Muğla Fethiye Museum

Muğla Fethiye Museum



The idea of exhibiting the opuses belonging to the region in a location in the district that is rich in terms of Archaeology belongs to the authorities of that period at the beginning of 1960s and the first core of the museum has occurred in those years. After that, large scaled stone opuses collected from the surrounding have been protected in a depot; with the building constructed in 1987, contemporary museum understanding became dominant and the opuses have been served to the visitors. Fethiye Museum consists of two halls, one for Archaeology and the other for ethnography. Almost all of the opuses exhibited in these two halls have been compiled from Fethiye and its surroundings.

A big part of the opuses being exhibited in the Archaeology part consists of ceramic group opuses. The opuses in the hall have been subjected to a chronological order among themselves. Most important of the opuses covering the period from 3000 BC to the end of the Byzantine period is undoubtedly the stela that had great contributions in decoding Likian language. There is a text on this stela which is written in three different languages. Another important opus of the museum is the "Sculpture of Young Girl with Dove" and the sculpture of two women beside it. The sculpture of the girl with dove is related with Arthemis cult and it is important in terms of its showing the existence of an Arthemis temple in the city in ancient period.

In the ethnography hall, there are various hand weaving samples, hand embroideries, robes, üç etek (a kind of dress worn by women), and silver Jewellery special to the region. In addition, a dastar loom that is in active condition with all its units is also exhibited in this part. In the open part of the museum, large stone blocked opuses, sarcophagus graves and "Izraza Monument", which is a product of Lichean culture are exhibited.

Telmessos Ancient City

Although the history of Fethiye, or with its ancient name Telmessos, which is the only centre where settlement continued from its establishment on Mediterranean shore band until today, goes back to 3rd thousands BC in accordance with some philological determinations, monuments that would verify those periods has not been encountered, yet. Many earthquakes that had happened since the archaic period and new settlement understanding caused the disappearance of archaic period buildings by time. But the graves engraved into the rocks at the south of the modern city and the sarcophagi at different locations of the city are evaluated as ancient ruins that reached today from the archaic period. The most famous, and the most magnificent of the rock graves is undoubtedly Amyntas grave in accordance with the inscription on the left ante wall. The theatre ruin that is discovered in the excavations carried out by the museum in recent years provides some information about the layout and organization of the city in archaic period.

Kaunos Archaic City

According to a myth, the city that is at the other side of Ortaca - Dalyan mountain pass has been established by Kaunos, who is one of the twin children of Miletos, at Karya - Likia border. Kaunos, which was a harbor city in Archaic Period, is very far away from the shore today. At the entrance to the city, rock graves are opuses that draw the attention of the visitors. On the other hand, the city walls having a length of 3 km and surrounding the city, Stoa, agora, fountain, bath, theatre and temple ruins evidence that Kaunos was a city having full organization in the Archaic Period. The city, which has been subject to a dense settlement in the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods, has been left in the..th century AD. The upper acropolis has been used for a period in the Middle Age by being surrounded, but this settlement did not exist for a long time.

Kadyanda Archaic City

It is established on a hill to the south-east of Üzümlü Area at a distance of 24 km to Fethiye. It was on Kaunos - Araxa road in Archaic Period. A part of the city wall that surrounded the city, rock graves and inscriptions written in Likia language are the ruins in Kadyanda ruin place that can be dated to the earliest period. In addition to these, Hellenistic period theatre that has also been used in the Roman period after a repair, the bath, the runway, agora, the ruins of the temple, that could not be determined to belong to which God and intense civil construction traces show that Kadyanda ruin place is a full value city that has been subject to settlement in the Archaic Period.

Tlos Archaic City

It is in Yaka Village at a distance of 35 km to Fethiye. Although the city is spread over a large area, the ruins are focused in and around the acropolis. The dominant appearance of the acropolis at the city entrance impress the visitors. The surrounding of the acropolis hill having a natural protection with the sharp slopes having a height of 500 m has been reinforced with city walls here and there. The city walls of the acropolis in northeastern direction belonging to early period and the rock graves are samples of Lichean cult. The city walls that are mostly observed in the eastern and southeastern direction have been constructed in the Roman period. These are known to be repaired in the Byzantine Period. In this repair, the ruins of various buildings and the stones of sarcophagus graves have been used. The late period building group constructed with the collected stones at the top are the ruins belonging to the settlement of the master named Ali Ağa who was dominant in the region in the19th century. At the skirts of the acropolis, a stadium whose few seats remained today, bath, theatre and church ruins are located.

Pınara Archaic City

It is near Minare Village at a distance of 45 km to Fethiye. In Lichean language, Pinale or Pınara means "round". In accordance with mythology, when the population of Xanthos increased too much, a group of old people left the city and established Pınara City on a round hill at the skirts of Kragos Mountain. The remainders of the city that could reach today are the ruins of the rock graves and sarcophagus graves and buildings such as city walls, bath, theatre, agora, Odeon. The city, which has lived a number of great earthquakes has lost its importance completely after the 8th century AD.

Letoon Archaic City

It is near Kumluova Village at 65th km of Fethiye - Kaş highway. In accordance with a story told by the poet Ovidius, the city was established in the name of Leto, who became pregnant from Zeus. The traces of old settlement in the city go back to the 7th century BC. The ruins and the inscriptions obtained show that this place was a religious and political area. There are three temples at the centre of the ruin place side by side. The one at the most northern direction is devoted to Leto, the one in the middle is devoted to Artemis and the one in the south is devoted to Apollo. In the southwest of the temples, there is a fountain building and just beside it, there is a church. In the northern side of the city, there is a Stoa and a theatre, which gives its rear side to the natural slope partially, belonging to the Hellenistic Period. Letoon has been left in the 7th century AD.

Xanthos Archaic City

It is at the 70th km of Fethiye - Kaş highway. It has been the capital city of Lichea in the Archaic Period. The most ancient ruins found in the city goes back to the 8th century BC. Among the ruins that could reach today from the city that has been subjected to many historical events and wars, are the rock graves, sarcophagus graves and erected grave monuments special to the Lichean culture and Lichea acropolis. The theatre, which has been repaired for many times, and the church constructed in the Early Hellenistic Period are among the opuses that can be seen. English Fellows, who made excavations in the archaic city in 1840s has taken "Nereidler Monument" and many opuses to British Museum.