Amazing Sights and Sites where the Mediterranean and the Aegean meet…
Letoon Ancient Theatre
Letoon is located between Kaş and Fethiye, about 4 km south of Xanthos and was an important religious centre of the Lycian region. Letoon was dedicated to the three national deities of Lycia – Leto, Apollo and Artemis. During archaeological studies remains of churches have been found belonging to the early Christian era.
Tlos
Tlos, near Fethiye, was one of the most important religious centres of the Lycian region. According to myth, the hero Bellerophon and his winged horse Pegasus lived here. Tlos dates back to before 2000 B.C. The necropolis (the ancient site of sarcophagi and tombs) is situated on the rocky outcrops of the city acropolis. It contains some of the most elaborate house-type tombs of Lycia. The king-type tomb in the necropolis is dedicated to Bellerophon.
Kayaköy
Kayaköy consists of abandoned Greek-style houses and churches which cover a small mountainside. It dates from the 1700s. After the establishment of the Turkish Republic a population exchange agreement was signed in 1923 between Greece and Türkiye which led to most Greek Christians leaving Kayaköy, also known as Levissi, and being resettled in Greece. The town was left abandoned by the locals and is a haunting reminder of the upheavals forced on local populations in the aftermath of the First World War. It features heavily in the famous novel Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres which is an excellent overview of the 20th Century history of the region. On the edge of the old town there are a mixture of boutique and basic hotels. There is a waymarked path that leads up through the old village to the crest of the hill then winds down to the picturesque resort of Ölüdeniz. The hike takes about 90 minutes.
Telmessos Ancient Theatre
Telmessos was the largest city in ancient Lycia and its remains are scattered around the modern town of Fethiye. The typical Roman type theatre was built in the 2nd century and had a capacity of 5,000 people. Under the authority of the Fethiye Museum Management Chairmanship the site was excavated in 1993. A restoration project was set in place to renovate the theatre. The Fethiye Archaeology Museum displays numerous archaeological finds from the Lycian, Hellenistic, Roman and Ottoman era as well as ethnological art typical for this region.
Xanthos Ancient Theatre
The ancient city of Xanthos is located in the hills above the Eşen Ovası, southeast of Fethiye. It is the site of more than 900 rock tombs and monolithic house tombs.
On the other side of the valley lies Pınara, known as the first place in which beauty contests were held. It gained importance due to a sanctuary that was built and devoted to the goddess Aphrodite.
Gemiler Island
Gemiler Island is covered with Lycian ruins, still containing some mosaics and leftovers of Byzantian churches. This island is also known as St. Nicholas Island and is one of the places Christianity started to spread from.
