Fethiye
Turkey Areas Of Archaeological Interest.
Fethiye
Town Page 1
Fethiye Marina Page Fethiye
Boat Yards Page3How
Did Fethiye Get It's Name?
The
history of the city of Fethiye can be traced back to the 4th century
B.C.
The original city name of Telmessos is believed to have come from the
son of the god Apollon. Turkey is rich in history and Fethiye has several
important archaeological sites that are well worth a visit during your
holiday.
The
Rock Tombs.
You
may wish to attempt climb to the tombs early in the morning before the
temperature gets too high. The most visited site is that of Amyntas,
this has been carved into the cliffs and looks down over the bay. The
tomb is in the style of a temple building, with two square pillars at
the sides and two round pillars in the middle. Large stone steps lead
to the entrance, where highly detailed doors are carved out of the rock;
even the large nail heads which would be found in a wooden door of that
style have been added.
On
the left hand pillar is a 4 century BC engraving which reads "Amyntas:
son of Hermapias". At the top of the tomb there is an intricately
carved head piece.
Other smaller tombs in a similar style are also carved into the rock
face both sides of the main tomb. At night the flood lit tomb stands
out against the skyline and can be seen from several miles away.
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The
Tomb of Amyntas Fethiye
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Other
4th century BC Tombs
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A small
charge of around 3 Lira is made to climb the last 20 yards up to the
tomb, a small selection of guide books are also on sale. Opposite the
entrance are a couple of small cafes where you can get refreshments,
enjoy a fresh orange juice while taking in one the best views over Fethiye
from the terrace.
Please
take care as during your walk up to the tombs you may well find yourself
befriended by someone wanting to show you some of the other rock tombs.
Your new friend will then show you a couple of minor tombs behind some
of the houses and then demand a tip usually around £10 for the
two minute 'tour', he will tell you that he is a poor student wanting
to buy books ! Please don't fall for this con, a polite but firm "no
thanks" usually sends them away to await their next victim. Please
be aware.
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Villa
Of The Month Fethiye
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Castle.
If you
venture further up the road to Kaya which climbs up away from the rock
tombs, you will come to the remains of a Mediaeval Castle, built by
the Knights of St. John from Rhodes and the Genoese. Little remains
of this fortification but the fantastic views over Fethiye and surrounding
bays make the visit well worthwhile.
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Mediaeval
Castle Fethiye
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View
over the bay of Fethiye
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The
Telemessos Theatre.
The theatre
was excavated over a period of four years between 1992 and 1995 by the
Fethiye Museum. Built during the late Hellenistic period and originally
having 28 seating rows and capacity for around 6000 spectators.
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| Roman
Theatre Fethiye |
The
Theatre Seated 6000 spectators |
The stage building was added during the Roman period in the 2nd century
A.D. In the 3rd or 4th century A.D. a protective wall was erected on
the first row and the site served as an arena in subsequent years. The
theatre was abandoned in the 7th century AD as result of the Arabic
invasions.
