Ancient City Labraunda

The origins of Labraunda date back to the 7th century BC. It was already mentioned by the historian Herodotus around 425 BC. The sanctuary experienced its golden age between 377 and 344 BC under the Hekatomnid rulers Maussolos and Idrieus. During this period, most of the structures visible today were erected, including a larger marble temple for Zeus Labraundos, completed in 344 BC. A 14-kilometer long processional road connected Labraunda with the then capital Mylasa. After the conquest of Caria by Alexander the Great in 334 BC and the subsequent Wars of the Diadochi, the cult lost its significance and eventually fell into oblivion. Between 1948 and 1960, Swedish archaeologists excavated and researched the site.

Labraunda is located in the modern-day Muğla Province in the Aegean region of Turkey, near Ortaköy. The ruins rise to approximately 676 meters above sea level on a semi-sheltered platform in front of a prominent rock face.

Today, visitors can explore the well-preserved remains of the ancient city. These include the mighty enclosure walls, the remnants of the central Temple of Zeus on stepped terraces, monumental staircases, Doric entrance buildings, a water basin that once served as an oracle, and colonnades. Some rock tombs can also be found in the towering rock face.

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