Not quite the Cities of Gold (Kaunos (Dalyan,Turkey))

Member Name: yackers1

Product:	Kaunos (Dalyan,Turkey)
Date:	10/09/09 (154 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The ampitheatre is very impressive, great views

Disadvantages: Little shade so take a hat and loads of cream, Couldn't find any scorpions

****History****

Years ago the ancient city of Kaunos was located in the historical region of Caria near the border with Lycia and right near the coastline on an isolated rocky hill that was surrounded by marshes. The shallow waters around Kaunos were a fantastic source of fish and salt, so the population survived by trading these natural resources, however its most famous export was figs, which were exported to Rome.

The kings and most prominent citizens of Kaunos built their tombs the way Lycians did. The tombs started off small and soon got larger and larger and the design changed to represent small temples, hence the smaller tombs are the older ones. All tombs were raided by thieves, and the contents pinched a long time ago.

The location of the ancient harbour can still be seen although it is no longer linked to the sea. This 'lake' is now affectionately known as Suluku Golu "the Pond of the leeches".

Most of the buildings next to the harbour are of the Roman period. Kaunos consisted of a tholos (circular temple) surrounded by a square portico. The ancient theatre of Kaunos was built by excavating the slope of the hill. Later on additional rows of seat were added, along with underground galleries.

****My experience****

In all honesty, I have never used to be one for ancient ruins, they just tended to bore me rigid. Maybe it was because I didn't have the interest, or the imagination to stand there and actually try to think about what the building/temple/column or whatever structure actually looked like when it was complete, or maybe it was a mental block because most school trips were centred around ruins and history and 'old stuff' just wasn't considered cool.

My other half has a fascination for mythology, ancient ruins and history and whilst she has tried to pass this off on me it hadn't worked. If I was in Dalyan on my own, or with a group of male friends, then there is no way I would have even contemplated going to the ancient city of Kaunos. The only reason I went was to entertain my other half, besides she accompanied me white water rafting (something she did not want to do) so it was the least I could do.

It is very easy to get to Kaunos from Dalyan and it involves crossing the river followed by a hike of about a mile the other side.

At the bottom of Dalyan's river front there is a small house with four or five rowing boats moored outside, and using one of these is the easiest way to cross the river. You can't hire the boats but for the equivalent of 20p you get chauffeured across the river and given a pomegranate to eat en route, you can't get better value than that. The lady who rowed us across the river must have been in her seventies and I did feel very guilty and offered to row but she declined. I'm quite glad she did because despite her age she was as fit as a butcher's dog and talk about row, she would be an asset to one of the teams in the Oxford/Cambridge boat race.

Once over the other side of the river we said a huge thanks, and goodbye to our chauffer and left on our own. Like everything in Dalyan, the 'other side' of the river was geared up for tourism. There was a small wooden shack selling pancakes, drinks and other refreshments with lots of outside seating. The path to the ancient city of Kaunos was clearly marked so it was simply a case of putting our walking shoes on getting going.

The walk to Kaunos is hard work with most of it being up a steep gradient although there is an even road surface, which makes it a little easier. There is no cover from the sun and it can get very, very hot so it is advisable to take a hat and plenty of sun cream and apply it regularly. Despite being a tough walk the scenery is breath taking and there are excellent views of the rock tombs (that can also be seen from Dalyan) all the way up to the ancient city. Upon reaching the perimeter fence of the site the only way in is through the official gate. We were met by a smiling attendant and after handing over about 50p each we were told to have fun but look out for the scorpions and snakes.

Walking in to the site I must admit that I was still not that impressed but, with my other half acting like a child at Christmas, I thought I had better get in to the spirit of things and make like I was excited, enthusiastic and chuffed to be there. Once I was in the mindset of 'I'm here - I need to deal with this' I must admit that I actually found it enjoyable. Whilst much of the remains are small and uninspiring there are a few that are very well preserved and quite complete, with the main attraction being the amphitheatre.

The amphitheatre is very, very well preserved and it is massive. I was actually in awe of it, and for the first time ever at any ruins (at least I think it is) I actually started to imagine what it may have been like when in use. When there are no guides yapping on, disruptive school children shouting and misbehaving and no irate teachers disciplining the children I find it is very easy to get soaked up in the atmosphere and get lost in the moment. Maybe I had the desire and imagination all along and it was the background noise of my peers that stopped me truly enjoying the (what I now consider to be) wonderful experience of strolling around ruins.

