Xanthos

Being the capital city of the Lycian Union and evidently the greatest, Xanthos antic city lies about 80 km. southeast of Fethiye. Xanthos was discovered by British archeologist Sir Charles Fellows in the 19th century. Dating back to the 8th century BC Xanthos extends to the Iron Age. Xanthos lies in the valley of the Xanthos River that falls to the Mediterrenean Sea. The Lycian Union is accepted as the oldest republic of the world consisting of 20 independent cities managed by a council and a president chosen by these cities.

In the 7th century BC Xanthos got under the control of the Lydia. In 545 BC it was destroyed by the Persians, and Lycia stayed under Persian domination until the end of the 5th century. From the 2nd century BC Xanthos enjoyed a period of flourishing prosperity under the Roman dominance. Xanthos people are known for their devotion to independence. 2 times in history, Xanthosians committed mass suicide instead of submitting to the enemy.

Being only 10 km to Xanthos, another Lycian City, Letoon with Xanthos, are considered as a double site in Lycian Union. Two cities were very closely linked and Letoon actually was administered by Xanthos. The two cities, Xanthos and Letoon, are one of the most important archeological sites in Turkey. For this reason, it has been registered in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Currently there is a French team excavating Xanthos and Letoon..