Ancient Telmessus
Fethiye, ancient Telmessus
Fethiye is probably the most advantageously
situated town in the area for access to some of the region's more fascinating
sites. Fethiye's bay is speckled with twelve islands, and one of the greatest
pleasures here is to embark on a boat tour from Fethiye's harbor, in search of
secluded coves in which to swim, fish and camp out. The scene as you come down
from the pine-forested hills is absolutely beautiful. In the distance is open
sea, in the foreground a peaceful lagoon bordered by forest, in the middle a
long sand spit of perfect beach. There is also another interesting site, right
out of Fethiye, which looks like a "Ghost Town" called Kaya, a former Greek
settlement abandoned after the 1923 population exchange and whose semi-ruined
houses and churches conjure a sad, dramatic history.
Of ancient Telmessus, today's Fethiye, nothing remains except a number of rock
tombs and sarcophagi. The rock tombs which cut into the cliffs that rise behind
the town can be admired clearly from the sea. To get to them you must climb up a
lot of steps clearly sign-posted from the town. The largest is that of Amyntas,
an unknown citizen which was built in the 4th century BC, in the Ionic order,
embellished with a frieze and imitation iron studs on the door of the main
chamber. Inside is a chamber with three benches for the dead. Many other tombs
can be seen around it as well as sarcophagi around the town, one of them is
especially interesting: a heavy stone carved to represent a two-storey Lycian
house with a curved lid adorned with a relief of rows of warriors. It says much
for the Lycians artisans when the 1957 earthquake destroyed most of modern
Fethiye and the lid of the sarcophagi moved only slightly.
Market Day : Tuesday and Saturday