Caunos Tombs of The Kings

Rock-cut tombs at the ancient Carian city of Kaunos near Dalyan in southwestern Turkey, on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2014. The earliest artefacts date to the 9th century BC, while the famous cliff-face tombs with temple-like facades date to the 5th-2nd centuries BC. Over 150 rock-cut tombs line the cliffs between Dalyan and Kaunos, with twenty featuring monumental Ionic temple facades including two columns, triangular pediments, and acroterion palm leaves. The tombs facing the Dalyan River date to the mid-4th century BC and likely held local royalty. Kaunos was a thriving port trading salt, salted fish, and pine resin before a malaria epidemic caused its final abandonment in the 15th century AD.