The southern port was used from the foundation of the city till roughly the end of the Hellenistic era, after which it became inaccessible due to its drying out.

After the capture of Caria by Turkish tribes, and the serious malaria epidemic of the 15th century AD, Kaunos was completely abandoned.

The archeological research is not limited to Kaunos itself, but is also carried out in locations nearby e.g. near the Sultaniye Spa where there used to be a sanctuary devoted to the goddess Leto.

When she wrote her brother a love letter, telling him about her feelings, he decided to flee with some of his followers to settle elsewhere.

[13][14][15] The oldest find at the Kaunos archeological site is the neck of a Protogeometric amphora dating back to the 9th century BC, or even earlier.

It was common practice that the villagers -men, women and children alike- had get-togethers over a good glass of wine.

This indicates that by then the city had developed into a thriving port, possibly due to increased agriculture and the demand for Kaunian export articles, such as salt, salted fish, slaves, pine resin and black mastic – the raw materials for tar used in boat building and repair [21]– and dried figs.

During the 5th and 4th centuries BC the city started to use the name Kaunos as an alternative for its ancient name Kbid, because of the increased Hellenistic influence.

During the period that Kaunos was annexed and added to the province of Caria by the Persian rulers, the city was drastically changed.

After Alexander's death, Kaunos, due to its strategic location, was disputed among the Diadochi, changing hands between the Antigonids, Ptolemies, and Seleucids.

In 129 BC the Romans established the Province of Asia, which covered a large part of western Anatolia.

In the 14th century the Turkish tribes had conquered part of Caria, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in sea trade.

In the 15th century the Turks captured the entire area north of Caria and Kaunos was hit by a malaria epidemic.

The ancient city was badly devastated in an earthquake and gradually got covered with sand and a dense vegetation.

Four bishops are mentioned by Lequien:[23] The Synecdemus of Hierocles and most Notitiae Episcopatuum, as late as the 12th or 13th century, place it in Lycia, as a suffragan of Myra.

[26] It vacant since 1972,[27] having had the following incumbents, both of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank :[26] Kaunos is a site that is interesting for both its archeological and ecological importance.

Situated in the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area, it offers outstanding vistas and is rich in wildlife.