It is said that the ancient city of Phaselis was founded by colonists from Rhodes in the 7th century BC on a small peninsula extending into the Mediterranean Sea. In the legend of its foundation, it is told that the colonists responded to the local people's offers of corn or dried fish with a request for fish. Its geographical location indicates that it is an important port city. It has three harbors, one in the north of the peninsula, the other in the northeast and the third on the southwest coast. The ports, agoras and ship depictions on the city coins emphasize Phaselis' identity as a commercial port.

Phaselis is sometimes called Lycia and sometimes Pamphylia. In reality it lies between the borders of both regions. The city was ruled by Persia in the 5th century BC, by Cyrus' satrap Mausolus in the 4th century BC and finally by Pericles, king of the neighboring city of Lmyra. The welcoming of Alexander the Great with a golden crown in 333 BC is one of the most colorful pages of the city's history. Phaselis, which changed hands many times after Alexander, became a member of the Lycian Union in 167 BC and minted union coins. After being sacked by the neighboring city of Olympos and pirates for a while, Phaselis came under Roman rule in 43 BC, which was the beginning of the reconstruction and prosperity that would last at least 300 years. The city was visited by Emperor Hadrian in 129 BC. The monumental single arch at the entrance to the main street from the south harbor commemorates this visit.

The 5th and 6th centuries were centuries of Byzantine rule and Phaselis was among the cities that participated in the Council of Chalcedon in 451. After the Arab raids in the 7th century, a new period of prosperity began in the 8th century. After the Seljuk siege in 1158, Phaselis lost its importance due to earthquakes and the loss of functionality of its harbor and was completely abandoned from the beginning of the 13th century. Mostly Roman and Byzantine ruins have survived to the present day. These are lined up on both sides of the main street, which forms the main axis of the city and connects the north-south harbors. The street widens between the agora and the theater to form a small square. Stairs in the southeast corner of the square provide access to the theater and the acropolis. The theater is a typical Hellenistic Period theater of small size. The remains indicate that the stage building was added during the Roman period, and during the Late Byzantine period, the wall of the stage building was partially part of the new city walls protecting the city. To the right of the bend at the entrance of the ruins are the remains of the old city walls (3rd century BC) and the foundations of what may be a temple or a mausoleum. The slope behind the northern harbor is the cemetery area of the city.

The most monumental structure that has survived to the present day is the aqueducts. The water needed by the city was brought from the spring on the hill to the north. There are three agoras, one opposite the theater and the other two to the right of the main street leading to the southern harbor. In the agora opposite the theater, there are remains of a small basilica from the Byzantine period. Two other important remains of the city are the ruins of two baths, one small and one large, located in the city square. Especially the remains of the small baths provide information about the heating system of Roman baths. Historians write that the chief goddess of the city was Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom. It is thought that the Temple of Athena and other important structures that have not yet been found are located on the acropolis hill, which is covered with forest today.

It is said that the ancient city of Phaselis was founded by colonists from Rhodes in the 7th century BC on a small peninsula extending into the Mediterranean Sea. In the legend of its foundation, it is told that the colonists responded to the local people's offers of corn or dried fish with a request for fish. Its geographical location indicates that it is an important port city. It has three harbors, one in the north of the peninsula, the other in the northeast and the third on the southwest coast. The ports, agoras and ship depictions on the city coins emphasize Phaselis' identity as a commercial port.