SoftPage

Cadianda

Located some 20 kilometres to the north east of Fethiye and near the village of Üzümlü lies the remains of Cadianda (Turkish Kadyanda),

Known in Lycian times as Kadawati little is know of the town as it as only one mention of it has been found in ancient manuscripts, although monuments and inscriptions found in the town can be dated back to the 5th century BC.

Commanding magnificent views over Fethiye and the Xanthos Valley the town lies some 900 meters above see level and some 400 meters above the village of Üzümlü near Fethiye. A comfortable ascent is possible around the hill from the north side, the more direct path providing a quick and convenient descent is very steep and the site has been designed to accommodate this direction of walking.

You can travel to the site by car and it is well sign posted from Üzümlü, as you travel up however watch out for a sign saying "Kadyanda Yürüyüs Yolu". If you stop and follow the footpath down for a few hundred meters, you will see the remains of some tombs, three which are carved from large boulders which have since fallen and lie at odd angles, the forth appears to have been hewn from the solid rock, this tomb which has on it some interesting carvings was called Hector's Tomb by Sir Charles Fellows.

Inside the town walls which are of Cyclopean construction and quite well preserved in parts. There is a small theatre, the structure has deteriorated badly over the years but many of the west side seats can be seen as does the retaining wall of the cavea. Built into the west side hill the theatre is only visible from the interior.

Next to the stadium are the remains of of a baths, although of unusual design this was most certainly from the Roman period and an inscription indicates that they were built by the Emperor Vespasian.

Adjoining the baths and running from east to west there is an open space, a little over 90 metres long and 10 metres wide which was the stadium, there can be found inscriptions that relate to two celebrations of athletics that took place in the town. There are six rows of seats still visible on the north side and the bases of eight statues can be found in the area.

At the other end of the stadium stairs lead to a Doric temple]] now little more than a pile of stone, some inscriptions and detail can be made out on them.

There exist too the ruins of a stoa some 90 meters in length which adjoins an agora.

There is a very large water cistern that can be seen in the centre of town and many other smaller ones in the area, some of these can still be seen to be holding water through most of the summer.

On the south side there are a large number of tombs and graves, the majority of which have been the victims of illegal digging in the recent past but a few have survived fairly well. Here too you will see some that consist of a plaster covered vaulted chamber, not typical of the region this style is more commonly found in the Olympus region on the east coast.