There used to be a mighty ancient city of Telmessos here. I climbed the hill above the city of Fethiye, where the ancient tombs of the Lycian civilization could be seen in the rock... and looked with admiration into the valley, where ancient ruins rose against the sea...
In my last post, I wrote about the fact that we went on a cruise along the west coast of Turkey to visit several, in my opinion, very interesting cities that contain beautiful beaches and ancient sites. I called this cruise a breath of fresh air in my #TheLongestTrip. That is why my activity has decreased now. For the first time in my life, I decided to take such a step in the development of my driving, to go on a long trip between cities in a rented car. I covered 816 km and stopped in four cities for one night to explore some of the most interesting places. I am currently staying in the city of Cesme, and in two weeks I will make a return trip to Kemer. So, today my story is about the small seaside town of Fethiye, which has an interesting old town and a colorful market in it.
It is from this mountain, where there are famous Lycian tombs, about which I will write later, that there are beautiful views of the city of Fethiye, which is located in the southwestern part of the country, at the intersection of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. We took a walk on the mountain, enjoying beautiful views of the city, and here you can experience this beauty on video. A cute green-eyed cat put me in a positive mood on this rainy day. And we went in search of the old part of the city to explore its exclusivity.
Fethiye is a city with a rich history. We drove into this city for a few hours and the first thing we encountered was the parking problem, of course! Therefore, we left our car on a cozy street far from the center and walked to the embankment.
Walking through the old narrow streets, you can see the remnants of a bygone era. The houses in Fethiye are a fine example of traditional Turkish architecture. Two-story houses with wooden loggias on the second floor are characteristic of the ancient cities of Turkey. A friend shared the following information with me: land was very expensive, so loggias were built on the second floor to increase the area of \u200b\u200bhousing, which does not need to be taxed. Loggias are a shaded space, but at the same time you can sit there as if outside. And they also give houses an elegant and characteristic look.
Colorful Turkish dresses and carpets against the background of an old yellow house - this is how I remembered Fethiye.
The first view of the old town is whitewashed houses with blue shutters and a cute girl with two buckets walking up the stairs. To the right was a small artificial pond where ducks were sitting on a boat. There is a cafe near the reservoir and it is very pleasant to sit here, enjoying the coolness of the water.
I always enjoy the flavor of Turkish old cities, where among the houses there are exclusive cafes on the street, where you can comfortably sit on cushions at a round table and drink tea :)
But Fethiye is not just a city of old buildings and narrow streets. Here, among the two-story buildings, there is a bustling bazaar, where you can find a large number of spices, nuts and Turkish sweets. The bazaar is a bright and colorful place, full of smells.
Here, in the narrow streets of the old city of Fethiye, I met a piece of my hometown, Lviv. Here are these colorful umbrellas, which are a bright decoration and can be found in many cities!
It was here that we walked along the palm tree alley, where cars are parked very tightly. And on the right we saw and took a photo of ancient ruins. You can see the uniqueness of the city by looking at the photos of the houses that are located in the rock.
After leaving the old city, we got to the embankment and enjoyed the beautiful pictures of yachts against the background of the beautiful sea and mountains.
And explaining the title of my post, read the beautiful legend.
The Lycian legend says: the god Apollo fell in love with a beautiful girl named Agenor, the youngest daughter of King Phoenix. He turned into a small dog to open the way to the heart of a shy and timid princess and as a result won his love. After that, Apollo turned back. As the fruit of this love, his son Telmessos was born, whose name translates as "land of fires".
The port of Telmessos was located on the border between Lycia and Caria. The city was widely known as a center of prophecy and its soothsayers had a strong influence on the course of history. Telmessos had a rich cultural heritage in the Hellenistic and Roman periods confirmed by surviving monuments such as stone tombs, sarcophagi, Lycian fortresses and the Roman theater...
At the end of our walk, we found a good restaurant with traditional Turkish cuisine and reasonable prices. It is located near the city center opposite the Carrefour store. If you find yourself in this city, I recommend eating here.
As we wandered the streets of Fethiye, we felt transported to another time. The rich history of the city, the ruins of the ancient city, the mystical Lycian tombs in the rock make Fethiye a true pearl of Turkey, which should be visited by anyone interested in history, culture and architecture.
I only had a few hours of walking to get an idea of this legendary historical city of Fethiye, which lies on the ruins of the ancient port of Telmessos, which existed from the 5th-4th centuries BC. (Despite the lack of information about its foundation, historians agree that the image of the city dates back to the 5th century BC.) The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1857. Alexander the Great and Nearchus were once here, but the city got its modern name in honor of a pilot named Fethi Bey.
I read that in Fethiye you should definitely visit the Turtle Peninsula. Here you can swim in the bay with year-round warm water.
I also plan to visit one of the most romantic places in the world on the way back, the Valley of the Butterflies, located here on the west coast in Beljeez Bay.
I hope you enjoyed learning about these beautiful places :)
Thanks to everyone who watches our adventures 🙂