Carura

Carura (Gr. Καρουρά) was an ancient town of Asia Minor on the north-eastern border of Caria.

Its position east of the range of Cadmus assigns it to Phrygia, under which country Strabo describes it. It was on the south side of the Maeander River, 20 miles west of Laodicea to Ephesus. The place is identified by the hot springs, about 12 miles northwest of Denizli, which have been described by the scholars Pococke and Chandler. Strabo observed that Carura contained many inns (πανδοχεῖα), which is explained by the fact of its being on a line of great traffic, by which the wool and other products of the interior were taken down to the coast. He added that it has hot springs, some in the Maeander, and some on the banks of the river.

All this tract is subject to earthquakes; and there was a story, reported by Strabo, that as a brothel keeper was lodging in the inns with a great number of his women, they were all swallowed up one night by the earth opening. Henry William Chandler observed on the spot a jet of hot water, which sprung up several inches from the ground; and also the remains of an ancient bridge over the river. On the road between Carura and Laodicea was the temple of Men Carus, a Carian deity; and in the time of Strabo there was a noted Herophilean school of medicine here, under the presidency of Zeuxis, and then Alexander Philalethes. Chandler discovered some remains on the road to Laodicea, which, he supposes, may be the traces of this temple; but he states nothing that confirms this conjecture.