Kaunos and the Rock Tombs
Temple fronts cut into a cliff, and a harbour city the river silted up and stranded.
The tombs are the image of Dalyan: a row of temple facades cut several storeys up into the cliff face directly across the river from the town, visible from the waterfront tables.
They belong to Kaunos, a city that sat on the water until the delta silted up around it and left it inland.
What you are looking at
The facades imitate the front of a Greek temple: columns, pediment, the lot, carved straight into living rock rather than built.
Look closely at the largest one and you will see it is unfinished. The rough working face where the carving stopped is still there, which is a stranger thing to see than any of the completed tombs.
The light, and when to photograph
The cliff faces roughly east across the river. In the morning it takes direct light head-on, which flattens the carving and burns out the pale rock.
The better hours are late afternoon, when the sun comes across the face from the side. Better still is after dark in season, when the tombs are lit from below.
From the water you are looking up steeply, which foreshortens everything. The classic elevation is shot from the town side of the river, not from the boat.
Landing at the site, or not
This is the single question worth asking before you book a day trip. Some boats put you ashore for an hour at Kaunos; others slow down under the tombs for photographs and carry on.
Both are sold as the same trip, and the difference is an hour of walking, a site entry fee and a climb in the heat.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside the rock tombs?
No. They are part way up a cliff face and there is no access. You look at them from the river or from the town side.
What is the best time of day for photographs?
Late afternoon for the side light, or after dark when they are illuminated. Midday is the worst.
Is Kaunos worth a separate visit?
If you like ruins, yes. It is a substantial site and most boat trips give it an hour at most.