▁century ▁BC , ▁and ▁thus ▁named ▁after ▁its ▁found ers . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁has ▁been ▁inhab ited ▁for ▁much ▁longer ▁than ▁that ; ▁arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁found ▁evidence ▁near ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁El mal ı ▁showing ▁that ▁the ▁Te ke ▁pen ins ula ▁has ▁been ▁settled ▁since ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁BC ▁( although ▁on ▁the ▁coast ▁nothing ▁has ▁been ▁un cover ed ▁d ating ▁before ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁BC ). ▁ ▁Trade ▁along ▁the ▁coast ▁was ▁established ▁first ▁by ▁the ▁Pers ians , ▁who ▁rel in qu ished ▁Ly cia ▁to ▁the ▁arm ies ▁of ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Great . ▁However , ▁the ▁coast ▁was ▁always ▁vulner able ▁to ▁forces ▁from ▁Sy ria , ▁Egypt ▁and ▁Rh odes ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁brought ▁within ▁the ▁emp ire ▁of ▁the ▁An cient ▁Rom ans ▁and ▁the ▁succeed ing ▁By z ant ines . ▁Even ▁then ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁were ▁threatened ▁by ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁arm ies ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁Pen ins ula . ▁Event ually ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁lost ▁to ▁the ▁Sel j uk ▁Tur ks ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁These ▁were ▁succeeded ▁by ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁from ▁ 1 4 2 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁town ▁was ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁Gree ks ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁population ▁exchange ▁between ▁Greece ▁and ▁Turkey . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁ ▁The ▁district ▁has ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 4 6 1 3 8 ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁ 2