Kaunos is one of the most fascinating ancient cities in Turkey, renowned for its rock tombs. The city was a significant commercial hub, but its harbour feature was lost due to the gradual filling of the sea with alluvium. The acropolis, which forms the heart of the city, is situated on a hill 152 metres high. The northern part of the city walls dates back to the Middle Ages. The long city wall starts 152 metres north of the harbour and extends to the steep cliff beyond Dalyan Village. The northern part of the city wall was built during the reign of Mausolos, the famous satrap of the Carian region in which Kaunos was located. The city walls in the northwest direction date from the Hellenistic Period (323 BC-30 BC), while the walls extending towards the harbour date from the Archaic Period (750-475 BC). At the foot of the acropolis is the theatre of the ancient city. One of the building remains on the west side of the theatre is a basilical church. The other ruins in the city are the remains of the Roman bath and the temple. The rock tombs, which can also be observed from Dalyan, were constructed in the 4th century BC and were subsequently utilised during the Roman period. The hollows incised into the rocks were the locations where immense fires were ignited, which served as lanterns for the ships docking at the ancient harbour to transport cargo to Kaunos.
KAUNOS ANCIENT CITY
