children and women in a castle
and set fire to them and then marched to the enemy many times
superior to them in power and fought until death. Only 150
Xanthians survived to rebuild the town. The points of interest
are the Hellenistic Town Gate, Nereid Monument Temple, the
Theater, tombs and relief's.
Letoon
This ancient site is partly submerged by the rising water
table. The site's principal feature is the foundations of
three adjacent temples to Leto (said to have been the lover
of Zeus) and to her children Apollo and Artemis. To the north
is a Hellenistic stoa and a well preserved theater. An interesting
feature of the theater is the series of 16 masks above the
entrance.
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