Phaselis
If one lived in ancient times and was looking for a peaceful place to settle, then Phaselis would have been the choice for many. Located within a forest and surrounded by three natural harbours, the tranquillity is unmatched anywhere in ancient Turkey. Wandering around the ruins of this small city and breathing in the fresh, crisp air, leaves one positively uplifted. It may not have always been this way though, for Phaselis was once a busy port city.
Phaselis was part of ancient Lycia but was not part of the Lycian League. Although ancient remains have been found in a nearby cave, Phaselis was founded in the 7th Century BC. Sources state the founding date as 690 BC, and this has been attributed to the Rhodian ruler Lacius, but other sources point to the founder being Mospos, although Mospos may have been the person who renovated the city some time later. Either way, Phaselis was first part of Pamphylia and was then governed by Lycia.
The traditional legend of the founding of Phaselis says that Lacius and his colleagues from Rhodes came across a shepherd and offered him a choice of bread or fish in an attempt to buy the land. The shepherd chose the fish and, ever since, offerings to the gods consisted of dried fish. Sounds like a rather dubious story to me. The historical accounts also say that the Phoenicians used the harbour as a port before the Rhodians arrived but this would indicate, if the Rhodians founded the city, that the Phoenicians never had a real base there. Again, this kind of historical account doesn’t help at all, since a harbour or port would have consisted of some kind of established village at least.
Phaselis was taken and ruled by the Persians in the 6th Century BC, but in 469 BC the city was liberated by the Athenians and their commander Cimon. The Greek citizens did not welcome Cimon and refused to rise up against their ruler since the inhabitants preferred the benefits of being ruled by the Persians, but when arrows were thrown into the city with “leaflets” the inhabitants agreed that the Greeks should join forces against the Persians. Greece at that time was not a unified country, and Greeks fought against Greeks in many wars, like the Spartans and the Athenians, but it was the constant threat from Persia that eventually led to the states of Greece combining their efforts, like that of the famous Battle of Thermopylae earlier in 480 BC.
In the 4th Century BC, when the Persians once again dominated Asia Minor, a Carian named Mausolas Owas, a capable satrap, practically made himself independent of Persian rule. Once in position his power extended not only over Caria, but Lycia as well. The Lycians did not support the rule of Mausolas but in Phaselis things were different. The inhabitants were well behind Mausolas, probably because the Carians received more freedoms than the Lycians.
Alexander the Great arrived in Phaselis in 333 BC and the city welcomed him with open arms, putting a gold crown on his head. Alexander stayed in the city for some time, lending his soldiers to fight the Pisidians who were raiding local farmlands and invading the area on a regular basis. After the death of Alexander, Phaselis was under rule of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ptolemy I.
Between 209 – 197 BC the city was under guardianship of the Lycian League during the Magnesia Wars and was thus controlled by the Romans.
During the 1st Century BC the city was continually attacked by pirates, but in 42 BC Phaselis was once again under Roman rule… and then back into the hands of pirates. The city’s status as a wealthy settlement had diminished by this time but in the 1st Century AD the Romans took complete control and it flourished with new building projects, like that of Hadrian’s Gate (built to commemorate his visit in 129 AD), and the theatre which was built in the 2nd Century and which had a capacity of 1,500.
Phaselis once again flourished in the Byzantine era but the city was raided several times by Arabs during the 7th and 8th centuries. By then the city was overshadowed by larger cities in the area, and in the 13th Century it was finally abandoned after several earthquakes caused extensive damage.
My visit to Phaselis was in the afternoon of the 18th March 2015. It was relatively warm and the cover of the pine forests meant the air was crisp and fresh. The site itself is relatively small, but it is a unique place simply because of the gorgeous trees that envelope the site and the three harbours. The water is still and calm, and the walk through the site is a very pleasant experience indeed. If you are passing through the area, don’t miss Phaselis!
