a major city of ancient caria, muğla is known to have been occupied by raiding parties of egyptians, assyrians and scythians, until eventually the area was settled by ancient greek colonists. the greeks inhabited this coast for a long time building prominent cities, such as knidos (at the end of the datça peninsula) and bodrum (halicarnassos), as well as many smaller towns along the coast, on the bodrum peninsula and inland, including in the district of fethiye the cities of telmessos, xanthos, patara and tlos. eventually the coast was conquered by persians who were in turn removed by alexander the great, bringing an end to the satrapy of caria.