Carian MonumentsLagina (modern day town of Turgut in Muğla province) was an ancient religious sanctuary in Caria, dedicated to the goddess Hekate. Administratively connected to the city of Stratoniceia by a 9-kilometer sacred road, Lagina has the only known monumental temple dedicated to Hekate in the ancient world. While Hekate was typically a minor or liminal … Read more
Myndos (modern Gümüşlük) was a significant coastal city in the region of Caria, located on the western tip of the Bodrum Peninsula. While historically overshadowed by its neighbor Halicarnassus, Myndos holds strategic importance due to its sheltered harbors and defensive positioning. The site is characterized by a “tombolo” formation, where the small Asar Island (Tavşan … Read more
Pedasa, located in the Gökçeler locality of modern Bodrum, was one of the eight principal Lelegian cities established on the Halicarnassus Peninsula. Ancient literary sources identify the Lelegians as ancestors of the Carians; however, archaeological evidence suggests they possessed a distinct cultural identity characterized by unique architectural forms and traditions. Historically, Pedasa is notable as … Read more
Heracleia Salbace was situated on the slopes of Mount Salbacos (Babadağ) at the northwestern edge of the Tavas Plateau (modern Vakıf, Denizli). Geographically positioned at the border of Caria and Phrygia, the city was separated from its western neighbor, Aphrodisias, by the Timeles River (Yenidere), a natural boundary revered by both cities. The epithet “Salbace” … Read more
Sinuri was a local Carian sanctuary located approximately 15 km southeast of the ancient city of Mylasa (modern Milas) on a hill known as Asar Tepe. Unlike other major regional sites, Sinuri remained a distinctly indigenous cult center that was never syncretized with a Greek deity. Unlike Zeus Labraundos, Sinuri retained his indigenous name throughout … Read more
The ancient city of Thera is situated on the rocky Okkataş hill (Taşyenice) in Ula-Muğla. While early researchers tentatively identified the site as Oula or Kyllandos, extensive surveys conducted between 2011 and 2014 have firmly identified the site as Thera. The city’s territory encompassed the plains of Yerkesik, Yenice, and Ula, secured by a planned … Read more
Stratonikeia (modern Eskihisar) was a prominent city in the interior of the ancient Carian region. Known as the “city of white marble,” it is distinguished by its continuous habitation since the Bronze Age. Stratonikeia is located in the west of Yatağan Plain on the northern slope of the Kadıkulesi Hill. The city is on major … Read more
Labraunda was the principal extra-urban sanctuary of the Carian city of Mylasa (modern Milas), situated at an altitude of approximately 750 meters in the Latmos mountains. While functionally a religious center dedicated to Zeus Labraundos, it served simultaneously as a political assembly point for the Carian region, reaching its architectural apogee under the Hecatomnid dynasty … Read more
Knidos (Cnidus) was a prominent ancient city located at the tip of the Datça (Reşadiye) Peninsula, positioned where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas meet. The city, which prospered through trade, became the religious center of the Dorian Hexapolis and gained renown for its advanced urban planning and the legendary Statue of Aphrodite. Archaeological findings suggests … Read more
The city Mylasa is located on the western edge of the Milas plain, at the center of the modern city of Milas. The area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. As in the present day, in antiquity it lay at a junction point that connected the coastal harbor settlements with the inland cities. In historical … Read more
