Gliding into the ancient Port of Knidos where once Greek and Roman Ships harboured
At 6 am it was time to lift anchor. We planned to visit Knidos, a port town founded by Dorian Greeks in the 7th century BC. They were attracted by the site and understood its potential. The most western tip of the Datça peninsula is not the easiest place for sails to navigate. The winds between the mountains of the Datça and Bodrum peninsula and the island of Kos change directions frequently. They also fluctuate in strength and become strong in the afternoon. Having a place to shelter until wind and weather steady is not a bad idea.
The new settlers quickly made it a business. In Hellenistic times, when the east-west trade under Alexander and his successors reached a first peak, Knidos flourished. There is not much suitable land for agriculture here. The slopes are steep. But growing grapes worked. Knidos had a reputation for fine wines. It is still unclear how many people lived in Knidos. The residential areas have not been excavated (yet). A number of 80’000 – 120’000 seems reasonable. Knidos had two theatres not just one – the larger one was dismantled by Justinian’s engineers when they built the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The City of London in comparison had “only” 50’000 inhabitants during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Knidos - the Commercial Harbor to the left - The Naval Harbor to the Right
Knidos has two harbors – a commercial south port and a military north port. Today they are connected by a sandy isthmus. Some archeologists believe that a causeway or a bridge once connected Cape Klio to Knidos. The fortifications of the military port are impressive towers and walls and easy to identify. So are the walls that enclosed the town. The section around the Acropolis, which I climbed in flip flops in 2012, is remarkably intact – despite the thorny bushes everywhere which were very fond of my toes.
Two Young Archeologist were diligently excavating Greek Mosaics with fine Brushes
Knidos must have been very prosperous. On our tour through the ruins we encountered two young archeologists who carefully excavated mosaics from the 3rd century BC. The mosaics showed a lion, a leopard, a mountain goat and a rabbit. They were originally part of a public building which Byzantium converted into a church. On the floor there were also Arabic inscriptions from the 7th century when Muslim fleets twice tried to conquer Constantinople
The Partially Rebuilt Small Greek Theatre next to the Port
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We finished our visit by walking along the more than 100 stalls which were built into the slope behind the Dionysus Temple. They reminded us of the stalls we saw around the Sulaymaniyah Mosque in Istanbul. We wondered what these merchants were selling. Wines of course. But definitely also supplies for ships who took shelter to sit out a storm or unfavorable winds. The line of shops must have been similar to the ones shown on the Kalenderis mosaic which we visited in Aydincik in 2018.
The Shop Stalls in Knidos are right behind the large Dyonisus Temple
Back on the boat, Captain Mustafa and I finally found time to discuss whether Saint Paul’s grain ship could have made it into the shelter of Knidos’s harbor. It must have been tacking against the north-westerly winds for a week which explains its slow progress from Myra.
An Alexandrian Grain Ship could sail 45 Degrees into the Wind thus reach the Port of Knidos
We both reached the conclusion that it was technically possible if the ship’s captain had the courage to aim it straight to the gap between the moles, drop the sails last minute when passing and immediately turn sharp left with the ship’s remaining momentum. But he had just one chance and had to get it 100% right. We do not know how risk tolerant Saint Paul's captain was. A ship with 246 passengers and 200 tons of grain may have been too valuable for such a maneuver. We will never know. Feeling the winds of Knidos today and seeing the narrow harbor entrance, I guess Saint Paul’s captain did not risk it and continued south to Cape Salmone and Crete without stopping.
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