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