The City of Ada Although the history of Alinda settlement dates back to 2000 BC, information about this period is limited. The ruins that have survived to the present day mostly belong to the 4th century BC. The first and only appearance of the city in historical records is associated with Queen Ada, the sister of Mousolos. Around 340 BC, the Carian administration in Halicarnassus began to experience internal turmoil. Although Ada was supposed to sit on the throne, Piksodaros took over the government and exiled her to the city of Alinda. When Alexander the Great arrived in Caria, Ada went to meet him and offered to support him against his relatives who had seized the throne by force. As a result, after Alexander conquered western Anatolia, he left Ada in charge and gave her the administration of the whole Caria. The Symbol of Splendour and Power Visitors first arrive at the Agora building, a significant structure in the city. The building has three floors, with the top floor meeting the Agora at the north. The ground floor opens onto a narrow terrace to the south. It is divided into two shops, each containing two chambers, by an uninterrupted wall that extends lengthwise from one end to the other. The city boasts several significant structures, including the theatre and Agora located in lower Acropolis. The theatre's rows of seats and cavea, which exhibit characteristics of the Hellenistic period, have been preserved at approximately their original heights. Additionally, the aqueduct, standing on four pillars at the western end of the Acropolis, is another noteworthy structure. The tombs, well-protected in the necropolis areas, are also among the significant remains of the city. Chamber tombs are scattered throughout the surroundings of the city, extending to the far slope of the hill beyond the aqueduct. These tombs are mostly of the 'Carian' type, which are cavities cut into large pieces of rock and covered with a separate cover stone. The sarcophagi are generally plain, with signs of engraving only at the short edges of the lids.
ALINDA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
