22 km northwest of Antalya, south of the Antalya-Korkuteli motorway on the slope of the 1650 m high Güllük/Solymn mountain, at an altitude of 1050 m, lie the remains of the antique city of Termessos. The area was declared “Güllük/Termessos National Park and Protection Area” due to the best examples of its regional flora, flowers and maquis vegetation, and unique fauna, primarily wild goat. In the Luwi/Etruscan language the word “Terme”, included in the root of the name, means “Pass/Mountain Pass” and “Assa” means “High Fort”, and as such, it was named Termeassa, meaning “Fort City on the Mountain Pass”. The area was also called “Termila”, that is, “Terme Pass” which then became “Dirmil” through a different phonetic pronunciation in today’s Turkish.

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Places to visit in Phaselis:

• Remains of the northern harbour and the breakwater
• The central harbour (military harbour)
• Southern harbour
• Columned road
• Hadrianus gate
• Theatre
• Agora of Hadrianus
• Agora of Domitianus
• Byzantine Agora
• Small baths and Latrina (toilet)
• Large baths and gymnasium
• Aqueduct
• Walls on the shoreline
• Outer walls and the gate
• Temples
• Cistern
• Necropolis
• Acropolis

Travelling from Antalya along the coastal highway in the direction of Finike, after the 60th km descending to the sea for another 2 km, the peninsula where the ancient city of Phaselis lies can be reached. The city is established upon a peninsula with three small bays. The maquis, Mediterranean flowers, eucalyptus and oleander trees are noticeable in the ancient city covered with pine forests all around.

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