Caunos
According to our citizen historian Heredots from Bodrum, Carian people from Caunos claimed that they come from Cretans. An old geografian Strabon said that there used to be a dockyard and a port opened and closed depending on needs in Caunos. The city was founded by Miletos's son Caunos who was said to have an illegal relationship with his twin sister. The king tombs that can be seen from Dalyan were built in the 4. BC and were used by Romans. Death bodies were placed inside the rock caves made by Lycian style. Two Ionian columns take place around the pediments. Suluklu Lake below the acropolis used to be the city port. At those times, the sea reached to the city centre (acropolis). When Anatolia was occupied by Persians the city was ruled by Persian governor Mausolos. Later, caunos was ruled by Antigonos and then by Egyptian Ptolemeus after the Great Alexander in 334 BC. Rhodes Kigdom, Pergammon Kingdom and Roman Empire ruled the city in row. When the port was filled with sand it lost its importance. The acropolis was built on a 152 meters height hill. Northern walls of the city are like rins from middle ages. The long city walls start from the north of the port and streches up to the rocks in Dalyan. North part the walls were built in Mausolos period and north-west part in Hellenistic period. The one close to the port was made in Archaic age. The city theatre is below the acropolis. It has 33 rows. Ruins in the west of the theatre belong to the church there. Others are a Roman bath and a temple. Another unfinished building and a three steps platform take place below. Temple ruins can be seen there. A stoa was found in diggings in the North of the port in Suluklu Lake. The fountain there was restored. To see the city walls and towers you have to make long expedition tour. If you want to see the ancient port of the city (now Suluklu Lake), you can take a boat. Boats are always ready at Dalyan landing place.
Caunos Anfi Theatre
Caunos ancient city is situated on the coast of Dalyan canal which connects Koycegiz Lake to the sea. You can go to the ancient city which is 27 km far from south Koycegiz by motorboats from Dalyan. City walls of Caunos start from the North of the port and finish atv rocky area above Dalyan village. Caunos, founded in 8. BC or earlier, was a famous seaport city untill the beginning of 1. AC. Today wide reeds and swamps take place between the city and the Mediterranen Sea. The acropol of the city is located on a sharp hill. There are a 15 thousand-person theatre, a temple, a Roman bath and a meeting area in the acropol.