From the heights of the amphitheatre, you can see for miles around, and once again, the views are just indescribably awesome. There are fields, marshland and a lake (which was the old harbour) that was linked to the sea in years gone by. If you ever get to go to the ancient city of Kaunos make sure you have a camera for the scenery, if not the ruins themselves.

The rest of the ruins aren't as impressive as the amphitheatre but they are well worth a look. What I really liked was that we could get up close and personal. Nothing was roped off and we could get to absolutely everything, unlike many of the ancient sites in the UK where you can't get within 300m of the ruin "in order to make sure it lasts for another thousand years" or "just in case it falls down". Whilst I see the reasoning for this, in reality there is no need for such stringent measures and the ancient city of Kaunos is living proof of that. Thousands of tourists enjoy the site each year and it is still standing, even though the tourists are given the opportunity to climb up ruins, swing off things etc, in reality most don't and they will respect the site and not take parts away as a souvenir.

There is always someone, or something, on the site as it is the grazing land of several goats. I never actually saw a vicious or boisterous goat although they are inquisitive and will come over and say hello. They are easy to get rid of with a wave of hands and a sharp "shoo". I would not recommend chasing them away because there is a chance they are going to come back at you once your back is turned. Because of the goats there is a lot of dung around so I would recommend leaving the flip flops for the resort and wear some sensible foot wear.

I never actually saw any scorpions (much to my disappointment) or snakes despite keeping a close eye out for them. I did, however, see many different types of lizards and reptiles, although none of them were anything special. Despite this seeing the wildlife does add to the experience.

I should stress that there is no shade on the site at all and the only way to get out of the sun is to crouch behind some ruins, which is not good. We were warned of the lack of shade during our briefing meeting when we first got to the hotel but I thought the rep was just exaggerating. Luckily, we went during a cloudy morning that turned in to blazing sunshine just around the time we were ready to go. If you do get to experience this city then I would highly suggest taking a hat and some cream and cover up, whether it is sunny or not. If you do get caught short of a drink whilst on site there is a wooden kiosk, and souvenir shop, selling refreshments. Whilst these are at inflated prices, which is to be expected where there is a captive audience, they are still much, much cheaper than standard priced drinks in the UK.

The site is not massive and it is possible to have a good look around in approximately 3 hours. Despite this you are free to stay there all day and there is plenty of grassy areas to have a pic-nic and sunbathe. Just remember to watch out for the goat dung, and the scorpions and snakes (if you are lucky enough to get near any).

After our trip we ventured back down towards the river. Half way between the ancient city of Kaunos and the river there is a small house, which seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Walking past a man suddenly sprung out of the gate way and offered us a drink of freshly squeezed fruit. By this time the sun was fierce and we were quite parched so we accepted. Whilst his wife was squeezing the fruit we were shown to a chair shaded by the sun by a large tree. Sitting there over looking the rock tombs was fantastic and it really did give us a chance to kick back, relax and really soak up the moment. The man tried to make small talk but his English was not that good and our Turkish non-existent so it was very awkward and quite uncomfortable. Luckily, his wife appeared with the drinks before it go too awkward so it didn't turn out too bad. The drinks ended up costing about £3 each, which is extortionate and daylight robbery but it was nice to sit there for a bit. If you get collared by this man, no matter how nice he is or how hot it is, just remember the drinks are going to be very expensive.

Once we reached the river we were unsure exactly how to hail the boat back and stood there looking over at the water-front of Dalyan. It really is a beautiful and magical place. The old lady caught us looking and waved (the river really isn't that wide) and jumped in the boat to come and collect us. We boarded the boat and was given yet another pomegranate and set off. I tired to give her some more money but it appears that the 20p was for a return trip!

****Conclusion****

This was not the most thrill-seeking excursion we did during our stay in Dalyan but it is one I am very pleased we did. If we had not gone I definitely would have missed out on something magical and special, despite my reservations.

I really enjoyed walking around the ruins, touching them and seeing what they are really like. The amphitheatre is something special and having the opportunity to climb to the top most seats was just fantastic, least not for the spectacular views of the Suluku Golu. A great time was had and it cost virtually next to nothing. I would highly recommend going to Kaunos, even if archaeological sites don't interest you.


(This review has been posted on other review sites under the name of Yackers1)

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