Phaselis

Phaselis is an ancient Lycian city on the southern coast of what is now Antalya Province, Turkey, occupying a rocky headland with three natural harbours. The city is notable for the survival of urban ruins set directly adjacent to the sea and for its combination of archaeological monuments and bathing coves.

Ancient remains include three harbours, a theatre, a Roman-period agora with colonnaded streets, a necropolis on the slopes above the town and sections of aqueduct and baths. The maritime position and visible harbor structures make the three bays a distinctive feature of the site.

Phaselis was established in the first millennium BC and developed through the Lycian, Hellenistic and Roman periods, serving as a regional port and trading centre. Its urban fabric reflects successive phases of construction from the Classical into the Roman imperial era.

The ruins sit on the Antalya coast near the modern village of Tekirova, between the towns of Kemer and Antalya, with coastal pine forests and beaches immediately adjacent to the excavated remains.

• National park setting: The ruins sit within the Beydağları Coastal National Park and combine archaeological remains with sandy coves and pine-covered headlands, making the site both a cultural and coastal destination.

What to See #

• Three harbours: The site has three separate ancient harbours carved into the coastline that served as commercial and naval anchorages in antiquity. The harbours are set among narrow bays with surviving quay stones and mooring features.
• Theatre: The theatre is a semi-circular Roman-style structure located on the hillside above the city; its cavea and stage area survive in partial form and are a prominent ruin on site.
• Agora and streets: The Roman agora and colonnaded streets lie near the central ruins and show Imperial-period urban planning, with masonry remains, columns and pavement segments visible at ground level.
• Necropolis: A necropolis of Lycian-style tombs and later Roman burials sits on the slopes above the ancient town and provides visible funerary architecture carved into the rock faces.