Datça is where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. One side of the 70 kilometre long Datça Peninsula, which stretches to the west from Marmaris, is lapped by the waters of the Aegean and on the other by those of the Mediterranean. Those who go to the very end point of this peninsula, where the ancient city of Knidos is sited, can see that the inner port of the city is in the Mediterranean and the outer port in the Aegean. The Datça Peninsula is a large one, beginning at the narrowest point of the peninsula where the port of Bencik is and stretching all the way to Knidos.

 

At its narrowest point, the side facing the Gulf of Hisarönü where Bencik is and the side facing the Bördübet, it appears from looking


at a map as if it could split from the mainland at anytime. The distance between the two sides is as little as 800 metres. There were even plans in the past to cut a channel across the peninsula, thus turning Datça into an island. According to the historian Herodotus, the locals of ancient Knidos thought of digging up the narrow strip of land in the Balýkaþýran region and turning the area into an island after the Persians invaded Ionia. They tried very hard according to history but the peninsula resisted being separated from the mainland. Those who worked to break the stones and dig through the soil began to suffer from injuries to their eyes, forcing them to give up their efforts.

 

The geographer Strabon said, "God would send his beloved servants to Datça to live longer". These words were not uttered in vain as a story told in the region confirms what Strabon wrote. Some 450 years ago, Spanish pirates sailing near the peninsula decided to throw members of their ship’s crew suffering from the plague off the vessel. The pulled in to Sarýgerme Cove and left their dying crewmates. However, those who were left to die recovered thanks to the oxygen rich air of Datça. Legend has it that they founded a village on the foothills of Emecik Mountain, becoming one of the many peoples of these lands. However, in Emecik no one remembers the story and moreover they do not like it. It is not known whether the story is true or not but the fact is that the air of Datça makes one feel healthy.

 

This may be why the Dorian peoples established more 50 settlements in the region. Some 2,700 years ago, the population of the peninsula surpassed 70,000.

 

If you consider that today the population is under 15,000 you can see that there must have been an extraordinary civilisation.

 

In recent years Datça has been discovered again. Those who try to escape crowds, noise and pollution are choosing Datça as a place to settle and see out their lives.

 

You should not think of Datça as a place for a one day visit. Around the peninsula you will find as many as 52 coves, some of which can only be reached by sea and which for one full day will be yours alone. You will not be able to forget the beautiful sea with the stillness of an aquarium in Datça’s coves and beaches.

 

You can find small and beautiful hotels, sail by boat into its coves, make discoveries in the impressive ruins of the ancient city of Knidos and treasure memories of the pleasant Datça evenings.

 

The liveliest part of Datça is the area around the port, with many boats arriving daily. All types of places providing services to these boats are scattered around the port. Both near the port area and on the major streets running to the centre will find good quality restaurants and colourful bars. In the Ýskele (Wharf) district you see a miniature lake whose waters comes from the sea.

 

Three kilometres away there is the former centre of the town, known as Reþadiye, and those who are interested can visit to look at traditional Turkish stone houses. You shall not soon forget the Seljuk era mosque and the village of Hýzýrþah seven kilometres away. On the way between Old Datça and Hýzýrþah you can see old ceramic workshops, which date from the 4th century BC and which are being excavated. The privately owned house called Eski Konak in Reþadiye is interesting for its internal decorations and ceiling ornamentation.

 

The finds on the Datça Peninsula show that settlement there goes as far back as 2,000 BC. The first known local inhabitants were the Carians, while the peninsula enjoyed its most prosperous times during the Doric era. The Dorians came from Thrace to Greece and from Greece to the peninsula in 1,000 BC. They founded Knidos in the Burgaz region, 1.5 kilometres to the north east of the present centre. Knidos was the centre of the Doric civilisation. In 546 BC, with the Lydian state falling under Persian rule, Knidos also came under Persian control. In the 4th century BC, for commercial reasons, the site of Knidos was moved to the current location on the end of the peninsula where you see the impressive ruins of the city. The Dorians and the Romans built many temples in Knidos, with the city becoming famed for its statutes of Aphrodite. In the late Roman and Early Byzantine eras, the temples were replaced by churches. In the Late Byzantine era the population reached 70,000 but after a series of earthquakes and pirate attacks, the city was abandoned. The population of the peninsula shrank to one thousand.

 

In the 13th century, the settlements on the peninsula were linked to the Turkish Kingdom of Menteþeoðullarý. Datça became a part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. In the late Ottoman era Datça was known as Reþadiye, after Sultan Reþad, but was renamed Datça after the Turkish Republic was founded. In 1928, Datça became a township, with the first central district called Reþadiye and in 1947 it was moved to its current centre near the quay.

 

If you are holidaying in Datça do not forgo visiting sites around the town. There are of course the wonderful sand beaches and sun but there is also more than that. Minibuses run from Datça to nearby coves and the ancient city of Knidos, or you can reach these destinations by driving yourself or taking a shared boat. If you do not have your own vehicle we advise you to take one of the daily boat trips. There is plenty of fish in the waters of Datça. You will find very suitable rocks from which to cast a fishing line. The Datça coves are also ideal for those interested in wind surfing or for diving and the effort is repaid when you see the riches beneath the sea.

