Fethiye: Exploring History On The Turkish Riviera
Balcony views like our rather wonderful one here are obtained either by choosing an upper floor in an apartment block or by staying uphill from town – ours here is the latter. Back in Padstow, the climb to our house is so steep that the Cornish locals nickname it “Cardiac Hill” – if by any chance there is an equivalent phrase in Turkish then we surely have to climb it each and every time we return to the apartment. It’s a steep one to say the least.
Another benefit of being up here, as well as the amazing view, is that when we set off on our planned walk which will include Fethiye’s best vantage points and a look into its history, we are already more than half way up the proverbial mountain. It’s worth making the rest of the climb, too. As the Hellenistic amphitheatre basks in understated glory below, the road heads up above town towards intriguing glimpses of Fethiye’s past. A castle, spectacular tombs and sarcophagi await as we head up the first ascent.
The town has only borne the name Fethiye since 1934 being renamed then in honour of an Air Force pilot killed during a pioneering flight. Built on the site of the ancient city of Telmessos, the city became part of the Persian Empire in the 6th century BC, going on to enjoy several periods of considerable prosperity. By the time the city fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1424, it now carried the name Makre (or Makri, or Megri).
In the mountainside just yards beyond the residential streets of Fethiye, the tombs of Amyntas, very similar in design to those along the coast at Dalyan, stand proudly above the town. A series of ancient Lycian rock tombs hewn into the sheer face of the mountain, these impressive sights bear witness to amazing craftsmanship, large hollowed out creations with mighty pillars and lintels made all the more enthralling by their easy accessibility.
Below the tombs, sarcophagi dot those residential streets, sometimes simply standing in the middle of the road with little or no protection. It must be a tad strange living just a few feet from such ancient sites. Fethiye castle, in an imposing position looking out to see, dates originally from the Telmessos era but today what little is left is perhaps best viewed from out on the water.
Youssuf has a surprise in store. He’s selling boat trips – as lots of Youssufs are – but not only does his version of a boat trip fit precisely with what we would like to do, the trick up his sleeve is his price. Book for tomorrow, he says, and I give you special deal. A near 7-hour trip to six attractive destinations for the princely sum of 600 lira each, INCLUDING lunch – that’s just under £15 a head all in, for a full day. It’s the kind of surprise which we are happy to encounter, in fact it would be rude not to accept.
It really does prove to be amazing value too, a well organised trip with lengthy stops just where you want them, an excellent choice of route and a delicious lunch of fish (you could choose chicken) barbecued on board and accompanied by a decent selection of meze. Our first call is at Cold Water Bay, where underground springs feed into the sea, meaning that we swim through pleasantly warm and startlingly cold in unpredictable patches.
At another stop we swim into a dark cave; at a third we hike from the beach through Butterfly Valley to reach a waterfall. It’s a decent enough hike even though there’s more goats than butterflies and the waterfall is a seasonal trickle. At every stop the sea is crystal clear and refreshingly clean, the sea bed fully visible even in greater depths. The island of Gemiler presents yet more variety, an opportunity to climb past the remains of several ancient churches up to the summit of the island. The five churches, dating from between the 4th and 6th centuries, are linked by what is thought to be a centuries old processional route.
One school of thought amongst archeologists is that Gemiler is the site of the original tomb of St Nicholas, consequently then becoming a call for Christian pilgrims en route to the Holy Lands.
Our town stroll around the ancient ruins of Telmessos and the subsequent boat trip have taken us away from the centres and enabled us to capture glimpses of Fethiye’s history through the tombs, sarcophagi and castle, together with the unusual story of Gemiler island. Turkey often describes itself as the world’s largest museum, and the Fethiye area, like the rest of the country, has its intriguing stories to tell and our first seven days here have begun to uncover them nicely.
Sunday afternoon brings an opportunity for each of us to enjoy rather different types of culture as Michaela sets off to explore any shopping experiences which the town has to offer, heading off through the old town with Bank card in hand and no irritable husband to inhibit her interests. Me? Ah well, once I’d discovered that Fethiye’s football team have an important home match, there’s only one place I’m going to be come 2pm Sunday. More to follow on that, if you’re lucky.
As our time here unfolds, it becomes obvious that the British influence on Fethiye is more than simply holidaymakers: there is a significant expat community here too, which explains still further why the English language, English breakfasts and fish and chips are quite so prevalent. We ponder a while on what being an expat here would be like – kind of an England in the sun in which half the year is chaos and the other half decidedly quiet. Feast and famine with chips and vinegar, if you like.
It’s not lost on us either that Fethiye must be a fairly significant contributor to the region’s economy. A thriving tourist destination, a sizeable expat community… and to cap it all, a marina where literally hundreds of boats are moored at undoubtedly hefty prices. The tourist cash must roll in from every level of travelling society.
Enough even to keep all these pirate ships and night clubs in profit.
35 Comments
Monkey's Tale
And was it a pirate ship you were on? We visited Butterfly Bay, and a couple of others, but by walking above. They look pretty from sea level too. I also remember those Lycian tombs. So impressive on the cliffs above town and the funny ones in the middle of intersections, made into a roundabout. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
No, pirate season is over and those boats are mothballed. Just the good ones left now!
