This other lovely fishermen village, surrounded by pine-clad hills, cotton fiels and bullrushes, is located on the riverbank near Lake Köycegiz. Facing the village, astonishing rock tombs have been carved out of the cliffs by the Carian people who founded the city around 6000 b..C.
Dalyan became suddenly famous in 1987 : the Istuzu is the breeding place for the "Caretta Caretta" turtle and thanks to the efforts of nature lovers the region was declared a protected area.

Caunos, a Hittite or Lelegian city, was hellenised in the IVth BC and became a part of the satrapy of Caria governed by Hecatomnos and his successors. After having been ruled by the successors of Alexander the Great, the city finally was freed by the Romans from the Rhodian yoke. As a Roman province, it became famous for its salt and slaves market.
The rock-tombs site one can see today has been discovered in the XIXth century but really brought to light in 1946-1952 by George Flean