If during your summer vacation you want not only to sunbathe, but also to learn something interesting, as well as enjoy beautiful views, choose the Turkish city of Phaselis, which is located near Kemer.
Indeed, the time spent in Phaselis will be remembered for a long time. And many come back there more than once, because it is very comfortable and cozy there. Why is it so attractive for tourists from different countries?
It is clean, beautiful, with magnificent beaches, and it literally "breathes" history: its ruins are so eloquent that it seems as if you see ancient Hellenes on them, welcoming fighting gladiators or acting actors in their amphitheaters.
Phaselis's story
The age of this city is respectable - it appeared in the 6th century BC, and was, according to legend, under the protection of the goddess of wisdom and war Athena and the god of commerce Hermes. No wonder the inhabitants of Phaselis were considered the most agile traders in those places.
This city was founded by colonists from the island of Rhodes near the unique Mount Olympos, which the legendary Homer described in his Iliad. It was a fairly large city with three sea ports: East, Middle and South. It was not for nothing that Alexander the Great himself visited it, and on one such visit, the inhabitants handed him a golden crown as a sign of respect. According to one of the legends, the ashes of Alexander in a golden sarcophagus are kept somewhere in the hiding places of this city.
Phaselis was a permanent place where pirates visited for their robberies. And only in 42 AD this territory began to belong to Rome. Since then, the robberies have stopped, the city has lived a quiet life and flourished invariably.
In the 7th century AD, the Arabs landed in one of the harbors and started a war on the streets of the city - hence the ruins of amphitheaters, temples and other historical structures that modern tourists enjoy exploring. Then the Seljuks attacked Phaselis, the inhabitants of the city were mowed down by terrible diseases, but he still survived. And even the regular invasions of wild wasps did not force the inhabitants to leave this blessed place.
What to do in Phaselis today?
Walk under the pine trees along the seashore, go to the open-air museum, which is also protected from the sun by pine crowns, lie on the pristine beach and plunge into the cool sea that surrounds the picturesque landscape. On foot, tourists walk around the museum and adjacent places in about 2 hours - not so long, but there will be a lot of impressions. The museum is open all year round. This landmark is the pride of the city.
On a tour of Phaselis, you can see the remains of a necropolis, the majestic ruins of the Temple of Heron, the destroyed walls of large baths (baths), the gates of Emperor Hadrian, a theater for three thousand spectators, as well as market squares.
After the museum, you can go to the beach. By the way, there are three of them in Phaselis - according to the number of former harbors. They are not equipped with sun loungers and other signs of civilization, but they are clean and quiet.
There is a small pebble beach on the site of the northern harbor, where pine crowns protect from the sun instead of umbrellas. For nature lovers, this is ideal.
On the site of the central harbor, there is a beach in the bay, which is completely protected from the winds, so there are practically no waves. There is a car park nearby, so it is quite crowded.
The former South Harbor can be reached by walking all of Phaselis along Main Street. Here the beach is sandy, the water is clear, and the view of the mountains is simply breathtaking. There are a lot of people here on weekends, and much less on weekdays and from September.
As for the location of Phaselis, the following cities can serve as landmarks:
Antalya hotels - 58 km
Kemer - 15 km
Tekirova - 3 km
Camyuva hotels - 3 km
Tourists walk short distances on foot, while long distances are covered by bus. It is impossible to get lost, because there is an inscription Faselis on the front glass of the bus. The fare is 5 liras per person.
How else to get to Phaselis? It's very simple: by bike, in a rented car, or order an excursion for about 30 liras (there are different options) and walk around the city with a guide.
