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<div class="content-section" lang="en"> <h2>History of Finikeh2> <p>The first Finike was founded by the Phoenicians in the 5th century BC under the name Phanikos, exactly where the Aykırıçay Stream flows into the sea. For many years, it served as a port through which Limyra, the capital of Lycia, exported its agricultural products. Because of this, it became one of the Phoenicians' most important trade centers. It is also rumored that the name Finike was derived from the Phoenicians. The first settlement of Finike (Phoinikos), an important port city in antiquity, was the "İskele" (Pier) Neighborhood. It is known that the Acıçay stream—a wide canal with a high flow rate but low velocity passing through this neighborhood—served as a port where loading and unloading took place, hence the name İskele. Although some interpret the name as suggesting the city was founded by the Phoenicians, PHOINIKOS means "red horse" or "red flock of sheep" in Greek. This name, perfectly aligned with the region's livestock, indicates that the settlement was a Greek foundation. Ruins and findings also confirm this. Among the ruins visible in the center of Finike, the most prominent are the city walls dating back to the Hellenistic period, with the lower parts belonging to the Roman Era and the upper parts to the Byzantine period. The tower opposite Atatürk Park reflects these two eras. Several rock tombs on the northern edge of the cliff opposite the State Hospital, along with a rock tomb near the old prison, are the main ruins from the same period visible in the center. During the Late Byzantine period, a relatively small settlement existed in Finike. Some remains exhibited in Cumhuriyet Park and a large building used as a warehouse opposite Ziraat Bank constitute the Late Byzantine ruins.p> <p>Geographically, the Finike district is located on what is today called the "Teke Peninsula," known as Lycia in ancient times. Lycia was bordered by Pamphylia to the east, Caria to the west, and Pisidia to the north.p> <p>It is known that the Teke Peninsula has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. However, "archaeological research in this region has not yet identified a settlement dating back further than the 2nd millennium." Linguistic studies reveal that place names used in the region resemble those found in various parts of Anatolia dating back to 3000 BC, leading to the conclusion that there were settlements in Lycia around 3000 BC as well. Thus, archaeological documents and linguistic data are sufficient to prove the existence of a settlement in Lycia in the 3rd millennium BC. However, the findings are not enough to fully explain who established these settlements.p> <p>Many opinions have been put forward by historians regarding the name Lycia and the origins of the Lycians. According to Herodotus, the Lycians were a community that migrated from Crete. According to Oktay Akşit, "As ancient Eastern and Egyptian sources show, the Lukkas, or Lycians, are a people who have lived in Lycia since at least the middle of the 2nd millennium BC." Excavations in the village of Semahöyük, 11 km from Elmalı, revealed an Early Bronze Age settlement. Although there are many historical ruins within Finike's district borders and its immediate surroundings, their history does not go as far back as Semahöyük. The oldest findings obtained from archaeological research on these ruins belong to the Lycian civilization. The Lycians' alliances with neighboring states and their participation in overseas wars prove they had a state structure and a strong naval fleet. During the colonization period, settlement in only one city in the east of Lycia shows that the Lycians maintained their strong position in the 1st century BC. "It is understood that between the colonization period and the invasion of Lycia by the Persians in the middle of the 6th century BC, the Lycians were independent and possessed their freedom. The fact that Lydia, a powerful state at the time, could not bring the Lycians under their submission demonstrates this." The development of Eastern Mediterranean trade first drew the Persians, and later Alexander the Great, to Lycia, and Alexander took all of Lycia under his control in 330 BC. The Lycians did not resist this invasion and surrendered. The reason was their hope that the Persian oppression would completely disappear with Alexander. But on the contrary, after Alexander's arrival, the Lycians never regained their full independence. "The weakening of control after the death of Alexander the Great caused Syria, Egypt, and