 

If you have a Datça guide with you can get to the Datça Hurmasý (Date Tree) after a difficult trip over the valleys and hills. These trees are of a species 65 million years old. You can go to one of the least occupied parts of the peninsula. But do not try to find it on your own as you will have little chance and there are wild animals such as bear and boar that can be dangerous.

 

If you want to see the typical windmills of the region, you should go to the village of Kýzlan, eight kilometres from Datça. The region is the windiest part of the peninsula, hence the many windmills

 

To get to Gebekum Beach, turn off the road from Datça to Yeldeðirmeni once you see the signpost for Perili Köþk and follow the dirt road for one kilometre. The road leads you to the beach. The seven kilometres long beach of Gebekum is suitable for swimming. With the help of the wind the sandy beach increases and expends. The moving sand has resulted in the area having shallow waters a long way out in to the sea, allowing you to be able to walk to the island opposite.

The Perili Köþk Hotel at Gebekum provides good accommodation facilities, with services provided to yachting tourists. There is equipment for diving and wind surfing available as the hotel caters to those interested in aqua sports. There are fishing boats in the area in the season. There is good fish in the area but no other fish restaurant other than that at the hotel.

 

There are many boats that sail from the port of Datça for half day or full day tours to the coves and surrounding areas. The half day tours go to the coves near the village of Mesudiye and then return. The target point of the full day tour is Knidos. On the way there and back you have numerous breaks for meals and swimming. Among the most interesting stopping points are the coves of Kargý, Hayýt, Kýzýlbük and Palamut.

 

On the peninsula there are some 52 coves and bays. To the north, on the Aegean side, these include the coves and inlets of Gökçeler Bükü, Küçük Çatý, Çatý, Kýzýldað, Alavara, Çakal, Damlacýk, Mersincik and Iskandil. Almost all them are stopping points for the Blue Cruise boats leaving from Gökova.

On the Mediterranean side of the peninsula, apart from the inner port of Knidos, there are the coves and inlets of Palamut Bükü, Akvaryum, Hayýt Bükü, Kýzýl Bükü, Kargý, Datça, Port, Karaincir, Sari Port, Karabük, Günlüncek and Lindos all in a row.

The larger port of Bencik on the Gulf of Hisarönü faces Datça on one side and on the other Marmaris.

Here is some information on the bays, inlets and coves that are popular stopping points of the daily boat tours on the peninsula’s Mediterranean side.

 

 It is in three kilometres from the centre of the town. You can also get there by municipal bus. Despite its being close to the town it is not crowded or heavily built over. On the cove you will see some restaurants and a few small pensions. Let us also mention that the calm sea and beach is very suitable for swimming.

 

Domuzbükü (Pig Inlet) is a place you choose for a holiday when you want to get away from it all and forget all about cities, including such things as television. There is no road link to the cove; instead you get there from Datça by boat on a one and a half hour trip. If you want to stay here the only accommodation are some bungalows in keeping with the natural character of the place. Apart from relaxing and swimming at Domuzbükü you can also make some short trips around the area. Nearby there is a cave and interesting stone formations that you can walk to see. At nights you can fill your time by looking at the sky, which here seems to have more stars than anywhere else, and at the light on the island of Sömbeki opposite. Of course, stars and lights on islands apart, there are also fires on the beach and signing to fill an evening.

 

These are the coves of the village of Mesudiye. You get to the village by turning left from the Datça-Knidos road and travelling for three kilometres along the dirt forest road. Another two kilometres further on you get to Kýzýlbük Cove, 20 kilometres from Datça. Do not come there in winter as the roads are bad and the restaurants are shut. In summertime what you find are fish restaurants, a beautiful beach and a clean sea. If you want to stay overnight or longer there are motels and pensions. It is green and in the upper areas there are pine trees.

 

This cove, 25 kilometres from Datça, is so beautiful that you cannot leave without dropping by a fish restaurant if you are on a boat or yacht tour. It is a beautiful inlet with barren hills softly sloping down and meeting the sea, forming a very long beach. Along the seaside there are village houses amongst the trees, a line of small pensions and summerhouses and fishing boats and yachts moored together in the port.

You can swim from the beach of sand and gravel stone. The sea is very clean and has a visibility of 25 metres and is suitable for spear fishing.

On the small island in the opening of the cove is there is a boat shelter.

 

As we said before, along the shores of Datça you will find 13 kilometres of beaches and sand. The closest beaches to the centre are those of Hatanealtý, Kumluk, Taþlýk and Azganlý. In the13 kilometres up to the Perili Köþk Hotel towards Marmaris you can swim anywhere. Those who wish can make use of the aqua sport activities catered to by the hotel.

Some parts of the beach have been given the Blue Flag certificate for cleanliness.

