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.
Alinda Archaeological Site
A Carian hill city in Karpuzlu, Aydın, the capital of Queen Ada, with an agora, theatre, temple foundations and sarcophagi.
About the museum
Alinda is one of the important Carian cities of the Aydın region, on the slopes above Karpuzlu district. Settlement here reaches back to about 2000 BC, though little is known of that early period, and most of the ruins that survive belong to the 4th century BC.
The city is tied to Queen Ada, a member of the ruling Carian family of Hekatomnos. When her brother Pixodaros drove her out of Halikarnassos around 340 BC, she withdrew to Alinda and made it her capital. When Alexander the Great arrived in Caria, Ada went to meet him and offered her support against relatives who had taken power by force.
The best-preserved standing structure is the agora. The theatre lies on the south-west slope of the acropolis, and the acropolis itself holds the foundations of two temples, of which only the plan can be made out. Carian-type sarcophagi among the houses of Karpuzlu show that the necropolis was concentrated on the southern slope. It is a rural, atmospheric site with views over the valley.
Tips
- The site is remote and uneven underfoot: wear sturdy shoes and bring water.
- Alabanda, another Carian site, lies in the same region of Aydın.
Questions
When is Alinda 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 Alinda 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 Alinda Archaeological Site, buy at the ticket office or on the Ministry’s official e-ticket system.
Where is Alinda Archaeological Site?
Alinda Archaeological Site is in Aydın, Türkiye — Karpuzlu İlçesi.
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.