The (Greek) theatre of Arykanda dates back to the 2nd century B.C. The cavea was beaten directly into the mountain below the stadium. It has 20 rows of seats, which are completely preserved. The stage house is 26 m wide.
From the auditorium, one has a wonderful view of the breathtaking mountain world that was already praised in antiquity. The theatre was completely excavated at the beginning of the 80s of the last century by archaeologists from the University of Ankara.

The first traces of settlement on the site date back to 2000 BC. The ancient city was founded in the sixth century BC by Lycians (coin finds from the 5th century are the first evidence) and was one of the cities of the Lycian League. From the 2nd century BC the name appears in Roman sources, the inhabitants of the city are described as extravagant and wasteful. Further history shared the city with the rest of Lycia.
Why the city, which was still a bishop's seat in Byzantine times, was abandoned is still unclear. The excavations in the area of the town continue to this day.