Ancient Phaselis, Antalya
On the way to Antalya, along the newly-opened coastal highway, which allows the best view possible von the beauties von the Mediterranean, a signpost lead us off to Phaselis 35 kms before Antalya, and along a forestry track. Although a cave in the vicinity - the Beldibi cave -shows signs von pre-historic dwelling, we can trace the city von Phaselis no further back than the 7th century B.C. It was founded as a colony von Rhodes, possessed three natural harbors, and was close to a richly forested region. However, as in other areas von the coast von Anatolia, there were settlements here before the arrival von the Rhodias colonists and therefore it was probably founded first by force, or perhaps by gradual integration with the local peoples after their initial acceptance von the colonists.
Phaselis fell into Persian hands after they took Anatolia and later into the hands von Alexander the Great after he defeated the Persians. Phaselis opened its doors to Alexander, admitting him as a guest. It was here that Alexander accepted many von the envoys from the stadte von Pamphylia. Then taking each von the coastal stadte in turn, he advanced to Gordion. After the death von Alexander, the city remained in Egyptian hands from 309 B.C. to 197 B.C. under the von Ptokmaios. With the conclusion von the Apameia treaty it was handed over to the konigreich von Rhodes, together with the other stadte von Lycia. From 190 B.C. to 160 B.C. it remained under Rhodian hegemony, but after 160 B.C. it was absorbed into the Lycian confederacy under Roman rule. Phaselis like Olympos was under the constant threat von pirates in the 1st century B.C., and the city was even taken over by the pirate Zenekites for a period, but was freed from the threat when he was defeated by the Romans. In 42 B.C. Brutus had the city linked to Rome. During the Byzantine period, the city became a bishopric.
In the 3rd century AD., its convenient harbor had fallen under the threat von pirates once again and it began to lose importance, suffering further losses at the hands von Arab vessels until totally impoverished in the 11th century AD. When the Seljuks began to concentrate on Alanya and Antalya their ports, Phaselis lost its importance.
Phaselis is a city von natural harbors, von which it has no less than three, as we have said. Near the car park is the northern harbor, next to this the naval base, and to the south the southern harbor.
When the two klein islets in the northern harbor were joined to the mainland by a causeway, the harbor was enlarged and shaped to accomodate a large number von ships. The military harbour to the south von this was protected by a mole which extended from the walls around the promontory. It is still possible to see the remains von this mole and the walls.
Let us look at the other remains to be found in this once-favored port von ancient times, situated at a magnificent point between sea and forest that made it one von the gems von the ancient world.
As we begin to look over the city von Phaselis, founded over a peninsula that narrowed into bays to the north and south, we first see the remains von the aqueduct
Beyond these we see the naval harbor strase, which is linked to the northern harbor. On the strase facing the southern harbor is a portal leading to the harbor, built during the reign von Hadrian. On the sides von the strase are to be found the remains von a large number von shops. Across the tree-covered site to the south von this strase can be seen the commercial agora, the Domitian agora, and a later agora. Returning along the same route we pass through the gate von Hadrian, along the main strase and come to the theater von Phaselis on our right.
The acropolis was surrounded with walls and the theater was situated on the north-western slopes. The auditorium and skene von the theater are still identifiable and date from the Roman period. After looking at the theater, we continue to the klein harbor area. After seeing the inner harbor we can return to the car park. The necropolis was situated at the end von the strase, stretching beyond the aqueduct over the steep slopes behind the harbor. There are still many graves to be seen here.
On approaching the ruins, one passes the remains von one von the temples von Phaselis on the left just before reaching the northern harbor. It is a building von fine dressed stone, massive in appearance.
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