We came across an interesting article the other day which gave us a little glimmer of hope for some of Fethiye’s crumbling ruins.
The article focused on the rock tombs of Dalyan and said that nanotechnology is going to be used to restore and protect the rock tombs from further erosion; the first time nanotechnology will be used in Turkey for the protection of archaeological sites.
I read the article through to the end, in the hope that Fethiye’s Lycian tombs would get a mention. They did!
They’re apparently going to receive the same treatment as the rock tombs in Dalyan which is fantastic news.
And what about this for a double whammy; Fethiye’s ancient Telmessos theatre is also going to be restored.
As you can see from the photo above, it’s not before time. We first visited Fethiye in 1998 and the theatre had visible seating and, although not restored, was quite a sight.
Since then, the greenery has crept further and further down towards ground level and what (we think) could be a significant feature in Fethiye is now almost unnoticed by visitors.
Whenever we walk past that area, I always feel sorry for it. It cries out for help.
We’ve been in Turkey long enough now to know that just because someone says restoration work is going to begin on Fethiye’s theatre soon, it doesn’t necessarily mean work is going to begin on Fethiye’s theatre soon.
But, the funds are apparently being released this year by the powers that be in Muğla.
We can start to at least imagine the future for the ancient Telmessos theatre. Concerts?
There has been the odd one in the past. How fantastic it would be to be able to watch a show in the restored theatre, overlooking Fethiye harbour.
That would be a good crowd puller for Fethiye, surely?
At the very least, it would be great to see it sympathetically restored to some sort of former glory.
We’re not quite holding our breaths in anticipation of all of this exciting restoration in Fethiye beginning any time soon, but when this continual heavy rain decides to stop for a while, we’ll be off up to the theatre so I can take some photos.
Well, ‘before’ and ‘after’ could be very interesting.
If you’re in the Fethiye area at all this year, it might be a good time to visit the site as in its yet-to-be-restored capacity, it sits on the edge of the street and is free to enter. You just have to use your imagination while you’re wondering around.
Fethiye’s Ancient Theatre – More Info
- Fethiye’s theatre is situated on Fevzi Çakmak Caddesi, opposite the harbour where you board the catamaran for Rhodes.
- At the time of writing, there is no entrance fee.
Turkey's For Life
Friday 8th of April 2011
@ Joy: There's a lot to be done everywhere, I think. We've not been to Aphrodisias but a couple of friends drove up there last year while visiting Pamukkale. They loved it.
Joy
Friday 8th of April 2011
That's great to hear! I hate to see so many of Istanbul's old walls just crumbling around here!
On a side note, I've been reading about the theater and ruins at Aphrodisias. We are going to make a drive this summer to explore there. Have you been?
Turkey's For Life
Monday 4th of April 2011
@ Raymond: We'd never heard of it. Will be interesting to see how it's used.
@ Cathy: It would be great to attend a concert at the amphitheatre. Great acoustics and fabulous views over the harbour.
@ Angela: Glad you're enjoying hanging out with your Turkish friends. Are they the ones you did the blog post on a while back?
@ Everyone: Thanks for all your comments on this post. Kelly, we may well be waiting five years for this restoration to even start! :) It would just be amazing if it became a significant feature of Fethiye.
ping
Monday 4th of April 2011
What a beautiful location it's situated at. So right to restore it.
Anjuli
Monday 4th of April 2011
How wonderful if it is finally restored!