The finds in the ancient city date back to 2000 BC. The first known indigenous people of this place are the Carians. Its heyday was during the Dors period. The Dorians descended to the south over Thrace in 1000 BC and founded Knidos, the center of the Doric civilization, 1.5 km north-east of today's Datça town center.
The ancient city of Knidos was moved to the tip of the peninsula in the 4th century BC for commercial reasons, where there are today's magnificent ruins. Strabo states that this place was established along the coast and on the island in front of it. By filling the sea between the island and the land, 2 separate ports were obtained. The small harbor was called the Northern Harbor and was used for military purposes. The port in the south was used for commercial purposes. The remains of the breakwater at the mouth of the harbor and the tower in the North Harbor are still visible.
There were 2 theaters in the ancient city, one with a capacity of 20,000 and the other with a capacity of 5,000. There was a small theater in the south near the commercial port and a big theater in the Acropolis. Today we cannot see the stones of these structures. Because stones and marbles were taken by ships in the 19th century.
The ancient city was a cultural and art center as well as a very important trade center. The most beautiful point of this place is the Temple of Aphrodite, which dominates both ports. The Aphrodite of Knidos, located in the Temple of Aphrodite (Aphrodite) in Knidos, made by Praxiteles, one of the most famous sculptors of the period, is considered a very important work. The Statue of Aphrodite was located in the middle of the temple. The doors opened to the statue. Artists always prioritized Aphrodite in religious festivals organized with the participation of Ionian cities. People came from far away to see the statue. We see only the pedestal of the statue, which has not been found until today.
As for the story of the Knidos Aphrodite Statue... Kos, one of the 6 Doric cities, asked Praxiteles to make a statue of Aphrodite. Praxiteles made two statues, one of which is nude and the other is covered with folded cloth. Kos chose the clothed one. The naked one is left to Knidos. Thus, with the Aphrodite Statue, also known as Naked Aphrodite, a female body was embroidered with such courage for the first time. Praxiteles of Athens made history as the first artist to adapt the nude female figure to sculpture.
