Last updated on December 18, 2023.
At the very end of Datça Peninsula, about a 45 minute drive from the town of Datça, are the ruins of Knidos (Κνίδος). It was an ancient Greek city in the Caria (Καρία) region. The city was partly on the mainland and partly on an island connected by a causeway.
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Visiting
Admission is 50₺ (as of May 2023) if you want to explore the ruins thoroughly, but they can be seen from outside the gates. The site is open daily.
Small Theatre
I had to use my imagination because the ruins weren’t as impressive as I was hoping, but they are well-marked. We started at a small theatre just near the entrance.
Stoa
Next, we walked by the long stoa, which had a couple of reconstructed columns.
Temple of Dionysus
In front of the stoa was what used to be a Temple of Dionysus. A basilica was built on top of it. This became a common theme. Many Byzantine-era churches were built on the ruins.
Walking Up
From there, I climbed up to the top of the ruins using an ancient road. On the way up, I saw a small ruined church until I got to a Temple of Apollo and a small altar.
The higher I went, the more I could see. At one point, I could see four Greek islands and a hidden cove. It was possible to make out the small strip of land that separates the ruins and a small mountain with a lighthouse on the end.
Tholos
At the highest point there is a tholos, which was a circular temple. Most people walked back down at that point, but we continued to the lesser-explored sections of Knidos.
More at the Top
Some of the gems we found were a sundial and the bouleuterion, where council members met in ancient times.
We also found the ruins of a church with a mosaic floor and a very interesting carving in Arabic script.
Harbor
In the harbor, which is outside of the archaeological park, is a pier that juts out into crystal clear water. In the summer, there are all kinds of boats and yachts moored there, but in the low season, it was completely empty. If it was just a bit warmer, I would’ve jumped right into the water and had a nice swim.