The first location of Cnidus was half-way along the Datca peninsula. The residents moved it to its present site both on the Island of Tropium and on the mainland in about 365 B.C. The island is now connected to the mainland by a low, narrow isthmus which forms two small good harbors. Its citizens grew wealthy from commerce; the peninsula was famous for its wine. It was a center of culture: two theaters and an odeum suggest many hours of entertainment.
The city also had a good medical school. Praxiteles’ most famous statue, that of the nude Aphrodite, was bought by the city after the people of Cos rejected it in favor of a more modest and less celebrated woman. The original of the Cnidus statue is still being hunted; the best copy is in the Vatican Museum.
Ctesias, the Persian historian, was a native of Cnidus as was Sostratus, the builder of the Pharos at Alexandria. The Pharos was a lighthouse considered one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Eudoxus, one of the great astronomers, was also born in Cnidus. He perhaps was the head of Plato’s Academy when Aristotle joined it in Plato’s absence in 367 B.C. Eudoxus had his own school later in Cyzicus. He made a map of the stars and invented the horizontal sun dial.
There were a number of temples in the city, among them ones to Dionysus and Aphrodite. Games were celebrated there in honor of Apollo and Poseidon. The agora, the Temple of Aphrodite, the odeum, and two theaters can be seen in the ruins, thanks to recent excavations.
Cnidus was the last landfall mentioned in Asia Minor in Paul’s journey from Jerusalem to Rome. He had been put on an Egyptian ship in Myra which sailed up the coast to Cnidus; because of headwinds they took a good many days to reach it (Acts 27:7). They probably did not anchor there because of the inclement weather which continued and in fact got much worse. Instead, they went on to Fair Havens in Crete where Paul advised them to winter, but, a southerly breeze springing up, the captain put out to sea again hoping for a better harbor. The wind changed and “for days on end there was no sign of either sun or stars, a great storm was raging, and our last hopes of coming through alive began to fade” (Acts 27:20).
They had run out of food before Paul saw a vision in which he was promised safe journey for himself and all on board. After two weeks they were shipwrecked, but all were saved: some swam to land, some paddled ashore on planks or parts of the broken ship. It was the island of Malta where they landed and then spent the winter. With better weather they continued on to Rome where according to tradition Paul immeasurably strenghtened the church, wrote some of his undying letters, was tried as an incendiary in the great fire during the reign of Nero, and was executed.
Knidos Lion “This colossal lion weighs some six tons. Made from one piece of marble, it was mounted on a base crowning a funerary monument. The monument itself was square with a circular interior chamber and a stepped-pyramid roof. It is a type of funerary monument inspired by the greater tomb of Maussollos, built about 350 BC”
The setting is beautiful, with two small harbours of crystalline water. However, if you do it in July like I did, you really will not want to wander for hours under the sun. The road to get to Knidos is basic, to say the least, and you should allow some 45 minutes of careful driving, but it is worth it.
The best time to visit this place is in April when the flowers are blooming , the weather cooler and you will probably be the only visitors. As many have stated the restaurant there is over priced so take supplies with you. I have visited many times and still haven't seen it all. I particularly love the remains of the…
Don't go there after 9 in the morning or before 6 in the evening, as we did. In the furnace-like heat of a July day the crumbled remains of something antique and once glorious are tremendously hard to enjoy.
Well perhaps not quite Ephesus but the ruins are very extensive and you can explore where you will. Information is a little sparse but well worth a visit just for the beauty of the place. Served by a little bar next door with expensive (but not outrageous) drinks.
Spread over two hillsides, Knidos is like a diagrammatic guide to the shape of a Hellenistic city. The location – two harbours, sea on both sides – makes it one of the most attractive sites to explore, and is a text-book reminder of how important sea travel was in the ancient world!
We have visited these ruins several times and it is always a treat. The site is located at the extreme point of the Datca peninsula and the drive to reach it is breathtaking – in more ways than one!
The site is extensive and at various stages of excavation. Once at the site you have the choice of swimming in…
Two harbours – one military and one commercial – dating from Roman times. Large area where you can wander freely looking at the way ancient buildings were laid out. Beautiful sea. Not crowded.