Kaunos Rock – Cut Tombs
Kaunos rock (cut tombs) is one of the most interesting places in Türkiye with its rock tombs. It was once a commercially important port. However, it lost its port feature when the sea was filled with alluviums over time. The acropolis forming the heart of the city was built on a 152-meter-high hill. The northern part of the city walls dates back to Middle Ages. The long wall stretches from the north side of the harbour to the steep cliffs beyond Dalyan Village. The northern part of the wall was built in the period of Mausolus. He is the famous Satrap (governor) of the Caria region where Kaunos is located. His tomb is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and is located in Bodrum (Halicarnassos).
The walls in the northwest direction trace back to the Hellenistic Period (323 BC-30 BC). The walls extending towards the harbour dates back to the Archaic Period (750-475 BC). At the edge of the acropolis, there is the theatre of the ancient city. One of the buildings remaining in the western direction of the theatre belongs to the basilica type church. The others in the city are the remnants of the Roman bath and temple. The rock tombs seen from Dalyan are dated to the 4th century BC. They were later also used in the Roman period. The cavities carved into the rocks are places where giant fires were lit. They were used as lanterns to ships approaching the harbour to carry cargo to Kaunos.
