Research Article

THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION

Number: 53 August 12, 2026
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THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION

Abstract

Located at the southwestern tip of Anatolia, Knidos is characterized by its terraced urban layout and dual-harbor system. Traditionally, the city’s public life has been associated with the Dionysos Terrace. However, recent excavations on the Second Terrace (II. Terrace), immediately north of it, have revealed new architectural and spatial data that call for a reassessment of Knidos’ urban organization. The western sector of the II. Terrace has yielded a complex centered on a tholos, surrounded by a stylobate/portico system and associated rooms. Based on its plan typology, spatial organization, and parallels from Anatolia, the complex can be plausibly interpreted as a macellum. Its enclosed layout, controlled access, and integration into the city’s circulation network support this interpretation. Located at the intersection of major routes and near both harbors, the II. Terrace appears to have functioned as a key node in the city’s commercial and public landscape. This study suggests that Knidos operated through a multi-centered system of public spaces, with the II. Terrace serving as a secondary commercial center. The macellum may also reflect the adoption of Roman urban practices shaped by local–Roman relations.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Selçuk Üniversitesi, Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Koordinatörlüğü

Project Number

25401063 - Knidos Teritoryumu: Emecik ve Çevresi Araştırmaları

Ethical Statement

This research does not require approval from an ethics committee.

Thanks

The present study was prepared within the scope of the Knidos–Burgaz–Emecik Apollo Sanctuary Excavation and Research Project, conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Selçuk University under Presidential Decree No. 2587 dated 01.06.2020.

References

  1. Atik, S. (2002). Anadolu Macellumları Tipolojik Araştırması: Pamphylia ve Pisidia Macellumları Işığında Bir Tipoloji Denemesi. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Ankara.
  2. Aydemir Samancıoğlu, D. (2024). Yazılı Belgeler Işığında Knidos’ta Dinsel İnanışlar. Unpublished MA thesis, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Muğla.
  3. Bankel, H. (1997). ‘Knidos. Der hellenistische Rundtempel und sein Altar’, Archäologischer Anzeiger (1997), 51–71. Bankel, H. (2004). ‘Knidos. Das Triopion. Zur Topographie des Stammesheiligtums der Dorischen Hexapolis’, in E. L. Schwandner & K. Rheidt (eds), Macht der Architektur – Architektur der Macht. Mainz: P. von Zabern. 100–113.
  4. Bankel, H. (2009). ‘Versatzmarken am Propylon des Heiligtums für Apollon Karneios in Knidos’, Byzas 9, 323–341.
  5. Berns, C. (2003). Untersuchungen zu den Grabbauten der frühen Kaiserzeit in Kleinasien. Asia Minor Studien 51, Bonn.
  6. Bruns-Özgan, C. (2002). Knidos: A Guide to the Ancient Site. Konya.
  7. Bruns-Özgan, C. (2009). ‘Eine Feine Familie: Theopompos von Knidos und seine Nachkommen’, Epigraphica Anatolica 42, 103–134.
  8. Bruns-Özgan, C. (2013). Knidos: Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen von 1996–2006. İstanbul: Ege Yayınları.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Classical Period Archeology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

August 12, 2026

Submission Date

May 2, 2026

Acceptance Date

August 5, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 53

APA
Tozluca, D. O. (2026). THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 53, 410-433. https://doi.org/10.14520/adyusbd.1942961
AMA
1.Tozluca DO. THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026;(53):410-433. doi:10.14520/adyusbd.1942961
Chicago
Tozluca, Derviş Ozan. 2026. “THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION”. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, nos. 53: 410-33. https://doi.org/10.14520/adyusbd.1942961.
EndNote
Tozluca DO (August 1, 2026) THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 53 410–433.
IEEE
[1]D. O. Tozluca, “THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION”, Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 53, pp. 410–433, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.14520/adyusbd.1942961.
ISNAD
Tozluca, Derviş Ozan. “THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION”. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 53 (August 1, 2026): 410-433. https://doi.org/10.14520/adyusbd.1942961.
JAMA
1.Tozluca DO. THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026;:410–433.
MLA
Tozluca, Derviş Ozan. “THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION”. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, no. 53, Aug. 2026, pp. 410-33, doi:10.14520/adyusbd.1942961.
Vancouver
1.Derviş Ozan Tozluca. THE II TERRACE AT KNIDOS: SPATIAL CONTEXT AND FUNCTION. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi. 2026 Aug. 1;(53):410-33. doi:10.14520/adyusbd.1942961