Situated in the ancient region of Lycia and discovered by the British archaeologist and traveler Charles Fellows, Cadyanda is located within the borders of Fethiye district in Muğla province. Perched on a hilltop near the town of Yeşilüzümlü at an altitude ranging from 400 to 900 meters above sea level, the settlement resembles an eagle's nest. In antiquity, the city lay on the Kaunos-Araxa road, sharing borders with Bubon to the north and Araxa to the east. The decree of Pixodarus, now housed in the British Museum, reveals that the original Lycian name of the town was Xadawãti.
Because of the suffix "-nd" in its name, which appears as Kadawanti in Lycian inscriptions, scholars suggest that the history of the settlement may date back to the 3rd millennium BC. However, the earliest remains visible on the surface date back to the 5th century BC. As an important settlement within the region ruled by Xanthus during the Classical period, Cadyanda was also notable for its specific coin minting. Although not directly mentioned by ancient authors with the possible exception of Pliny, the surviving ruins demonstrate that the city was far from insignificant.
The architectural fabric of Cadyanda was shaped in harmony with the natural topography. The city is surrounded by walls rebuilt many times to adapt to the terrain and steep slopes, with substantial sections remaining particularly on the south side. Polygonal city walls from the Hellenistic period form the retaining walls of the ancient theatre and exhibit high-quality stonework. Additionally, a stadium, baths, a podium temple, a running track, an agora, residential ruins, and cisterns have been identified at the site.
Among the most striking architectural elements is the Hellenistic theatre leaning against the southern slope of the acropolis. Built by utilizing the natural slope as a typical Lycian period structure, the theatre was repaired and used again in the Roman period. On one side of the agora stood a Dorian temple, on whose walls a long list of contributors was legible. The eastern part of the stadium is also dated to the Roman period.
The significance of the water supply problem in Cadyanda is evidenced by the cistern ruins at the site. Four major interconnected cisterns located under a wide field at the eastern part of the stadium indicate how vital water collection and preservation were for the ancient city. Public structures such as baths and a running track further reinforce the identity of Cadyanda as a fully functional city.
The necropolis area, located in the southern part of the city outside the fortress walls, serves as a source of epigraphic richness. The necropolis has been plundered and partly destroyed, and much of the area was overgrown during a visit in 2016. The vaulted form of house-type rock tombs and sarcophagi close to the city—rarely seen in Lycia as a whole—along with tombs bearing inscriptions and reliefs along the uphill road, constitute the notable funerary architecture of the region.
Settlement activity in Cadyanda continued until the 7th century AD. However, remains belonging to this late period are quite limited compared to the intensive early construction phases.
Today, visitors can reach Cadyanda by following the village road between Yeşilüzümlü town and Ortaköy village, then turning south onto an 8-kilometer stabilized forest road at the Ecebeli locality. The surviving visible remains generally date from the 5th century BC onwards, and certain paths allow visitors to walk along most of the sights.
Wikimedia research dossier · Last checked: 2026-09-20 22:11:51
