Fethiye

 If all places and all seas were known by a colour, Fethiye’s colour would be turquoise. The word turquoise, a blue that has more than a hint of green, comes from the blue used in the Turkish tile work. The most beautiful shade of the colour blue came and settled on the waters of the Ölüdeniz (Dead Sea). Towards evening, around sunset, you catch such a wonderful turquoise you can never see on any other seas. If you call it blue you are wrong, if you say it is green it is not that either but both together. It is difficult to put it into words. It is best if you go and see it for yourself and be hit by a lightening bolt!

Once you get to Fethiye and check into you accommodation, get out and see the bazaar. Once you visit the town’s pleasant bazaar you feel as if everything has been planned and preserved for you, with its narrow and shady streets and tiny squares. You will forget about being a foreigner and feel as if you have lived here for years.

However, once it is the evening the colour and nature of the market will suddenly change. It is now the time for the restaurants and bars. The fish start sizzling on the grill and the aniseed scent of Turkey’s national drink, rakı, can be smelled. The heat of the day is left behind and the coolness of the evening settles in.

It is not easy to visit the region surrounding Fethiye in just a few days. Here are all you will need and want for a holiday. History, culture, nature, beaches, aqua sports, the best paragliding in Turkey, the most impressive historical sites, best coves, cuisine and shopping. The number of places that you can get such full on holiday and enjoy it other than Fethiye itself are rare. This is why it is difficult to fit Fethiye into just a few pages. Let us begin our trip.
The Town Tour

In ancient times Telmessos was famed as the city of the oracles. The ancient city was founded on a large area of land, running from the foothills of the mountains that are the backdrop for modern Fethiye and all the way down to the gulf. You can see the remains of the city today. Once you look above, you will see the tomb of King Amyntas.

The tomb is in the Ionic style and in shape of a temple. In its front you can see two columns, on the centre of the left hand column is written "Son of Hermapias Amyntas". Inside there are three stone benches. Inside and around the town you will come across many tombs carved into the rocks and other types. The most important one is the monumental Lycian tomb next to the Post Office (PTT) that is covered with reliefs of warriors. On the hill that rises to the south of the town there are the ruins of a castle that is believed to have been built by the Knights of St. John on the site of the Telmessos acropolis. The castle was later used by the Ottomans. Those who climb up the hill will see the remains of the castle, cisterns and a small cemetery of rock-cut tombs on the east of the hill.

The Telmessos theatre was unearthed after the excavations above the port. The theatre, with a capacity of 5,000 people, was built in the Early Roman era and restored in the 2nd century AD, later being used as an arena in the Byzantine era. In its present condition the theatre can seat 1,500 people and restoration work is underway. Among the Ottoman era buildings in Fethiye, there is the Eski Cami (Old Mosque), built in 1791, and the Fethiye Hamamı (Turkish Bath). Both are in the Paspatur Çarşısı (Bazaar). The 14 domed, six arched bath is still in use. The Fethiye Martyrs Memorial was opened in 2001 and commemorates those lost their lives in the Independence War, the Çanakkale War (Gallipoli Campaign) and the Korean War. The reliefs that surround the memorial depict soldiers killed in the wars.

Fethiye History

 In the ancient times on the site of modern Fethiye used to stand the city of Telmessos. The city was one of the most important of the Lycian region, being on the western border of Lycia. The west of the ancient city was the Carian region. It is believed that Telmossos was founded in the 5th century BC, though here is no concrete information on the exact date. According to the legend the city was founded by the God of the Sun, Apollon. Apollon fell in love with the youngest daughter of Agenor, the King of Finike. In order to approach the shy girl he transformed himself into the shape of a cute dog. They got married. They had a son and named him Telmessos. Apollon gave his son’s name to the city he founded. Even if the Lycian god Apollon did found the city, all Lycian and Carian cities didn’t last long, coming under the rule of the Persians in 547 BC as associated satraps of the kingdom. In the middle of the 5th century BC Telmessos joined the Attik-Delos union. In the winter of 344-343 BC it surrendered to the army of Alexander the Great. In 189 BC became part of the Kingdom of Bergama. After Bergama fell to the Romans in 133 BC it joined the Lycian Federation and became one of the most important of the six cities of the union. In the 8th Century Telmessos was renamed as Anastasiapolis in honour of Byzantine Emperor Anastasios II. In 1284 captured by the Turkish Menteşeoğulları and 1424 became a part of the Ottoman Empire, becoming known as Meğri. Its present name was given in 1934 in memorial of a Turkish pilot Fethi Bey, who was killed in an airplane accident a few years ago.

