Situated within the boundaries of Çandır neighborhood in Muğla'ç Köyceğiz district, along the mountainous slopes flanked by the Dalyan River, the ancient city of Kaunos traces its origins back to mythological narratives. According to legend, the city was founded by Kaunos, one of the twin children of Miletus, on the border between Caria and Lycia. The historian Herodotus notes that while the Kaunians claimed Cretan origins, the similarity of their language to Carian makes it far more likely that they were the indigenous inhabitants of the region.
According to mythology, a dramatic tale of forbidden sibling love lies behind the city's foundation. Kaunos's twin sister, Byblis, wrote a letter expressing a deep and non-sisterly love for her brother. Faced with this revelation, Kaunos chose to flee with followers to establish a new settlement elsewhere. His twin sister, driven mad with grief, searched for her brother and attempted suicide; legend says that the Dalyan River emerged from her tears.
Archaeological finds indicate that the earliest traces at the site date back to a 9th-century BC amphora. Although architectural remains primarily date to the 4th century BC and later, the city developed as a thriving trading port during the Persian invasion and the subsequent Delos League era. Known in antiquity for exporting items such as salt, salted fish, pine resin, and dried figs, Kaunos changed hands numerous times due to its strategic position.
Throughout history, the city fell under the rule of the Persians, Alexander the Great, Hellenistic kingdoms, Rhodes, and the Roman Empire, experiencing great prosperity during the Roman era. In this period, the amphitheater was enlarged, and Roman baths and a palaestra were constructed. Christianized early on, Kaunos was renamed Caunos-Hegia during the Byzantine era, and the acropolis castle was fortified with walls.
The decline of Kaunos accelerated from the 7th century onwards due to Arab and pirate raids, followed by invasions of Turkish beylics. Economic stagnation in the 15th century, a severe malaria epidemic, and an earthquake led to the complete abandonment of the city. Long forgotten, the ancient site was rediscovered in 1840 by Richard Hoskyn, bringing knowledge of the city back to light.
Today, located within the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area, Kaunos welcomes visitors with its acropolis, 5000-seat theater, rock tombs, agora, and temple ruins. Easily reached by boats from Dalyan, this historical site carries the traces of the past into the present through its mythological roots and unique nature.
Wikimedia research dossier · Last checked: 2026-09-20 22:12:39