Rhodes to establish hegemony in Lycia from time to time; this turmoil was replaced by stability when the Lycian League was founded by Pericles, the Lord of Limyra, towards the beginning of the 2nd century BC." When the coasts became a pirate haven again in later years, "Pompey came here with great commanding authority in 67 BC and ended piracy, and in 43 AD, Lycia and Pamphylia were united by Emperor Claudius, and the new province was named Lycia-Pamphylia." With the beginning of early Christianity, Myra (Demre) became the center of the religion spreading in the region. Having lost all their values during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the Lycians faded away under Byzantine rule. The region, which experienced short-term Arab attacks and occupations during the Byzantine era, remained under the rule of the Anatolian Seljuks between 1207 and 1308. During the Anatolian Seljuk State period, the Teke Tribe was settled in the region. After the collapse of the Anatolian Seljuks, the region remained under the rule of the Tekeoğulları Principality between 1308 and 1361, and Ottoman administration began in 1426 when the Ottomans dissolved the principality. Finike, which was a sub-district center affiliated with the Elmalı district under Ottoman rule and became a district itself in 1914, suffered a brief Italian occupation between 1919 and 1921 following World War I.p> <h3>The Seljuk and Ottoman Periodsh3> <p>With the weakening of Byzantium, Arab attacks began to be seen in the region. In fact, some areas were occupied by Arabs from time to time. The 1071 Battle of Manzikert heralded Turkish domination in the region, and in a short time, Finike and its surroundings, along with all of Anatolia, came under Seljuk control. Anatolian Seljuk rule lasted between 1207 and 1308, during which the Teke Tribe from Central Asia was settled in the region. Following the fall of the Anatolian Seljuks, our region remained under the rule of the Tekeoğulları Principality between 1308 and 1361. After the Tekeoğulları Principality was abolished by the Ottomans in 1426, Ottoman administration began in the area. Finike, which was a sub-district of Elmalı under Ottoman rule and became a district in 1914, underwent a short-lived Italian occupation between 1919 and 1921.p> <h3>Finike Todayh3> <p>Finike has a population of 50,688 across its 26 neighborhoods. Becoming a district in 1914 and a municipality in 1923, the year the Republic was proclaimed, Finike has gained a distinct social identity in the region due to its long-standing administrative status and the influence of civil servants arriving from various parts of the country. For this reason, foreigners visiting Finike express this noticeable social atmosphere as follows:p> <blockquote>"It is as if Finike is a city plucked from the Mediterranean coasts of Europe and placed on our Mediterranean coasts. It is clean, well-kept; and its people are open to innovation, affectionate, and hospitable."blockquote> <p>Finike State Hospital has undertaken the responsibility of being a regional hospital with its fully equipped status. Therefore, it provides health services not only to its immediate surroundings but also to the Kumluca, Kale, Kaş, and Elmalı districts.p> <p>The Turkish Bath-Sauna facilities, built by the Finike Municipality in 1993, serve everyone, both locals and foreigners. The building, where Seljuk and Ottoman architectural motifs are stylized with today's modern style, has features that will keep the bathhouse tradition alive.p> <h3>Atatürk and Finikeh3> <p>Although at first glance it may seem that there is no close relationship between Atatürk and Finike in the research conducted, when we go into more detail, we see that there were individuals personally connected to Atatürk, such as Sergeant Hasan and Driver Kemal.p> <p>Hasan Çavuş (Sergeant Hasan) from the Yazır village of Finike served as a close bodyguard to Atatürk. Hasan Çavuş performed successfully in the 3rd Company of the Ankara Guard Regiment, whereupon Major İsmail Hakkı Teker rewarded him by assigning him to Atatürk's mansion. Hasan Çavuş carried out this honorable duty alongside 12 privates.p> <p>There is an incident related to Atatürk that has been widely written about. Many people in Finike are unaware that the real hero of the anecdote about the soldier whom the great leader Atatürk asked to wrestle, and who replied, <strong>"My Pasha, the seven powers of the world could not defeat you, how could I?"strong> was Hasan Çavuş from Finike. Hasan Çavuş passed away on October 29, 1998, on the 75th anniversary of the Republic.p> <hr> div>