| If you are looking for a unique yachting holiday or | | | | statues including the lions, which are all now at the |
| vacation, you should try a sailing voyage to ancient | | | | Museum except for one of the lions that got broken |
| city of Cnidus in Turkey. | | | | in transit. |
| Cnidus is an ancient site in Turkey that is being | | | | Can Yucel, a well-known master of Turkish poetry |
| closely studied by archaeologists and historians. | | | | has described Cnidus in two sentences: |
| Ramazan Ozgan, the archaeology professor of Konya | | | | "Staring at it, looks greener than the algea, |
| Selcuk University in Turkey, who has been presiding | | | | Yet more blue, swimming a stroke." |
| over the excavation studies in Cnidus for 16 years, is | | | | Aphrodite bathed in this water, according to the |
| working with a group of 22 students; in addition, Prof. | | | | Greek mythology. Although Cnidus is one of the best |
| Dr. Wolfgang Ehrhart from Freiburg University also is | | | | preserved areas, ignorance has taken its toll on this |
| working to uncover the rich heritage of Cnidus. | | | | precious cultural site. Some valuable pieces have been |
| Centuries ago Cnidus, originally a Phoenician | | | | dragged out of the country due to greed and vanity. |
| settlement, was a major Dorian city, celebrated for | | | | But what remains still provide a light on the richness |
| its temples, theatres, statue of Aphrodite, the | | | | of the ancient past. Prof. Dr. Ehrhart is working on |
| world's first observatory, and medi¬cal school. | | | | the city plan of the ancient site, which, not |
| Around 1000 BC the Dorians invaded the southern | | | | surprisingly, has never been searched thoroughly |
| part of Caria and established the Dorian Hexapolis | | | | before. |
| with the cities Cnidus (Datça), Halicarnassos | | | | Cnidus was known worldwide in ancient times |
| (Bodrum), Cos, Kamiros, Lindos and Lalissos. The last | | | | "I don't know whether 16 years of study was |
| three of the cities were in Rhodes. Cnidus was | | | | suffering or pleasure" says Mr. Ozgan while adding |
| established at the same time as Halicarnassus (now | | | | that he's fond of the excavations he discovered with |
| Bodrum) around 800 BC. | | | | his students. "The Dorians founded these cities |
| Later on, according to Herodotus, a famous Greek | | | | around 1200 BC. As the seaborne trade developed, |
| historian, who lived around 447 BC, | | | | they stored their products in Northern Africa, in a city |
| Halicarnas¬sus was excluded from the union of | | | | called Naucratis to sell olive and olive oil to the whole |
| Greek city-states. The Union was then called the | | | | world. And that's how Cnidus became among the |
| Dorian Pentapolis. Cnidus was the centre of this City | | | | most wealthy cities of the world and became the |
| Union. It had an effective political and economic | | | | richest in Anatolia." |
| structure considering the period and was an | | | | Land of the taxfree |
| important city with, colonies in Northern Sicily, from | | | | Friends of Julius Ceasar lived in Cnidus, and being |
| the island of Lipari, to as far as Naukrati in Egypt. | | | | friends with him wasn't only critical in a political sense |
| Apollon and Aphrodite were the symbols of the city. | | | | but was also very important as an economic |
| The engravings on the Cnidian coins used to bear | | | | advantage. This state of affairs gave Cnidus a |
| these symbols. But the most striking symbol of the | | | | privilege; Ceasar anounced that this city would be |
| city were the lions which stood on both sides of the | | | | free of tax and this led to great prosperity and the |
| harbour entrance. A colossal figure of a lion carved | | | | citizens built fountains, schools and temples which can |
| out of one block of mar¬ble, ten feet in length | | | | be partly seen today. At least they were helping |
| and six in height, which is believed to | | | | each other! What have our rich people done to help |
| commemo¬rate the great naval victory, the | | | | their cities? How and where do they spend their |
| Battle of Cnidus, which ended the Spartan hegemony | | | | fortune? Cnidus was also a leading clinical center of |
| in 394 BC! | | | | the world but again, this fact doesn't come into |
| Philosophers, architects and the astronomers of the | | | | prominence. |
| ancient world were attracted to this inspirational | | | | Pieces are scattered all over the world |
| meeting point. The statue of Aphrodite testifies to | | | | The most glorious pieces of the British Museum have |
| the cul¬tural refinement of the city. One of the | | | | been taken from here and damage was done to the |
| greatest mathematicians of antiquity, Eudoxus was | | | | ancient sites. The artifacts are easy to carry away |
| born in Cnidus. He discovered the formula to find the | | | | via the sea and rumors of smuggling have continued |
| volumes of the solids and other mathematical | | | | right up to recent years. |
| demonstrations. He also devised a geometrical | | | | Have you dreamed of an enjoyable holiday amidst |
| expla¬nation of the motions of the sun, moon | | | | the quiet of ancient ruins? Wouldn't this be a perfect |
| and planets along the zodiac. | | | | vacation? Imagine a land where the fertility of the |
| There's also Praxiteles who carved the statue of | | | | soil is boundless and from this rich soil comes |
| Aphrodite for the people of Cnidus. The statue was | | | | earthenware pottery from Paleothic Ages, Assyrian |
| so highly valued by them that they refused to sell it | | | | metal coins, and statues that decorated the Hittite |
| to King Nicomedes, who was willing in return to | | | | cities and ancient Greek libraries. |
| discharge the whole debt of the city. And there's | | | | The ideal way to live in the historical sites, is to join a |
| Sostratus, architect of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. | | | | "Blue Voyage" with the comfortable atmosphere |
| This great lighthouse was one of "the Seven | | | | afforded by a "Deluxe Gulet" or "Marmaris Yachts". |
| Wonders of the ancient world" . | | | | You can also have an experienced guide in the gulet |
| At one time in Cnidus, there was a statue of a lion | | | | (traditional Turkish sail boat), whose knowledge of |
| set on each breakwater, commemorating the great | | | | the area is rich and whose personality is warm and |
| naval victory won in 394 BC, but in 1857, an | | | | humorous. The "Blue Cruise" in the crystal clear |
| Englishman by the name of C.Newton visited the city | | | | waters or "Turquoise Coast" could easily be the |
| and carried off a statue of Demeter and some other | | | | highlight of your trip to Turkey. |