The historical foundations in the Datça Peninsula date back to 2000 B.C. Between the years 700 and 600 B.C. in over 50 settlements, there existed a population of between 80 and 120 thousands residents. In the Peninsula the Carians were the first to settle and then in in historical order there were the Egyptians, Hitities, Scythians, Assyrians, Seljukies, Dores, Persian, Spartians, Athenians, Romans, Byzantines and the Ottomans.

Important settlements built on the Peninsula were as follows;

• Old Knidos which was located at the plain of Burgaz between the present town center and the plain of Kızlan.
• Bibassos developed near the Emecik village
• Akandas which was built in the bay of Kargı
• Triopium developed in Kumyer, Yaka village
• Knidos situated in cape Tekir

Knidos

The ruins of the ancient city of Knidos stand out among all Datça’s historic monuments.

Standing at the far end of the Peninsula 40km from Datça, Knidos was one of the famous Carian cities. Founded by the Dorians in the 7th century B.C., it became the head quarters of the Hexapolis League consisting of Halicarnassus (Bodrum), Cosin (İstanköy) and Ialissos, Kamiros and Lindos in Rhodes which were the towns within the Dorian State.

The city was conquered by the Persians in the 6th century B.C. and by Alexander the Great in 334 B.C.Later the city was incorporated into the Kingdom of Pergamum and in 129 B.C. became the part of the Roman Province of Asia.

Under the Byzantines the city was seat of the local bishops.

Despite changing hands so frequently, Knidos was never destroyed or burned and continued to prosper and grow until an earthquake brought the city tumbling to the ground in the 7th century.