The Aktur Holiday Complex, Aktur Camping and the Karaincir and Hastanealtý beaches have been awarded Blue Flags for their quality and the standard of their facilities.

 

Knidos used to be a most advanced city in terms of science, architecture and arts. The famous astrologist and mathematician Eudoksus, the physician Euryphon, the famed artist Polygnotos and Sotratos who built the Lighthouse of Alexandria - one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world - all lived here.

The students of Euryphon founded the second most famous medicine school of their time in Knidos.

The sundial was developed by Eudoksus a great inventor of his time and at the historic site you can still see the sundial he invented.

 

The ancient city of Knidos has the most impressive ruins on the peninsula. You should definitely take the opportunity to see them.

Knidos was first built in the Burgaz region on the top of Dalacak Burnu (Point) to the north east of what is now Datça. Later, the city was moved to the top of Tekir Point on the western part of the peninsula.

If you are going to Knidos by land you drive from Datça on the road to Marmaris, taking the left onto the road marked for Knidos and travel another 33 kilometres, even though the sign says 35 kilometres. The road was has been upgraded and paved all the way to the historic site. You have to leave your car and walk after reaching the entrance to the ancient city.

On the way you will see many almond trees, the people of Datça being very proud of their plantations, saying the best almonds in the country grow in Datça. We give ten out of ten to the fresh almond (çaðla) that are picked in February but we also had the chance to taste them in April. In Datça they make a type of dessert you see nowhere else by stuffing almonds into figs and baking it. Try it.

After the turn the walls of Knidos partly accompany you, following the route of the path. At the entrance there is the museum and the lodging facilities for staff. You are now at the furthest point of the peninsula and there are two separate coves on the south and north. If one side get the winds the other is calm. It is hard to tell where the Aegean ends and the Mediterranean begins but the view from point where Knidos was founded can show you where the two seas meet at the Datça Peninsula.

There is an information board, in English, which will help you to visit the site.

The historian Strabon drew a parallel between the city and a theatre, comparing it to an amphitheatre that rose up to towards the acropolis. The private buildings are on the part of the peninsula that divides the inner and outer ports, with the hills slightly rising over the inner port towards the acropolis. There are four main streets, 10 metres in width, running in an east to west direction that cross the flat area of the city, though the streets running north to south and up hill are either steep or include stairs. The city was surrounded with defensive walls four kilometres long. Knidos covers a large area between the military port, the acropolis and the southern commercial port.

The peninsula known as Deveburnu used to be an island in the past. By linking it to the mainland artificial ports were created on both sides. On the reclaimed area a channel was opened to provide a passage. The northern port used to belong to the armed services and had two round control towers and was closed off by chains at its entrance. The control tower in the south is still standing. The inner port to the south was larger and used to receive merchant ships.

Knidos had two theatres, one with the capacity to seat 20,000 people and the other 5,000. The smaller one is to the south near of the inner port and the larger one was on the top acropolis, though little trace of it remains since its marble and stones were removed in the 19th century.

The most beautiful part of the ancient city ruins is the Temple of Aphrodite that overlooks both ports. The circular temple has a diameter of 17 metres. The statue of the Goddess Aphrodite was in the centre and the doors of the temple opened towards the statue. Now you can only see the bottom plinth of the statue. One of the interesting points of a visit to this ancient site is the sundial, which also measured the seasons. On the top of the hill there is the temple of Apollon where the city rises like a theatre. The Corinthian style temple right above the theatre was built by architect Stratos.

On the terrace in the middle of the road leading to the Temple of Apollon there was once a Doric temple that was later converted to an early Christian church. Today, you can still see the colourful mosaic floors of the churches. The excavations that were started in 1996 in Stao have so far uncovered one third of the of 3rd century BC building constructed by the famous architect Sostratos. The stoa is 113 metres long, 16 metres wide and has rooms of 5x3.80 metres inside. All of the rooms used to open up to the south. The finds from the excavations are on display in the small museum.

 

Knidos was once famed for its nude statue of the Goddess Aphrodite, carved by the artist Praktiteles. It was so beautiful that people from other cities used to come to see it. Up until then, while statues of gods made nude, those of goddesses were usually carved so as to depict them partly covered, exposing one breast and the neck. Praktiteles’ Aphrodite was the first nude statue of a goddess in the world. Even when Knidos went though financial hardships the people refuse the offer of a large sum of money from the King of Bithynia for the statue and preferred to keep their Aphrodite and stay in poverty. This statue has never been found but its plinth is still here. Between the years 1966-1977, the Americans conducted some excavations in order to find the statue. However, such activities were later banned by Turkish authorities, though new excavations have begun under the leadership of Professor Ramazan Özgen.

 

In the historical site there is a restaurant that provides services in summer. If you do not go to Knidos with your own vehicles choose to get there by boat. The shared boats run a return trip from Datça to the site. In addition, minibuses run to within seven kilometres of the historical site. For more details on the ancient city of Knidos see the book, Ancient Cities of Turkey, one of series of by the Gezi Publication books.