The ancient city of Kaunos is located a few kilometers west of the modern city of Dalian in the province of Mugla in Turkey, and hides many ancient sites. In Kaunos, there are, among other things, Lycian tombs.
Perhaps the most impressive place that hides the secrets of the ancient world are the Lycian tombs carved into the rocks reminiscent of magnificent Greek temples.
The tombs of the Lycian kings of Kaunos have striking Greek-style pillars and hand-carved reliefs depicting gods, angels and spirits.
The interior, stone monoliths and chambers are lined with limestone and mark the last resting place of the Lycians, an ancient people who inhabited the bays between Antalya and Fethiye.
Believing that ghosts with wings would take the souls of the dead to the afterlife, the Lycians buried in their most prominent members of society high above the ground on inaccessible cliffs overlooking the emerald green river Dalian.
Today, the tombs form part of the ancient city of Kaunos, which is under the protection of UNESCO, a 2,500-year-old archeological site, which also houses a 5,000-seat Hellenistic theater, a Roman bath and several Lycian temples and churches.
You can reach the tombs by boat, which you can rent in the town of Dalian.
When you reach the small village of Candır, you can explore the cemetery and the ancient city of Kaunos on foot. A return ticket for a boat ride costs 15 Turkish lira.
