Türkiye’s 2,500-year-old Knidos faces controversy over parking expansion

The planned expansion of a parking lot at the 2,500-year-old Knidos Ancient City, a significant site from the Carian period, has sparked heated debate. Experts fear that the project could damage the historic fabric of the site.

Located at the tip of the Datca Peninsula, Knidos is one of the most prominent ancient cities in western Anatolia. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has approved the “Knidos Archaeological Site Environmental Planning and Visitor Reception Center Project,” which includes an expansion of the existing parking area.

Scholars defend project, but experts urge caution

Professor Ertekin Doksanalti, head of the Knidos Excavation and Restoration Project and a faculty member at Selcuk University’s Archaeology Department, reassured that the project is being conducted with strict adherence to archaeological methodology, ensuring that cultural heritage remains unharmed.

Speaking to Cumhuriyet, Doksanalti emphasized the necessity of managing the increasing number of visitors and maintaining accessibility to the site.

However, several experts have voiced concerns, advocating for alternative solutions. They suggest that parking facilities should be constructed outside the ancient city, closer to the entrance, to prevent potential harm to the historic remains.

Referring to international examples, like the visitor management approach at Gobeklitepe, specialists stress the importance of sustainable tourism planning to preserve Türkiye’s rich archaeological heritage.

Knidos: A jewel of Aegean, Mediterranean

Knidos, renowned as one of the most affluent cities of the Classical Age, sits at the meeting point of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. The city, now within the borders of Mugla’s Datca district, can be reached via a 35-kilometer (21.7-mile) drive from central Datca, though the final 8 kilometers consist of gravel roads. During the tourist season, boats and yachts also provide access to the site.

The ancient city was originally located on an island, which later merged with the mainland to form a peninsula. Encircled by robust defensive walls with round and cornered towers, the city’s best-preserved sections, dating back to the fourth century B.C., are visible at the Acropolis. The site also features a vast necropolis spanning approximately 7 kilometers to the east.

Knidos follows the orthogonal city plan of Hippodamus, with four parallel east-west avenues intersected by a north-south main street. Among its significant ruins are the Temple of Aphrodite, the Corinthian Temple, an ancient theater, a Roman tomb, the Agora, and remnants of the city’s harbors.

Strabo noted that Knidos was originally situated along the shore and an adjacent island, later connected by landfilling to create two separate harbors: a northern military harbor and a southern commercial harbor.

Today, visitors can still see the remains of the piers and the defensive tower of the northern harbor.