Labranda Ruins

About

The Labranda Ruins began as a sacred site surrounded by plane trees, and was made the sacred shrine of the Hecatomnid dynasty in the 4th century BC. Over the centuries, Labranda was built up on a series of artificial terraces, and was used off-and-on through the Byzantine era. Today, the site is under the care of the Royal Swedish Institute at Athens, who have carefully excavated and partially restored it. Parts of the 8-meter-wide sacred road that connected Labranda to Mylasa are still visible, as are the entrance gates. Of the houses unearthed here, the so-called Andron Window building was particularly enlightening for archaeologists since it proved that windows were used during the Hellenistic era. While little more than foundations remain of most of the buildings, the hieron is considered one of the best-preserved structures from that era, and its unusual buildings foreshadowed Hellenistic style.