Knidos

Overview

At the very tip of the Datça peninsula, a whole Greek city spills down a hillside to two ancient harbors. Marble theater seats look out over the water, and the round base of a temple stands on a terrace above the sea. This is Knidos, home of Praxiteles’ celebrated Aphrodite. For a day at the tip of the peninsula, join our Knidos day trip.

Come by road through the almond groves of the peninsula, or by boat into the old harbor, and stay for the sunset over the sea.

Knidos, the City at the End of the Peninsula

It was a Greek city of ancient Caria, at the site of modern Tekir, opposite the headland once called Triopion, today Cape Krio. Back then, a causeway and bridge joined the headland to the mainland and split the channel into two harbors. Today a narrow sandy isthmus links them, and two strong moles still largely enclose the larger, southern harbor.

In size, the city was nearly a mile long, and ruins still cover the whole area inside its walls. Around the acropolis, the walls survive remarkably well. Earlier, the city probably stood near today’s Datça, halfway along the peninsula.

History of Knidos

A Dorian city of trade

It was a Dorian city, by tradition founded by colonists from Sparta. Later, together with Halicarnassus, Kos and the three Rhodian cities of Lindos, Kamiros and Ialyssos, it formed the Dorian Hexapolis. There, the six cities held their assemblies and games for Apollo, Poseidon and the nymphs on the Triopian headland.

Thanks to its position, the city grew rich on trade and even founded colonies on Lipari and in the Adriatic. Later, it submitted to Persia and then to Athens, and the Romans rewarded its help against Antiochus III by leaving it free. In the Hellenistic age, it also had a medical school.

Famous Knidians

The astronomer Eudoxus came from here, and so did Sostratus, who built the famous Pharos, the lighthouse of Alexandria. Even Artemidorus, a minor character in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, was a Knidian.

What to See at Knidos

The theaters and the agora

Over the years, excavators have identified the agora, a theater and a smaller odeon, along with many other buildings, so the plan of the city is clear. Much of the great theater is gone: its stones were carried off for Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul and for Mehmed Ali Pasha’s palace and mosque in Cairo. From the seats of the smaller theater, you look down on the twin harbors.

The Temple of Aphrodite

Besides the theaters, Knidos also had temples of Dionysus, of the Muses and of Aphrodite. For Aphrodite, Praxiteles carved his most famous statue, the Aphrodite of Knidos. Sadly, the original is lost, but late copies survive, and a well-known one is in the Vatican Museums.

Treasures in London

In the 19th century, Charles Newton excavated here. In a temple enclosure, he found the seated Demeter of Knidos and sent it to the British Museum. About three miles southeast of the city, he also found a colossal marble lion, perhaps a memorial to the naval Battle of Cnidus. Today the Knidos Lion stands in the Great Court of the British Museum.

Sunset at the Tip of Datça

The site lies on the southern side of the Gulf of Gökova, at the end of the Datça peninsula. Today, the old harbors still shelter boats, and the ruins glow at sunset.

How to Visit Knidos

Getting to Knidos

• By road: drive west from Datça town to Tekir at the tip of the peninsula.
• By boat: excursion boats and yachts anchor in the ancient harbor.
• Combine it: see the tomb of another Carian king at the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Bodrum, across the Gulf of Gökova.

Local tips for Knidos

• Climb to the theater for the best view over both harbors.
• Bring water and a hat, because the site is large and open.
• We arrange your entry to Knidos, by road or from the boat.