The stadium of Arykanda has only half the length of a normal stadium. The tribune, consisting of two trapezoidal sections, is located only on one side of the running track. The stairs to the stadium as well as the supporting columns can be dated to the 2nd century AD.

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.