Marble is a stone found locally in the region, and was often used in Knidian architecture. Great astronomer and mathematician Eudoxus, Euryphon the physician, renowned painter Polygnotus, sculptor Praxiteles who carved the celebrated naked statue of Aphrodite, and Sostratus, the architect of one of the world’s seven wonders, the Lighthouse of Alexandria all lived here. Together with his students, doctor Euryphon founded the second largest medical school of the time at Knidos. A major invention of the day, the sundial developed by Eudoxus is also still found here. The pedestal of the statue of Aphrodite, the amphitheatre that seated 8,000 people, the sundial, and the Demeter shrine are all among the remains of the ancient city of Knidos, once home to 80,000 people. The Aphrodite statue was extremely famous back in the day; although many people have come from near and far to see it, it has not survived to the present. But the multi-coloured mosaics that formed the floors of the churches built here are still visible.
The site of the ancient city of Knidos is attached to Marmaris Museum, and there is an entrance fee that must be paid in Turkish Lira. It is open from 8.30 AM to 7 PM during the summer, and from 8 AM to 5 PM in the winter. Tours are organised to the ancient site during the summer, but it can also be reached by taxi or sea taxis; or if you decide to rent a car, there is a parking lot on the premises. The site is accessible for wheelchair users, although there are dedicated toilet facilities. Should children find ancient history boring, there is a playground to entertain them. The ticket seller can communicate in English, Russian, Dutch and German.