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We have compiled the beauties of Fethiye for you.
Butterfly Valley is one of the coves such as Ölüdeniz, Kıdrak and Kabak, located on the skirts of Babadağ, which is declared as one of the 100 mountains that must be protected on the world due to the richness of endemic plant species on it, by the World Heritage Protection Foundation.
Surrounded by steep rocky walls reaching 350 meters, the valley has taken its name from more than 80 species of butterflies, especially Tiger Butterfly. The waterfall, which is located in the village of Faralya and pours into the valley from a height of 50 meters, reaches the Mediterranean with a stream passing through the middle of the valley.
One of the two main features of the valley is its isolation from the outside world with sea and steep cliffs. The other is accordingly not affected by external environmental pollution as much as possible. When the environmentalist attitude of the valley enterprises and efforts to protect the Valley are added to this, the Valley has become a natural life park.
The popularity of Kayaköy today is due to the existence of an abandoned Greek city, which was abandoned as a result of the exchange after the War of Independence, rather than the ruins of the ancient period. For centuries, Greeks and Turks lived together in the rock pit. The Turks, who sustain their livelihoods with agriculture and animal husbandry, lived in the plain; while the Greeks who engage in crafts and trade, built their houses on the slopes. The materials used in the planning and structures implemented throughout the settlement cannot help us much in dating. However, stone blocks and some spolia architectural pieces used in some buildings give the feeling of the presence of a deteriorated settlement and religious buildings belonging to the Early Byzantine Period.
These are the natural tombs that have become the symbol of the city carved into the rocks dating from the Lycian period (4th century BC) in the city center. Amintas, the most beautiful and magnificent of the tombs, is reached by many smooth steps. This grave is easily seen from the plain below, and as you approach, the admiration for its size increases. In the middle of the left column, “amintas, son of herpamias” is written with the alphabet from 4th century BC. The identity of this person is not fully known.
Saklıkent is reached by leaving from Fethiye-Antalya highway in the direction of Kemer district. 13 km after turnout, Tlos can be reached and 21 km after turnout, Saklıkent can be reached. It is estimated that the canyon was formed thousands of years ago with geological cracking.
The length of the canyon is about 18 km and its height varies between 200 and 600 meters. At some points, it is almost impossible to see the sky as the rock gap narrows up to 2 meters. In the Saklikent Canyon, at first, Eşen Stream which flows with a wonderful splashing sound welcomes you. By walking on the wooden ladder laid on the iron pier, you reach the spotless spring that bursts under the rocks. You can raft in the waters of this rare place where peace and excitement lived at the same time.
The ancient city of Tlos, located within the boundaries of Yaka Neighborhood of Seydikemer, is on the Unesco World Heritage Temporary List and is one of the oldest settlements of the geography known as the Lycian Region. The acropolis at the entrance of the ancient city, which was recorded as Dlawa in the 14th century BC Hittite documents and Tlawa in the Lycian inscriptions, affects the viewers with its view of nature. While going to Tlos castle, temple tombs carved into the rocks on the slope attract attention. The most magnificent of these tombs is the tomb monument of Bellerephontes, where the winged horse Pegasus was depicted while fighting the three-headed monster Chimera. Tlos is one of the most important episcopal centers of Lycia. This religious significance continued until the 12th century.
The ancient city of Kadyanda (Cadianda), which was very lively and rich in the Lycian period, is located between the regions of Caria and Lycia. Kadyanda, known as Kadawanti in the Lycian language, dates back to the 5th century BC. Remains covering a large area are important in terms of showing the magnificence of the city during the Roman Empire. The tombs that consisting of large stones, the five-step temple on the hill, the agora with the cistern that can hold water even today, the sculpted pedestals of successful athletes, the ruins of the city walls that consist of large stone blocks, and the theater reflecting the old splendor of the city, are among the main structures that can be seen in Kadyanda. Besides, when you walk 450 meters into the forest across the bend at a distance of 1.5 km from the ruins, you can find house graves carved into large rock blocks and a separate tomb with gadrooned from 400 century BC.
According to the ancient writer Stephanus’ quotation from Byzantion Menekrotes, the name of the city originates from the fact that when the population of Xanthos increased, a group of elderly people established a city on a high hill of Kragos Mountain and called it “Pinara”, which means “round” in its name. Pinara Antique City consists of a bath, theater, agora, odeon, rock tombs, upper acropolis and lower acropolis. After the upper acropolis was insufficient in a short time, the lower acropolis was opened to settlement, where transportation was easier. In the lower acropolis, there are structures such as odeon, agora, temple and piled tombs. The fact that most of the rock tombs are in the form of houses gives an idea about the Lycian civil architecture.
Xanthos, located 46 km from Fethiye near Kınık Village, was the biggest administrative center of Lycia in Antiquity. The city, which was independent until it was ruled by the Persians in 545th century BC, was completely burnt down nearly a century later. After the fire, the city was rebuilt, it even assumed the duty of being the capital of the Lycian League in the 2nd century BC. Later, the city, which came under the control of the Romans, came under Byzantine rule and remained under Byzantine rule until the Arab raids in the 7th century. This center, which shows the effects of Lycian traditions, the Hellenistic and Roman era in the structures built by each civilization, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.