About Alinda
Rising above Karpuzlu, Alinda is a fortified Carian city known for its steep terrain, strong walls and multistorey agora overlooking the valley. Terraces between the theatre and acropolis show how its builders adapted the slope for defence and public life.
History
Alinda's early history is not fully understood. It came to prominence in the fourth century BCE through Ada of the Carian dynasty. According to ancient accounts, Ada withdrew here after her brother Pixodarus expelled her from Halicarnassus; she later supported Alexander the Great and was restored to power. Fortifications and public terraces developed in the Hellenistic period. Alinda continued as a regional settlement under Rome and became a bishopric in late antiquity. Its surviving walls and agora-storage complex make its strategic importance especially clear.
Highlights and principal structures
- Three-storey agora
- Theatre
- Acropolis
- City walls and towers
- Aqueduct
- Necropolis
Historical period
Carian–Hellenistic–Roman