Fethiye - Ancient Tombs

We said our good byes to our new Canadian friends at the dock in Fethiye before heading to the Ivy Hotel. It was a very nice place, clean and had a/c and a pool. Although the pool did look enticing it was not the same as the open sea of the Mediterranean.









There was quite a bit to see in this small town, so we planned our time here carefully. We went to Saklikent Gorge which is approximately 30 km outside of Fethiye and has an entrance fee of 2.5 lira per person. The gorge is 18 km long and it is so narrow and steep that the sun rarely reaches the rushing water below, allowing the temperature of the water to feel icy cold. For 5 lira each, one way, Rav and I boarded a domus which took us to the excursion. As we waded through the cool water, I could not help but recall a similar experience at the fairy springs in Mui Ne, but this time there was a lot more people along the stream and the gorge is about 100 times larger. It was difficult at times as the rushing waters often disguised the depth of the water. We ventured through the gorge for about an hour and half before being stopped by a waterfall. It was just as well as our bus was about to depart back to the city. We slowly made our way back to the entrance and had lunch.








Between a rock and a hard place

A beautiful place

WOW… carved by water!!!

We spent a good portion of that afternoon wandering around the town to discover that Fethiye is an old town dating back to 400 BC (when it was know as Telmessos) . This is evident of the Lycian tombs on a nearby mountain, and sacrophagi sprinkled throughout this small city. A combination of Greek and Persian architectural styles is still visible on many of the tombs despite the deterioration over the centuries; as in the tomb of Amyntas - considered by many as the symbol of Fethiye. At the center of town still exists a small amphitheater, but it is in very poor condition. These days Fethiye is a town of just over 60,000 people, that caters mainly to tourists as the streets next to the harbour house copious small and large size restaurants, souvenir shops and travel agencies.














Tombs carved out of the mountain above the city

Sacrophagi in the middle of a street

We were glad to be back into the swing of things, discovering the true essence of Turkey that we thought was missing in Olympos. Our time here was short though, as there are other sights that we would have loved to have been able to visit.