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Rhodiapolis (), also known as Rhodia (Ῥοδία) and Rhodiopolis (Ῥοδιόπολις), was a city in ancient Lycia. Today it is located on a hill northwest of the modern town Kumluca in Antalya Province, Turkey.
Rhodiapolis stands out as a successfully planned, very compact Roman city in limited and difficult terrain with a uniquely intricate and packed layout of buildings without leaving empty space other than the streets. On the sloping terrain, terraces needed for urban fabric were formed mostly by cisterns, a clever solution that satisfied water demand while also creating flat areas for construction.Çevik, Nevzat; Kızgut, İsa; Süleyman, Bulut (2010). "Rhodiapolis, as a Unique Example of Lycian Urbanism". Adalya. 13: 29–64.
Rhodiapolis was a relatively small city in the Lycian League with only one vote, but did have the right to mint coins. Hellenistic finds in excavations belonging to monuments and particularly inscriptions and coins are definitive but comparatively few suggesting that the settlement at that time was small compared with the later Roman settlement. Due to the compact city area, most older buildings were overbuilt by later Roman ones and the theatre’s cavea is the sole remaining monument that dates to the late Hellenistic period.
In the Roman Empire period the city became famous for being the home of the rich philanthropist Opramoas. A monument was constructed in his memory close to the city's theatre. On the monument's walls is the longest inscription in Lycia, commemorating his benefactions and the numerous honors bestowed on him. According to these, Opramoas donated approximately 500,000 denarius to 28 cities in Lycia to repair the damage caused by an earthquake between 140 and 143 AD. He also funded the construction of two temples at Rhodiapolis. Heraclitus was another famous resident, known for his oratory and knowledge of medicine.
According to inscriptions the city was a centre for the cult of Athena Polias during the Hellenistic and Roman period.
The small baths dating from after the 4th century are located northeast of the large baths and are the most distant building from the town centre. Their location may have been determined by the stream that still flows today.
The agora, two-story stoa and the Opramoas stoa are also important monuments.
The remains of a small theatre, a temple of Asclepius, sarcophagi, and churches are still visible on the site. In 2011 a Lycian cemetery complex was discovered, dating from approximately 300 BC.
No aqueduct fed water to the city and it relied solely on water storage in cisterns. The so-called “aqueduct piers” that were once identified in fact belong to Roman chamber tombs.Çevik, Nevzat; Kızgut, İsa; Süleyman, Bulut (2007). "Excavations at Rhodiapolis in 2006: The First Campaign". Kazi Raporlari. 5: 47.
The restoration of the temple near the amphitheatre in 2017 was criticised for employing workers with no experience in restoration, lacking an experienced project manager, placing some stones backwards or in the wrong place, and excessively using Italian marble in place of existing stone.
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