Turkiye
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Myndos was
originally located some 3 km south-east of its present site and was a city of
the Lelegians, a pre-Greek people inhabiting western Asia Minor. Mausolos,
satrap of Karia, moved it to Gümüşlük in the mid-fourth century BC in accordance
with his policy of hellenizing and fortifying his domain. The new site has one
of the best harbours in the area, protected by a peninsula and an island, and
was equipped by Mausolos with a fine ashlar circuit wall some 3.5 km in length.
Although it was never of major importance, the city seems to have prospered
modestly, and issued a copious series of silver coins in the second and first
centuries BC; there are traces of ancient mines in the hinterland, and the
Turkish name Gümüşlük means silver-mine. The wine of Myndus had a bad reputation
for causing hangovers and fl atulence; it was drunk mixed with sea-water, a not
uncommon monstrosity in ancient times as Bean remarks.
Apart from the circuit wall and another wall of uncertain purpose on the
peninsula, few ancient remains survive, and the stadium and theatre reported by
nineteenth century travellers cannot now be located. Stone-robbing and erosion
by the sea, which is particularly marked on the peninsula and its isthmus, have
taken their toll. On the isthmus several sites, including a basilica with
portions of mosaic fl oor, are currently (2006) under excavation, and further
inland there are the remains of an aqueduct and a ruined basilica built on the
site of an ancient temple. Ancient stones are dotted about the village. A
converted modern Greek church with a barrel roof witnesses the presence of a
Greek fishing community before the exchange of populations in 1923-4; it is now
used for cultural manifestations.
Modern Gümüşlük is a fishing village gradually converting itself into a minor
resort. It is famed for its fi sh restaurants, which attract day-trippers from
Bodrum, but development is strictly controlled - the main street along the shore
is traffic-free and no buildings higher than two storeys are allowed - so that
the place retains its peaceful charm. A walk at sunset along the outer shore of
the peninsula is highly recommended, for it affords unforgettable views of the
Dodecanese from Kos to Leros.
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