History of Fethiye
It is known that Fethiye, whose name in ancient times was Telmessos, was founded in the 5th century BC on the border of Lycian and Carian civilizations.
Fethiye is a tourist town with an international atmosphere. It has an excellent marina and good nightlife. The town also serves as an excellent base for touring the inland country-side, and is probably the only city in the world where you’ll find sarcophagus in the streets. These pre-Roman Lycian relics are especially spectacular when floodlit at night.
The town has a population of around 50,000 but the population increases dramatically during the high season, from April to end of October, when off-shore residents spend their summers at their second homes.
The 2400 year old Lycian Amintas Rock Tombs located in the cliff in the back of the town center. These massive rock cut tombs are very worth seeing as they are literally the symbol of the town offering superb views of the archipelago. It is a little hilly but a scenic walk to get up there. It is pretty straightforward route finding since the tombs are clearly visible from the harbor but you may also follow the road signs to navigate your route. There is an admission fee but they already look great from the entrance anyway.
The ancient theater of Telmessos is located in the city center of Fethiye, just behind the commercial pier. It is known that the theater, which shows a typical Roman feature, was built in the 2nd century on top of another theater built in Greek style.
The history of the Teke peninsula, which was called Lycia in the past, dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. In fact, the fact that the Lycians participated in the Battle of Kadesh with the Hittites is the most important sign that they are among the oldest indigenous peoples of Anatolia. In the course of time, Lycia was invaded by Persians, Alexander the Great, Romans and Byzantines but was never taken over.