Ölüdeniz

The 14 kilometre road that leads you to Ölüdeniz from Fethiye is surrounded by pine trees. At the end of the winding road all of sudden a wonderful blue comes before you. This is Belcekız Cove. Once you walk over the long beach you see the incomparable Ölüdeniz lying before you. Ölüdeniz is as if it appears to be enchanting and lies still with no movement in its clear waters. There is nothing of the bottom of the lagoon but white sand. The reflection of the water and the sand bottom give it a turquoise colour. On the surface are the reflections of the green pines and this enriches the impression of the turquoise colour.

There is a story behind the name of Belcekız Cove. According to legend, ships in ancient times used to anchor in the open sea and the crews would come ashore in small boats to get drinking water here. One of the handsome sons of an old captain was fell in love with a gorgeous girl called Belcekız whom he saw on the waterfront. Belcekız too ended up with her heart beating faster and she fell in love with him. However, the boy had to get the drinking water and return to his father’s ship. Though the ship sailed away, Belcekız watched for her lover to return. Each time the boy came to get water they saw each other and made love.

One day, as the boy and father were sailing nearby, a storm blew up. The son told his father that he knew of a cove where they could shelter that was as still as a pool. The old and cunning father thought the son's suggestion came from his desire to see his lover and that he was acting selfishly and did not care whether the ship sank or not. The dispute between the two kept on going as the waves grew higher. As the ship was rocked by the strong wind and was about to crash onto the rocks, the father hit his son with an oar and he fell into the sea. After the father headed back to the helm and continued his voyage, he found himself in an extremely still cove. He understood that his son was right but it was too late. The son died, his body being found on the rocks. Belcekız, seeing that her lover was dead, committed suicide by jumping onto the rocks. From that day on the place she jumped from was named as Belcekız and the place the boy died was named as Ölüdeniz. Maybe the colours of the water that keep changing are fires of mourning, one for the boy and one for the girl.

In Ölüdeniz you will find numerous hotels and restaurants.

Nine hundred and fifty hectares of land around Ölüdeniz and the beach of Kıdırak have been determined as a place under protection order and turned into National Parks. Construction in the area of the Ölüdeniz lagoon and the Kıdrak Beach is banned and these sites are classified as special protected areas. The Kumburnu rest facilities within this protected zone are run by the office of the Muğla provincial governor, associated with MELSA Ltd. Co. Annually, approximately, 400,000 people make use of these facilities. There is a fee for the entrance. There is one large and one small cafeteria that provides food and beverage services. Besides fast food and drinks there is traditional gözleme available at the Şark (East) end of the area. There is an organised picnic area for those who want to picnic, though lighting a barbeque is forbidden between May and October. It is possible to rent umbrellas and chaise longues. The car parking, toilet and shower services are free. The car park area holds 650 vehicles and is monitored by employees and security cameras.

On the beach you have access to aqua sports such as parasailing, water skiing and banana boats for those interested.

There is also a handcraft shop that is associated with MELSA. Here you find handcrafts unique to the Muğla region.

This extraordinary piece of nature is being fastidiously taken care of and cleaned, with a laboratory set to take measurement of the sea water from parts of Belcekız Beach daily. The aim of this is to get the ISO 14001 Quality Certificate for the beach. In Turkey the first beach to get this certificate was Kıdrak Beach.

Saklıkent

If one day you get tired of the heat of Fethiye do something different. Go to a very narrow and high canyon that cannot get the sunlight and walk through ice cold water. Go to Saklıkent.

Take the Fethiye-Antalya road towards Kemer. After driving for 25 kilometres take the turn to Saklıkent and, once past the sign for Tlos, drive another 10 kilometres to Saklıkent. On the way to Saklıkent you will see lots of restaurants on both sides of the road and you can get a gözleme and ayran

After you get to the village of Kayadibi you leave your car at the canyon entrance and pay your entrance fee. The Eşen Stream bursts forth 100 metres inside the canyon.

It flows so crazily in summer and winter that it makes it almost impossible to progress against the current. You walk on the wooden footpath attached to the canyon walls. You form a one person line and go to the location where the stream erupts. When you watch the picturesque view of the furiously and loudly flowing stream you can enjoy a gözleme ayran or a trout dish in the restaurant.

If you wish to do so you can cross the freezing water and progress towards the deeper part of the canyon. Do not neglect to get a pair of cloth or plastic shoes. However, if you do not have them tourism is at your service, you can buy or rent them in the "Plastic Shoes Sales Shop" at the entrance of the canyon. The canyon is quite long, with the path at times being rough. If you try to walk it all the joy may turn into a burden. It is the best to go for a few hundred metres and return after that.

However, if you rely on yourself, on your return throw yourself into the cold waters of the canyon and instead of using the walkway let the current carry you to the end of the canyon.