TURKEY KEMER - PHASELIS

ANCIENT CITY OF PHASELIS, THE FIRST STOPOVER FOR YACHTS

The first stop on the routes of yachts departing Kemer to visit the local coves and settlements of Antiquity is the Ancient City of Phaselis. That visitor’s swim in the same waters which cooled bathers thousands of years ago makes them feel a sense of antiquity and provides a unique experience.

PHASELIS is located on a promontory covered by green forest. The site of the ruins is easily accessible from Kemer and it is situated on the lower slopes of the Mount Tahtali that were once surrounded by the rose gardens.

The city of Phaselis was famous for its rose oil extraction and agricultural produce and its three natural harbours gave it a privileged trading position on the coastal trading routes of the eastern Mediterranean. 

The city was founded by the Dorian colonists coming from Rhodes Island in the 7^th century BC. The trading importance of Phaselis endured and in the 6^th century BC the city fell into the hands of Persians. In 333 BC, Alexander the Great took the city from the Persians. The important position of the city on the naval trading route was demonstrated by the Egyptian rule that lasted more than a century after the death of Alexander the Great, as it is one of the important stopover ports on the route to Egypt. Until 160 BC, when it came under Roman rule, the city remained yet under the domination of the rulers of Rhodes. Under Roman rule Phaselis became a part of the Lycian League. 

However, it fell to the hands of corsairs, who were attracted to its harbours and favourable situation and repeatedly attacked there and the city was retaken by the Romans after a while. During the Byantine Period, the city became the seat of a bishopric and yet again became the target of corsair attacks. Its power waned in the 3^rd century AD and during the Seljuk rule of Antolia, the harbours at Alanya and Antalya became more prominent and Phaselis lost its importance.

The three harbours of Phaselis are known as the north harbor , military harbor and south harbor. Today, attractive ruins line both sides of the main road connecting the military harbor to the south harbor. The sidewalks on both sides of the flagstone road are elevated and can be reached by 3 steps. The drainage and sewage system laid under the road represents the developed city planning skills of the Lycian Civilisation. 

On the west side of the road, leading up to the square, there are shops, a marble floored bathhouse and a gymnasium which had a mosaic decorated floor. On this side of the road is also an agora, surrounded with statues, shops and porticoes in the past and was named after the Emperor Hadrian as it was commissioned during his reign (117-138 AD) . A rectangular plan basilica and a cistern are situated next to the agora. Adjacent to the large square is the Domitian agora with 2 gates one of which bears an inscription in honour of the Emperor Domitian (81- 96 AD).

 At the end of the road, Hadrian‘s Gate, erected to the glory of the emperor, had a magnificent view over the south harbor.

The ruins on the east side of the road include a theatre built into a hill, with a commanding view of the site. The archaeological features of the theatre suggest that it was built earlier, but was extensively repaired and altered during the Roman and Byzantne periods. Below the theatre was the bathhouse and to the south of the bathhouse were the mosaic decorated city lavatories. Up the slope from the theatre was the city acropolis. In the acropolis, apart from the palace and official buildings, was the Temple of Athena, which housed the spear of Achilles, the Temple of Heracles, the Temple of Hestia and the Temple of Hermes.

PHASELIS was surrounded by aqueducts, as well as defensive walls to protect it from corsair attacks, both of which can be visited and are interesting additions to a tour of the ruins along the main road.

The underwater ruins of Phaselis are definitely worth a visit and are visible to swimmers in the bay. Among the ruins are the wave breaks and several sarcophagi. The extensions of city walls in the sea form the wave breaker for the military harbor. The ruins of the necropolis next to the north harbor contain various types of tombs and sarcophagi.