Kaunos - Main Archeological Sights

Main Archeological Sights

Kaunos is a site which is both interesting for its archeological and ecological importance. Situated in Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area, it offers outstanding vistas and is rich in wildlife. The ruins of the city are near Dalyan, on the west bank of the ancient Kalbis river. The main sights at the archeological site itself are :

• the Acropolis (Persikon), situated on a 152m high rock, fortified with Byzantine walls. The city's acropolis was called Imbros and it lay at the foot of Mount Tarbelos (present-day "Mount Ölemez").

Adjacent to the acropolis is a smaller fortification, called Heraklion. Until the 5th century BC this 50m high cape reached into sea and there were two ports south and north of it. From the Acropolis there is a stunning view of the ancient city, Dalyan, the Dalyan river, the estuary and İztuzu Beach. From the small fortification, you look down onto a traditional dalyan (fishing weir), which is situated quite near to the former southern port.

• the amphitheater on the slope of the acropolis featuring both Hellenistic and Roman characteristics.

The theater has a diameter of 75m and has been built under a 27 degree angle. It had a capacity of 5000 spectators and is in fairly good state. It is still occasionally used for performances.

• the palaestra with its Roman baths, a wind measuring platform and a domed Byzantine basilica.

Research by the archeological team has shown that the palaestra was built on top of a part of the old city. Most probably this was a place of worship before.

The Roman baths served as a social meeting place and were meant to impress the Kaunians -by their sheer dimensions- of the power of the Roman Empire. In the Byzantine era the baths were dismantled and the frigidarium was re-used as a church. The wind measuring platform dates back to 150 BC and was used for city planning. According to the archeologists Öğün and Işık, it must have consisted of a circular building with a base diameter of 15.80m and a top diameter of 13.70m. The building has collapsed, however, probably as a result of an earthquake. The measuring method is therefore not quite clear. In De architectura by the famous Roman architect Vitruvius it is stated that wind measuring platforms were used to plan streets in accordance with the prevailing wind direction, in order to keep the air in cities clean. The domed Byzantine basilica on the palaestra terrace dates back to the 5th century AD. It was made with building materials taken from previous buildings on a foundation belonging to a 4th century building that was probably also used as a place of worship. The archeologist team think that its inner walls were plastered and decorated with frescoes. The domed basilica is the only remaining Byzantine edifice in Kaunos that still stands. Next to the basilica mozaics have been disclosed .

• the port agora, the stoa and the nymphaeum.

The port agora is located at the flat area in front of Sülüklü Lake. It dates back to the 4th century BC. and kept its function as an economical, political and social meeting place until the end of the Roman era. The remains of pedestals indicate that there must have been many (bronze) statues of influential Romans, but these have not been found. Most likely these were smelted in the Byzantine era, for the archeologists found a smelting furnace of that period near to the pedestal of a bronze equestrial statue of the Roman governor of Asia, Lucius Licinius Murena. The covered stoa at the north side of the agora offered sun and rain protection. The stoa was created in the early Hellenistic era (3rd century BC), but part dates to the early Roman era. The Nympheon is also Hellenistic, but the fountain basin was extended during the Roman era. Inscriptions from the period of Emperor Hadrian reveal that the toll for merchants and boat owners was relaxed to compensate for the gradually silting port.

• the temples.

Six temples have been excavated, two of Hellenistic and four of Roman origin. Probably the terrace temple of the 3rd century BC facing a circle of columns has the greatest appeal. Inside the circle an obelisk has been found, which is also depicted on old Kaunian coins. The obelisk was the symbol of king Kaunos, who according to mythology established the ancient city bearing his name.

Outside the official Kaunos archeological site, there are:

• six rock tombs on the Dalyan river (4th - 2nd century BC), which are Dalyan's prime sight.

The façades of the rock tombs resemble the fronts of Hellenistic temples with two Ionian pillars, a triangular pediment, an architrave with toothed friezes, and acroterions shaped like palm leaves.

• the Kaunos city walls.

The spectacular Kaunos city walls were erected during the reign of Mausolos in the 4th century BC. They are extraproportional in relation to the size of Kaunos and its population, presumably because the satrap had high expectations of the city's future as a marine and commercial port. The city walls start west of the inner port and run along the hills N and NW of the city, to the top of the steep cliff opposite Dalyan centre. There is a walking track along the wall, starting at the Çandır water station. The regularly-shaped rectangular blocks and the way the blocks have been positioned give a fine impression of Hellenistic building techniques. Parts of the wall are well-kept, other parts have been taken down and rebuilt.

• the niche tombs at the port of Çandır.

Kaunos is surrounded by ancient necropoli, because the ancient Greeks and Romans always buried their deceased at considerable distance from their homes. The niche tombs were the most common ones. The ashes of the deceased were put in urns and then placed in a niche. At the port of Çandır, some km beyond the archeological site of Kaunos, there are tens of niche tombs hewn from the rock of Kızıltepe.