Phaselis was founded by Rhodes in 690 B.C. Like Olympos, Phaselis was a Doric colony of the Pamphylians. According to legend, the inhabitants preceding the Phaselitians were Lycian. The name of the town is derived from the Greek 'phaselo', meaning finely shaped boat, which emphasizes the importance of ships and the sea for the Phaselitians. Coins minted in the 5th century B.C. show ship figures.
The Persians controlled Phaselis for 80 years. Then the city became a member of the Attica-Delos confederation. Phaselitians concentrated on trade, and the city was known as the most prominent port until Attaleia (Antalya) was founded in the 2nd century B.C. The city was again taken under Persian control in the 5th century B.C. When Alexander the Great arrived in 334 B.C., they offered him a golden crown. The city became part of the Lycian federation. In 129 A.D., Emperor Hadrian visited Phaselis and many buildings and statues were dedicated to him. In the 9th century, the port of Attaleia overtook Phaselis as the most important harbor in the gulf. According to historians, the buildings in Phaselis were torn down so that the stone blocks could be used in the city walls of Attaleia.
Phaselis was harassed by Arab raids, inhabited by the Seljuk Turks in the 12th century, and abandoned in the following century. Today, you can see the ruins of three ancient harbors, an aqueduct, the monumental gate, a Roman theatre, and the acropolis. According to legend, Zeus's daughter Athena, the goddess of wisdom and agility who created the olive tree, was the primary goddess at Phaselis.