Salmacis, which lies on a headland on the western side of the harbor, was home to the Carians who lived here long before the Greeks came. They may have shared it with an even earlier people known to the Greeks as the Leleges.

The most important site in this district is the fountain of the nymph Salmacis, which is located at the base of the headland near to the harbor. As Ovid tells the tale, the waters of the fountain are cursed and will cause any man who bathes in them to leave half a man. Nearby is a temple dedicated to Hermes and Aphrodite.

District write-up by Demetrios Xanthippos
Coin image adapted from WikiCommons: Coin of Mausolus. Cabinet des Medailles.