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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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