Helen Devries
Leo was there in the eighties and was as enthusiastic as yourselves about the tombs….
That day trip sounds so good…especially the island of churches.
As to the expat life, I have friends who have lived there for a number of years, having married Turks, and they certainly would not come back to the U.K.
Phil & Michaela
I don’t blame them…or you come to that. Home is a sad and feeble reflection of the country it used to be.
Helen Devries
I cannot believe how it has changed….for the worse. Appalling service, shoddy work, total blithering incompetents appointing each other to well paid sinecures, rotten boroughs…you name it!
Costa Rica is not a paradise, but at least it is free of the thought police.
Phil & Michaela
However bad you imagine it to be, I bet you would still be shocked if you headed “home” and witnessed it for yourself. Everything is crap, nothing is well run and common sense has been consigned to the history books. I’m glad that my parents didn’t live to see what their country has become.
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Living in a popular tourist destination is interesting. The community benefits hugely from the jobs, infrastructure and variety of good restaurants, for instance. But July and August in particular are incredibly busy. We either travel ourselves or just hunker down at home. Interesting and enjoyable post. I remember those tombs as well. So odd to see them sitting in intersections like funereal orphans.
Phil & Michaela
I think our real intrigue was that for expats here, a large proportion of the summer visitors are from their own homeland. That must feel a bit strange, living in a foreign land which is taken over by your own…
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
Can’t imagine what that day trip would go for in season. Good find, great outing, awesome photos.
Phil & Michaela
Cheers Suzanne!
restlessjo
I remember clambering around the tombs. Even before Lara Croft was thought of! I didn’t make it to Gemiler Island though and that looks interesting. Turkey isn’t somewhere I considered becoming an expat. It’s maybe a little too close to a volatile part of the world.
Phil & Michaela
And has questionable politics itself. However there is a lot to love about Turkey, we definitely like it here.
Lookoom
These tombs seem interesting, particularly because of their strange locations.
Phil & Michaela
Indeed so, it’s an odd thing to see traffic negotiating sarcophagi in the middle of a road.
wetanddustyroads
The tombs built into the rocks are fascinating – even with pillars, can you believe it? And the boat ride sounds like a lot of fun. With so many lovely views and hiking opportunities, it must have been a wonderful day in the sun! Far away from the UK’s cold weather …
Phil & Michaela
Is a big reason why we’re not there 😀.
WanderingCanadians
Those are some impressive tombs. Not a bad spot to be buried. Sounds like you scored quite the deal on that boat trip. I’m mesmorized by the colour of the water at Cold Water Bay. Love the views from Gemiler Island as well. That boat trip sounds much more appealing than being on one of those pirate ships. No thanks.
Phil & Michaela
Our thoughts absolutely!
Toonsarah
The rock tombs look amazing and Gemiler Island especially worth exploring – that plus the lunch would have seemed reasonable value for what you paid, without the other stops!
Phil & Michaela
It was! Bargain if ever there was one…….
grandmisadventures
It seems well worth the risk of a cardic episode to reach the top of that climb and be treated to such interesting history and beautiful views. I love the tombs tucked into the rock and the ancient church overlooking the water below.
Phil & Michaela
It’s an area and region which just keeps on giving, Meg. So much to see and do…
Annie Berger
Little wonder that there’s a sizeable British expat community with the beautiful weather, stunning views, great hiking opportunities, heaps of history, and cheap boat trips. Perfect escape for the off season as you’ve found!
Phil & Michaela
It has been a great stay at precisely the right time of year
Annie Berger
Do you and Michaela have a list of places you still want to explore around the world and can possibly suggest to us, Phil? I ask in part because Steven and I have been so fortunate to travel far and wide that the list of new places for us to tour is much shorter now. There are countless areas in countries we’ve not explored but we’d still rather see a new place for the time being. We’ve not explored much of Africa unlike you both but with health concerns, I fear we may not return to that part of the world. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Phil & Michaela
We definitely still have a long list, Annie. Let me give some thought ( and remind myself where you’ve already been) and come back with some thoughts.
Phil & Michaela
Well I don’t think we’d recommend the African countries we’ve visited as the infrastructure is weak to non-existent and probably not a good recommendation for anyone with health worries. So…how much of South East Asia have you seen….as in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia? I can’t see them on your site so don’t know if you’ve yet to go there but those are countries which I would recommend to anyone. Beautiful and full,of a varied interests.
Alison
That was a great boat trip, loving the history you are retelling. English expats are everywhere, you find them in the most unlikely spots! All very pleased with themselves for having “got out”.
Phil & Michaela
I don’t blame them, either! Just that it seems a bit odd to us to choose a place which holidaymakers from your own country head to in big numbers.
Alison
You can take them out of England …😅
Phil & Michaela
😂
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
Great photography, this area is definitely on our list. Cheers!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you guys!
normareadtalktalknet
I missed this one 🤔a fascinating blog and stunning photos as always
Phil & Michaela
Better late than never!