Fethiye Info
Things to do and see around Fethiye
From Yachting around the Mediterranean to hiking through ancient cave tombs. Fethiye is a perfectly situated base for day trips around the region.
On days that you are feeling lazy, there are nearby sandy beaches and wonderful shops and restaurants minutes walk from the harbor.
About Fethiye & Lycia One is at a loss for words to describe the beauty of Fethiye. If you are addicted to exploring new horizons and you love nature, this is the destination for you. Fethiye combines the charm of an everyday Turkish town with an extraordinarily beautiful coast indented with coves and littered with tiny islands, set against the magnificent backdrop ofluscious pine forest covered mountains. Perhaps it is allure: a unique combination of everything you could possibly want in a perfect holiday.To meander through the bays of Fethiye is an adventure through.History
Fethiye is an appropriate centre for excursions into Lycia. Either on your own or by organised daily tours, you can pay visits to major Lycian cities in the region. The Teke Peninsula of our times, lying between Fethiye and Antalya was known as LYCIA in ancient times. The Lycians participated in the Kadesh War together with Hittites, which indicates that they were one of the oldest tribes of Anatolia. All through history, Lycia was invaded by the Persians, Alexander The Great, Romans and Byzantines but was never actually evacuated Today's Fethiye is located on the Lycian and Carian border and was called Telmessos by Lycians. The city, which gets its name from the son of the god Apollo, Telmessos, was very prominent and a centre of prophesies, pledged to Apollo.
Telmessos was captured by the Persian King, Harpagos and was annexed to the Carian Satrap. In the 5th BC in the tribute-lists of the Delian Confederacy, Telmessos and the Lycians are listed separately; and in the 4th century the Lycians under their dynast Pericles fought against the Telmessians, besieging them and reducing them to terms. The result of this may have been that Telmessos was then brought into Lycia. When Alexander arrived in the winter of 334-333 B.C., he made a peace agreement with the Telmessians, who readily joined him. Not long afterwards, however, Nearchus the Cretan, one of his trusted 'Companions' whom he had appointed satrap of the region, was obliged to recapture the city from a certain Antipatrides, who had gained control of it.
The two men were old friends, and Nearchus asked permission to leave in the city with a number of captive women singers and boys that he had with him. When this was granted, he gave the women's musical instruments to the boys to carry, with daggers concealed in the flute-cases; when the party was inside the citadel, the prisoners' escort took out the weapons and so seized the acropolis. At the end of the Ptolemy's period, after the battle of Magnesia, it was given by the Romans to Eumenes of Pergamum Telmessos continued in the Pergamene Kingdom until that came to an end in 133 B.C.; it would then naturally be included in the Roman province of Asia. In 88 B.C. by the beginning of the Roman period, Telmessos was a member of the Lycian League.
After the Mithridates wars, Telmessos was given to Rhodes. During this period Telmessos also complained about Rhodian administration, and subsequently Rome retook Lycia back from Rhodes. The city, which continued its existence into the Byzantine era, lost its significance during the Arabian raids, which occurred after the 7th century. In the 8th century, the city's name was changed to Anastasiapolis in honor of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius II; by the following century, it was recognised by the name Makri, which meant 'far city' in Greece: Later on during the Ottoman period, the city was called Megri; subsequently Megri was formally changed to Fethiye in 1934, to commemorate the first Turkish pilot, Fethi Bey.
It is clear that the city life was rich and highly cultured during the Hellenistic and Roman periods is evident from the existing monuments. Today the majority of ancient ruins in Telmessos are rock-tombs, Lycian-type sarcophagi, the fortress and the Roman Theatre. Today, the theatre, which was found near the quay of new Fethiye, has been uncovered. This theatre, which was built in the early Roman period and was renovated in the 2nd century A.D., had the capacity to hold at least 2500 people. A medieval castle is situated on the acropolis hill, where the city was first established. The bottom of the wall was erected by Rome, as well as the upper part. The existing walls are from the 11th Century. The Rhodian Knights used this castle as well as Sövalye Island, located in the harbour, to control the city as a naval base. The Tomb of Amyntas, which is the most splendid and best known of all the tombs, is located on the east face of the city's acropolis and has become the symbol of Fethiye. Seen from the plain below, the tomb is an impressive size when seen up close. It is of the temple-type, in the Ionic design. Four steps lead up to the porch with two columns between pilasters; halfway up the left-hand pilaster is inscribed, in letters of the 4th century B.C., the name of Amyntas, son of Hermapias. Charles Texier, who saw this tomb in the 1850's, apparently wished to document the fact that he saw it as he signed the left upper corner of the grave door. In the cliff-face further to the left are numerous other tombs; two of these are temple-tombs similar to that of Amyntas, and a little less impressive. Within the city there are quite a number of Lycian-type sarcophagi. On these there are epitaphs in the Lycian scripture.
Especially the sarcophagus near the government office in the town centre is worthy of note. This sarcophagus, which was erected around 340 B.C., used to have reliefs depicting warriors on the lid and the bottom part as well, which is understood from the drawings of both Sir Charles Fellows and C. Texier. Fethiye Archaeology Museum exhibits numerous Archaeological findings from the Lycian, Hellenistic, Roman and Ottoman periods as well as ethnological works of art typical of the region. The area around Fethiye is filled with many ancient cities.
