Alinda
Hidden In The Latmos Mountains
with Slowtravelguide
Hidden In The Latmos Mountains: Alinda
There are a lot of reasons why an ancient site is interesting to visit. Alinda ticks a lot of boxes. Alinda has a lot of everything: Located on a hill with beautiful surroundings, integrated into a village, pleasant atmosphere and several other attractions in the neighbourhood, Lake Bafa, Alabanda Ancient Site and more.
Queen Ada Of Caria
Alinda was an important city at his time, not obvious now if you visit it. Still, it was chosen by Queen Ada of Caria to stay in exile after being overpowered by her brother Pixodarus.
Queen Ada In Exile
The history of the city date back to Hittite times, known as Ialanti.
It became vital in history when in 334 BC, Alexander The Great conquered Miletus and Caria, and Queen Ada adopted him as her son.
He conquered Halicarnassus with the support of her. Queen Ada was reinstated as the Queen of Caria until her death.
At the dead of the queen, Alinda fell in the hands of the Greeks, and later in the 3rd Century BC in the hands of the Seleucids. Being an important centre of trade, the city made its own coins until the 3rd century AD.
Alinda, The Agora And Market Building
The Landmarks
The ancient site is not overwhelmingly big, and the ruins are not too far apart from each other. They are surrounded by lush greenery and the impressive Latmos boulders.
Making the tour of the site feels more like a walk in nature than visiting an ancient site. Most of the structures are located on the mountainside but the impressive Agora sits close to the village of Karpuzlu on one of the lower terraces.
The Agora And Market Building
Without any doubt, the Agora at Alinda is the most famous building you get to see. The building is almost 100m long and 12m high, and it dominates the view above the town of Karpuzlu, which is also the endpoint of the Caria Trail. Two of the three stories are more or less intact. On the first floor, you still can find two rows of 12 rooms of which people think they were shops.
The Agora
The second floor is thought to be a loan stoa with a colonnade with double Doric order columns.
The Agora
The road to the Agora is waymarked, and there is a parking space near the start. There is no income fee or official entrance
The Agora
The Agora sits near the Marketplace on top of a vast area of the hill, overlooking Karpuzlu.
Big parts of the Agora at ground level are still intact. Also is the impressive row of columns on the 1st floor.
The Towers
The Square Shaped WatchTower
You can approach the watchtower from 2 directions, climbing up from the Agora to the top of the hill, which is sometimes challenging while not being too difficult.
Or you can choose the hike from the other side of the hill where the Roman Aqueduct is located, easier but you first have to drive about 5 km around the mountain to get to the Aqueduct.
The Tower
The climb to the tower is more than worth it because and it will also give you access to the Theatre.
The City Wall And Towers
The Theatre
The theatre, which sits on the slopes of the hill just below the summit, is, while climbing not always easy to find, nature took over, and little to no excavating was done here. There are vaulted entrances to the Diazoma on two sides.
That part of the theatre is well preserved. Inside the theatre, a lot has been left to discover. The theatre has a capacity of 5000 seats on 31 rows.
Still some excavation to do in the theatre
With some luck and a lot of imagination you maybe will able to recreate in your head all the ancient games that people helt in the past.
What To Expect
How To Get: Private or Rental car (Check the map below). Please click for the Public Transport.
Nearest Airport: Bodrum Milas Airport.
Parking: Yes.
Terrain: Medium To Difficult (Please wear sturdy shoes).
Stroller: No
Income: Free
Facilities: Exist In Karpuzlu Town.
Best Time To Visit: All year depending on the weather.
The Alinda Roman Aqueduct.
The Aqueduct
Near the west side of the hill, you can find the remains of the Aqueduct. It used to be 85 m long and 7 m high.
Water was carried through 12 km of clay pipes from a nearby spring to the Aqueduct.In the past, this part of the Aqueduct with the four arches spanned a river.
On the very edge of the paved road you will see a building, in which there is an attendant. If you want, he will direct you to the ruins and give you information about the ancient city. Free brochures are available.
The Ancient City of Alinda and its surroundings, located on the 850-kilometer-long Carian Road, are worth a visit because of its history and its wonderfull nature with many olive trees fields.
Alinda is another of those places that are often overlooked by travelers. We promise that if you take the time to visit, it will be worth it. Please note that this site is unexplored and there are no facilities in the vicinity. But that’s not important. The remains speak for themselves.
Be sure to visit the Ancient City of Alabanda before or after your visit to Alinda. It’s only half an hour away by car!
If you have any questions about a place, feel free to ask. You can send us a message through our contact page, or leave a comment on our Instagram or Facebook pages.
You can also join our group Turkey Travel Photography on Facebook to share your lovely photos or experiences about Turkey.
Places We Recommend
Side
Are you looking for a lot of different things in a holiday resort? Do you like to experience the cultural atmosphere, the charm of the old town, and the fashionable wine and delicacies at a romantic seaside dinner? If this sounds like your happy place, go to Side, Turkey! (Read More)
Alabanda
Alabanda is not well known by the public. Alabanda is located in Araphisar, near the village of Doganyurt, Aydın. The ruins sit in the middle of the village, or better, the village is built on the ruins of Alabanda. There are a lot of farms and the farmers go on with their daily life, cows are everywhere. (Read More)
Aphrodisias
Aphrodisias was not always the name of the site. The history of Aphrodisias goes back to the late Neolithic period. Other names for Aphrodisias were Lelegonpolis, Megalopolis, Ninoi, Karya and Geyre, which is still the village’s name today where Aphrodisias (a UNESCO site by the way) is located. (Read More)
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