Fethiye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fethiye
Settlement
Logo
Map showing Fethiye District in Muğla Province
Fethiye Location in Turkey Show map of Turkey Fethiye Location in Turkey Aegean Show map of Turkey Aegean
Country	Turkey
Province	Muğla
Area	875 km2 (338 sq mi)
Population  (2022)	177,702
• Density	203.09/km2 (526.00/sq mi)
Time zone	TRT (UTC+3)
Postal code	48300
Area code	0252

Fethiye is a cool city and district located in Muğla Province, Turkey. It covers an area of 875 square kilometers and has a population of about 177,702 people (as of 2022). Fethiye is one of the most popular places to visit along the beautiful Turkish Riviera.

History of Fethiye

An old map of Fethiye made by Piri Reis.

Fethiye used to be known by a different name, Makri. The modern city of Fethiye is built right on top of an ancient city called Telmessos. You can still see parts of this old city today, like the Hellenistic theatre near the main harbor.

There's a cool legend from the Lycian people about how Telmessos got its name. The god Apollo fell in love with the youngest daughter of the King of Phoenicia. He turned himself into a small dog to get close to the shy princess. After he changed back into a handsome man, they had a son. They named him 'Telmessos', which means 'the land of lights'.

The city became part of the Persian Empire around 547 BC. This happened after the Persian general Harpagos invaded the area. Telmessos then joined a group of cities called the Delian League. Even though it later became independent, it kept its connections with this group for a long time.

A Lycian stone coffin (sarcophagus) in the ancient city of Telmessos.

Not much is known about the city during the Byzantine Empire. However, some old buildings show that it was quite rich back then. Many buildings were left empty in the 7th and 8th centuries because of wars. The city was made stronger with walls in the 8th century. By the 10th century, its old name was forgotten. It became known as Makre or Makri, meaning "long one". This name came from the long island at the entrance to its harbor.

The city became richer again in the 12th and 13th centuries. Its city walls were made bigger. A report from 1106 said Makre was a center for making perfumes. Maps from the 13th century described it as an important trading city. The area was taken over by the Turks in the late 12th or early 13th century.

Telmessos was ruled by a Turkish kingdom called Menteşe starting in 1284. They called it Beskaza.

It became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1424. It was called Meğri until 1934.

From 1867 to 1922, Meğri was part of the Aidin Vilayet in the Turkish Empire. The town grew a lot in the 1800s. It had many Greek people living there at that time. After a big population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the Greeks from Makri moved to Greece. They started a new town there called Nea Makri. Turks from Greece then moved to Fethiye. Near Fethiye, there's an abandoned Greek village called Kayaköy, where an old Greek Orthodox church still stands.

In 1934, the city was renamed Fethiye. This was to honor Captain Fethi Bey [], who was one of the first pilots of the Ottoman Air Force. He died in an airplane crash in 1914 while trying to fly from Istanbul to Cairo.

Fethiye has had many strong earthquakes. One big earthquake happened in 1957. It damaged or destroyed 90% of the buildings in the city. The town has been rebuilt since then. Now it has a modern harbor and a marina.

Fun Things to Do in Fethiye (Tourism)

Fethiye is a very popular place for tourists, especially in the summer. The Fethiye Museum has many old and new items. These items show the different groups of people who lived in the area, starting with the ancient Lycians.

Some cool historical places to visit include:

• Kadyanda (Cadyanda) – an ancient city.
• Kayaköy – an abandoned Greek village.
• The Tomb of Amyntas – a huge tomb carved into a rock. It was built by the Lycians around 350 BC.

The most popular tourist towns near Fethiye are Ölüdeniz, Çalış Beach, Hisarönü, and Ovacık, Fethiye. Butterfly Valley is also in the Fethiye district.

Kızılada island is about 4 kilometers from the city. It's a great stop for boat tours. Fethiye also has amazing places for diving, like Afkule. The Kızılada Lighthouse on the island even has a seafood restaurant and a small hotel!

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  The beautiful marina in Fethiye.

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  Fethiye bay.

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  The Tomb of Amyntas in Fethiye.

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  Ölüdeniz Beach in Fethiye District.

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  Butterfly Valley is a popular place to visit in Fethiye District.

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  The ancient Telmessos Theatre. It could hold 6,000 people!

Neighborhoods of Fethiye

Fethiye District has 41 different neighborhoods. Here are some of them:

Weather in Fethiye (Climate)

Fethiye has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has long, hot, and dry summers. The average daytime temperature in summer is about 34°C (93°F). Winters are mild and rainy, with an average daytime temperature of 16°C (61°F).

Getting Around Fethiye (Transport)

Dalaman Airport is the airport that serves the Fethiye area. The most common way to get around Fethiye and nearby is by minibus. These are called dolmuş in Turkey. Many routes connect Fethiye to places like Ölüdeniz, Yaniklar, and Hisaronu.

Areas of Fethiye

The city area of Fethiye stretches quite far inland from the harbor. It includes several villages that are now part of the city.

• To the north of the city center is the Çalış Plajı (Beach) area. This area has a main street and a long walkway along the coast. Many hotels are located here. This beach is Fethiye's main beach, as the city center itself doesn't have one.
• To the east, you'll find areas like Günlükbaşı and Çamköy.
• The city center is the area between the Marina and the Fethiye Market.
• About 4 kilometers to the south-west and south are the towns of Kayaköy and Ölüdeniz. Ölüdeniz is famous around the world for its beautiful beach and the Blue Lagoon. You can even go paragliding from the Babadağ mountain in Ölüdeniz!

Images for kids

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  Fethiye Museum Ceramic

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  Gold ceremonial bowl

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  Gold laurel wreath

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  Bilingual inscription

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  Dolls

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  Kakasbos

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  Lagynos

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  Hadrian statue

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  Girl statue

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  Letoon temple floor decoration

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  Lycian rock tomb in Fethiye (4th century BCE)

See also

In Spanish: Fethiye para niños