HISTORY OF OLYMPOS

The ruins of Olympos date back to the early Hellenistic period circa. 200-300 BC. The city takes its name from the ancient Mount Olympos situated to the north, which dominates the skyline when viewed from the beach. The modern name for the mountain is ‘ Tahtalý Dað ‘ , which means ‘ wooden mountain ‘. Olympos became the principal city in eastern Lycia, playing a major role in the Lycian Confederacy.

In 78 BC the Romans defeated the pirate Zenicetes who had made Olympos his stronghold. The city was then deemed Roman property to be given, sold or leased to private individuals, becoming a thriving part within the Roman Empire. Festivals were held in honor of the god Hephaistos (Vulcan), who was worshipped in connection with the eternal flames. The city gradually lost its importance during the 11th and 12th centuries when the Genoese, Venetians and Knights of Rhodes used the city as a trading post during the crusades. The city seems to have been abandoned sometime during the 15th century when the Ottoman navy establishes its supremacy over the eastern Mediterranean.
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