Topkapı Palace
The sultans’ palace on Sarayburnu: courtyards, the Imperial Council, the treasury and the terraces over the water. Dated entry, sold online on its own site.
Alabanda Archaeological Site
A Carian city near Çine in Aydın, famed in antiquity for its wealth, with remains of a theatre, aqueduct, council house and necropolis.
About the museum
Alabanda is one of the Carian cities of the Aydın region, near the town of Çine on the slopes above the village of Araphisar (Doğanyurt). Its name is said to come from the Carian words for horse and race. According to the Byzantine writer Stephanos, the city was named by King Kar after his son Alabandos won a horse race.
In antiquity it had a reputation for wealth. The geographer Strabo recounts that the people of Alabanda lived in luxury and that all the city's girls played the harp. Coins were struck here from the 3rd century BC, shortly before the city was renamed Antiocheia Khrysaoreus.
Excavations directed by Halil Ethem Bey revealed the foundations of two temples. One of the important buildings is the bouleuterion, or council house, and to the east many sarcophagi mark the position of the necropolis. The aqueduct and the theatre are among the structures still visible. It is a quiet, little-visited site that rewards readers of Carian history.
Tips
- The site is rural and lightly signed: bring water and wear solid shoes.
- Alinda, another Carian city, is in the same region of Aydın.
Questions
When is Alabanda Archaeological Site open?
According to the Ministry’s listing it opens at 08:30 and closes at 17:30 (last entry 17:00). Open every day.
Can I buy tickets for Alabanda Archaeological Site on this site?
No. This site sells no tickets. Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia and Dolmabahçe Palace are sold on our sister sites; for Alabanda Archaeological Site, buy at the ticket office or on the Ministry’s official e-ticket system.
Where is Alabanda Archaeological Site?
Alabanda Archaeological Site is in Aydın, Türkiye — Doğanyurt Köyü, Araphisar Mahallesi.
Nearby
Aydın
Didim Temple of Apollo
One of the largest Ionic temples of the ancient world, an oracle sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma with forests of columns and a Medusa-head guardian.
Aydın
Miletus Archaeological Site
Once a busy Ionian harbour city, Miletus now lies among fields in Aydın, with its great theatre, bath ruins and the Lion Harbour monument still to walk through.
Aydın
Karacasu Ethnography Museum
A small ethnography museum in Karacasu, Aydın, showing objects from the recent past of the town and region, including traditional crafts.
Istanbul tickets online
Four Istanbul landmarks, each sold on its own site by the agency behind this guide — dated entry and free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Basilica Cistern
Justinian’s great underground reservoir: 336 columns in still water and the two Medusa heads. Fast-track entry with a digital audio guide.
Hagia Sophia
Justinian’s cathedral, the sultans’ mosque and a working mosque again today. The ticket admits you to the upper visitor gallery.
Dolmabahçe Palace
A nineteenth-century palace on the water’s edge: the Selamlık, the Ceremonial Hall under its chandelier, the crystal staircase and the Harem.