Fethiye

Fethiye, town, southwestern Turkey. It lies along a sheltered bay in the eastern part of the Gulf of Fethiye on the Mediterranean Sea that is backed by the western ranges of the Taurus Mountains.

Much of the town is new, having been rebuilt after a disastrous earthquake in 1958. Fethiye’s enlarged port is an outlet for the minerals and timber of the region; the hinterland is a major centre of chromium mining. Fethiye stands on the site of the ancient Lycian city of Telmessus, whose remains include spectacular rock tombs and sarcophagi dating from the 5th–4th century bce. Other landmarks include a ruined Byzantine fortress on the summit of a nearby hill. Picturesquely situated with several Lycian sites nearby, notably Xanthus, Fethiye is a growing tourist centre linked by sea with İzmir and Istanbul. Pop. (2000) 50,689; (2013 est.) 84,053.