Turkey Property | Caunos

An ancient Greek colony and early seat of Christianity, a short boat ride will take the modern visitor into the age-old ruins of Caunos, while turtles add an extra dimension to this remarkable city.

Also known as Kaunos or Kaunus, legend states that it was founded by Kaunos, who was loved by his sister Byblis but he ran from her, she pursing him across Asia Minor until she died and was turned into a water spring by the gods.

Caunos was established during the ninth century BC and reached local prominence around 400 BC, partly because it lay on the border with the kingdom to Lycia, meaning that it saw much mixing between this and its own kingdom of Caria. This is still visible in the remains visible today, such as the city wall, as well as the tombs from both these ancient states that lie at the foot of Mount Tarbelos.

Of these tombs, it is the ones with carved entrances that resembled classical Ionic temple porticoes that attract the most wonder, providing some of the most remarkable funerary designs in the whole of Turkey. They have an interesting history too as archaeologists believe that while the original occupants of the tombs would have been Greek nobles, they were reused in Roman times. For those with an interest in how the ancients constructed their wonderful architectural works, there is even an uncompleted tomb for the curious to examine and look at the designs.

Religion and the afterlife also remains in the form of four temples, as well as a later Byzantine Christian basilica from the fifth to eight century AD, which formed one of the earliest bishop's seats in Christendom.

As with the other former Greek cities in the region, the Romans left a large legacy on the architecture. A Roman fountain is dedicated to the emperor Vespasian, the same ruler who started work on Rome's famous Coliseum, while the remains of large baths also show the influence the now-dead empire had on the city, which in turn exported its delicious figs across the Mediterranean.

Other works of classical architecture also draw tourists around the site, including the large theatre which overlooks the city's old port. Although the harbour has long since silted up, Caunos once was surrounded by the Mediterranean and lay across the water from the island of Rhodes. Now the sea is around three miles away and has been replaced by a marsh.

However, the marsh is appreciated by many turtles as it is one of the few in the Levant that are suitable for the Giant Loggerhead Turtle to breed. Females lay their eggs in the sand in June and locals can no longer go to the beach at night to protect the amphibian, though during the day tourists can look and sunbathe.

The fact that one can approach Caunos by boat on a scenic ride also helps attract visitors, who tend to come from the nearby town of Dalyan, which lies in the south-west of Turkey. View our Turkey property near by to this scenic location.

Turkey has a wealth of archaeology and historical sites ready for discovery. Click here to view the main places of interest.