Refrences:
Tor, Kemal Hakki. Shiny Territory in Anatolia: Lycia. 2012. Ten Books, Antalya, Turkey
https://www.academia.edu/1822403/Graeco-Anatolian_Contacts_in_the_Mycenaean_Period
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/med/phaselis/
http://www.antalya.org/listingview.php?listingID=127
http://www.historvius.com/phaselis-1787/
http://www.turkeysforlife.com/2015/10/phaselis-ruins-antalya.html
http://www.routesandtrips.com/lycian-way-a-walk-to-phaselis-ruins/
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/phaselis.htm
-
- Remains of a house. These houses are on the north-west side of the city
-
- Remains of a house
-
- Remains of a house
-
- Remains of a house
-
- Remains of a house
-
- Remains of a house
-
- A doorway still intact
-
- Remains of a house in the centre of the picture, with the tranquil surroundings. It’s unclear how forested the area was during the time of the city. Clearly these trees are younger than 2,500 years
-
- The beautiful south harbour cove
-
- Looking west from the south harbour
-
- The view south from the south harbour
-
- The view north-west along the beach of the south harbour
-
- The view north-west along the beach of the south harbour
-
- The view north-west along the beach of the south harbour
-
- Looking west from the south harbour beach
-
- The view south-west along the south harbour beach
-
- Remains of the south harbour walls in the foreground. The building in the background is unknown (from my perspective – the maps are few and far between and very general)
-
- Remains of the south harbour walls in the foreground. The building in the background is unknown (from my perspective – the maps are few and far between and very general)
-
- Remains of the south harbour walls in the foreground. The building in the background is unknown (from my perspective – the maps are few and far between and very general)
-
- These blocks were once a part of the large Hadrian’s Gate, southern entrance to the city via the harbour
-
- Blocks from Hadrian’s Gate
-
- Blocks from Hadrian’s Gate
-
- This is the only worthwhile map I can find on Phaselis, and it’s very general in its detail
-
- The location of Hadrian’s Gate at the entrance to the city. This view, to the west, shows the agora in the background
-
- Steps of the main street, the southern end, west side. A stoa probably once ran along the top
-
- Steps of the main street, the southern end, west side
-
- Equal steps on the other side of the main street
-
- House behind the street
-
- A house in the background, this view to the east of the main street
-
- This was probably a shop running along the walkway. Behind this were three agoras, although it’s difficult to envisage them at the site itself due to the small size of the area
-
- The view north up the main street. It’s strange to imagine Alexander the Great once walked this very road
-
- Intriguing architecture on this doorway, along the main street. It is situated on the western side, close to where the street takes a right turn and heads in a more northerly direction
-
- Behind the doorway, the modern forest backdrop. It’s here where the main agora was located
-
- Standing on top of the steps on the western walkway, a view to the east across the street
-
- Standing on top of the steps on the western walkway, a view to the east across the street
-
- At the intersection of the main street, modern steps leading to the theatre
-
- Opposite the steps to the theatre, the entrance to one of the three agoras
-
- Entrance to the northern agora on the main street
-
- The outer facade of the theatre
-
- Back of the stage building
-
- The baths in front of the theatre, the view from the modern theatre steps
-
- The baths in front of the theatre, the view from the modern theatre steps
-
- Theatre seating, north side. Note the entrance on the left
-
- Theatre seating
-
- Theatre seating with tree growing
-
- From halfway up the seating, the view the west
-
- Closer view of the stonework with background view
-
- Another tree. There’s something very picturesque about trees growing through ancient structures
-
- A minor attempt at being artistic – theatre seating with tree branches
-
- From the top, the view of the stage area
-
- The stunning view beyond
-
- To the right in the middle, a rocky plain stretches across
-
- Above the remains of the theatre stage, the beautiful backdrop
-
- To the left is the rectangular shape of the stage building
-
- Beautiful forest all around
-
- These two walls would have been connected to form an enclosed space within the theatre, creating great acoustics
-
- Theatre seating, looking south-west. Note the collapsed section on the right
-
- From the northern end of the seating, the view beyond
-
- Again, the view of the backdrop from the top of the theatre
-
- Theatre baths and the agora (top)
-
- In the centre is where the road splits and heads off at an angle
-
- Theatre baths and the agora (top)
-
- Interesting building work of the theatre with a block hanging precariously
-
- Theatre walls
-
- Theatre walls
-
- Theatre baths
-
- Theatre baths
-
- Theatre baths
-
- Hypercaust system in the theatre baths
-
- Hypercaust system in the theatre baths with the theatre behind
-
- Hypercaust system in the theatre baths
-
- Agora entrance, once a columned stoa
-
- Agora entrance
-
- Main baths
-
- Main baths
-
- Main baths, a view towards the theatre
-
- Unsual and unknown building behind the agora antrance
-
- Unsual and unknown building behind the agora antrance. This looks reminiscent of a Byzantine chapel, but I’m not sure
-
- Unsual and unknown building behind the agora antrance
-
- Unsual and unknown building behind the agora antrance
-
- Unsual and unknown building behind the agora antrance
-
- Part of the main baths
-
- From the main baths, the view of the theatre
-
- Main baths
-
- Main baths
-
- One of the baths with hypercaust
-
- Hypercaust of the main baths
-
- View through the different bath rooms
-
- Walls of the main baths
-
- One of the main baths
-
- Doorway between bath rooms
-
- Tiled floor in one of the bath rooms
-
- Hypercaust system
-
- One of the main bath rooms
-
- View towards the street from inside the baths building
-
- Main bath
-
- Main bath
-
- Main bath
-
- Doorway in the bath house
-
- Main bath. Note the aqueduct behind
-
- Blocks everywhere
-
- Main baths building
-
- More blocks!
-
- Columned room (centre) with the aqueduct behind
-
- Main baths
-
- Main baths
-
- Top of the main street, looking south
-
- From the westen side, the view east
-
- The end of the street with the primary central harbour in the background
-
- Statue bases on the main street outside the main baths
-
- Statue base with writing
-
- Main baths
-
- Main baths
-
- Central harbour, looking north
-
- Central harbour, looking west
-
- Harbour wall with the main street entrance (right)
-
- Harbour walls
-
- Central harbour
-
- The main baths and the main street (left)
-
- Main baths (left) and the aqueduct
-
- Harbour buildings
-
- Harbour buidings
-
- Picturesque view across the harbour
-
- Aqueduct
-
- Aqueduct
-
- The swamps
