Termessos
Termessos is a visitable archaeological site in Korkuteli, Antalya, Türkiye, with surviving remains visible on site.
Photo: Ingo Mehling · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Country
- Türkiye
- Region
- Korkuteli, Antalya
- Civilisation
- Anatolian heritage
- Period
- Classical–Hellenistic–Roman
Through time
The story
Termessos, also known as Termessos Major (Τερμησσός ἡ μείζων), was a Pisidian city built at an altitude of about 1000 metres at the south-west side of Solymos Mountain (modern Güllük Dağı) in the Taurus Mountains (modern Korkuteli, Antalya Province, Turkey). It lies 17 kilometres to the north-west of Antalya. It lies on a natural platform on the slopes of Güllük Dağı, which itself rises to 1,665 metres.
Termessos is one of the best preserved of the ancient cities in Turkey. The city was founded by the Solymi, who were mentioned by Homer in the Iliad in connection with the legend of Bellerophon. Originally a Pisidian settlement, it integrated into the Greek world after Alexander the Great's conquests. By the turn of the second and third centuries AD, under Imperial Roman rule, it had become a thriving provincial city.
Formal excavation has started in 2025 on the lower city, Termessos also has been explored and surveyed, leading to extensive publications of over a thousand inscriptions. Because of its natural and historical riches, the city is included in the Mount Güllük-Termessos National Park.
Adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What you will see
- Theatre
- Agora
- Odeon
Before you go
- Check opening hours and ticket rules shortly before your visit — they change seasonally.
- Plan for the heat. Most ancient sites have little shade; go early or late.
- Respect the barriers. Fragile surfaces are protected for the next visitors.
Discoveries from Termessos
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