Alinda, located within the boundaries of Karpuzlu district in Aydın Province, Türkiye, is one of the important cities of the ancient Caria region. The city was built on two rocky hills that are difficult to access, situated west of the Karpuzlu plain and to the south and east. With a settlement history dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE, Alinda is especially notable for its ruins from the 4th century BCE. According to ancient sources, particularly the information conveyed by Strabo, the political history of the city and certain events related to the Hellenistic Period can be better understood.

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History

According to Strabo, Ada, the daughter of Hecatomnus, was expelled from Halicarnassus by her brother Pixodarus and in 340 BCE took refuge in Alinda, making it her capital. In 334 BCE, when Alexander the Great arrived in Caria, Ada surrendered Alinda to him and with his support, regained her position as ruler. As a result of these events, Alinda quickly embraced Greek culture during the Hellenistic Period. During this time, the city was known for a while as "Alexandria."

Alinda maintained its importance during the Roman Period and continued minting coins in its own name until the 3rd century CE. In the Byzantine Period, it became a bishopric center affiliated with the Metropolis of Aphrodisias.

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City Plan and Structural Features

Alinda Ancient City has a settlement layout characterized by a double acropolis due to its topographical structure. Its location on steep rocky areas to the south and east, which make access difficult, indicates a deliberate choice aligned with the city’s defense strategies. The city was fortified with surrounding walls built from local granite stone. These walls are reinforced in places by two-story towers and have remained relatively well-preserved to the present day. This fortification system provides important insights into Alinda’s defensive architecture.

Among the city’s infrastructure systems, the aqueducts, particularly the example located at the western end of the Upper Acropolis, reflect advanced engineering knowledge. This rounded-arched structure supported by four pillars includes a water channel on top and connects to a roughly square-shaped water collection reservoir, documenting the city’s organized water supply system.

In terms of public architecture, Alinda hosts significant ruins reflecting the social and economic structure of the period. The agora, extending east to west and designed with three floors, draws attention with its market building on the southern facade, where the upper floor is arranged as a stoa. This complex served as the center of commerce and social interaction. The theater, located at the southwestern foot of the acropolis, was constructed in harmony with the natural topography and dates back to the Hellenistic Period. The cavea and seating rows have been largely preserved at their original height. The structure was later modified with additions during the Roman Period to maintain its functionality.

Regarding cultic structures, only the foundations of two temples have been identified at the plan level. Although religious architectural data is limited in this respect, the necropolis area spreading along the southern slopes of the city and the Carian-type sarcophagi found especially within the Karpuzlu settlement are significant in terms of funerary architecture and burial traditions. These sarcophagi represent archaeological reflections of Alinda’s cultural fabric both formally and functionally. This architectural unity allows for the combined evaluation of the city’s spatial organization and social structure.

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