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EN
The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity
Abstract
This study examines the Late Antique fortification of Knidos, a major ancient city in southwestern Anatolia’s Carian region. Excavations on the so-called Third Terrace have uncovered a previously undocumented fortification line, reflecting spatial restructuring in the 6th century CE. The new wall enclosed an area of about 10 hectares—substantially reduced from the Classical city’s 50-hectare extent—mirroring broader urban contraction trends across Western Anatolia in this period. Stratigraphic evidence and associated finds suggest the fortification was built in response to economic decline, accelerated by the AD 554 Kos earthquake and subsequent Arab incursions. An Arabic graffito dated to AH 98 (AD 716–717) at the gate indicates Knidos served briefly as a Umayyad military outpost during the sieges of Constantinople. The reuse of spolia in ecclesiastical architecture, downsizing of basilicas, and discovery of numerous arrowheads at the so-called Gymnasium complex support the interpretation of militarized urban transformation. The study argues that the fortification was constructed after the mid-6th century but before AD 717 and remained in use until the city’s abandonment in the late 7th century. It offers a reassessment of Knidos’ final phase, emphasizing late urban topography, spatial reduction, and military-social adaptation.
Keywords
Supporting Institution
Selçuk Üniversitesi, Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Koordinatörlüğü
Project Number
25401063 - Knidos Teritoryumu: Emecik ve Çevresi Araştırmaları
References
- Diodorus Siculus. (1985). Bibliotheca historica (Vol. 5, Books XIX–XX, C. Th. Fischer, Ed.). Leipzig: B. G. Teubner.
- Strabo. (1917–1932). The geography of Strabo (H. L. Jones, Trans.). London: W. Heinemann; New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
- Thucydides. (1963). History of the Peloponnesian war (R. Warner, Trans.). London: Penguin Classics.
- Vitruvius. (1990). Mimarlık üzerine on kitap (S. Güven, Trans.). Ankara: Şevki Vanlı Mimarlık Vakfı Yayınları.
- Modern Sources
- Bosworth, C. E. (1996). Arab attacks on Rhodes in the pre-Ottoman period. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 6(2), 157–164.
- Bruns-Özgan, C. (2013). Knidos: Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen von 1996–2006. İstanbul: Ege Yayınları.
- Büyükkolancı, M. (2016). Patara’nın Doğu Roma (Bizans) surları. In E. Dündar, Ş. Aktaş, M. Koçak, & S. Erkoç (Eds.), Havva İşkan’a Armağan Lkiarkhissa (pp. 179–184). Ege Yayınları.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Archaeology (Other)
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
June 10, 2026
Submission Date
April 23, 2025
Acceptance Date
September 25, 2025
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Number: 55
APA
Tozluca, D. O. (2026). The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity. Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 55, 259-276. https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.1682151
AMA
1.Tozluca DO. The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity. SEFAD. 2026;(55):259-276. doi:10.21497/sefad.1682151
Chicago
Tozluca, Derviş Ozan. 2026. “The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, nos. 55: 259-76. https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.1682151.
EndNote
Tozluca DO (June 1, 2026) The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity. Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 55 259–276.
IEEE
[1]D. O. Tozluca, “The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity”, SEFAD, no. 55, pp. 259–276, June 2026, doi: 10.21497/sefad.1682151.
ISNAD
Tozluca, Derviş Ozan. “The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi. 55 (June 1, 2026): 259-276. https://doi.org/10.21497/sefad.1682151.
JAMA
1.Tozluca DO. The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity. SEFAD. 2026;:259–276.
MLA
Tozluca, Derviş Ozan. “The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, no. 55, June 2026, pp. 259-76, doi:10.21497/sefad.1682151.
Vancouver
1.Derviş Ozan Tozluca. The Refortification of Knidos in Late Antiquity. SEFAD. 2026 Jun. 1;(55):259-76. doi:10.21497/sefad.1682151