Alinda was described as a heavily protected city in the time of Alexander, who ruled it from 334 BC. There were two separate fortification systems, one surrounding the city and the other surrounding the acropolis. The latter covered an area of 2 hectares, while the city covered 20 ha. The remains of at least 19 rectangular towers have been found. Both in antiquity and by modern scholars the city has been described as double, formed by two citadels, and it has been established that it followed a plan. Most of the buildings found date from the post-Classical/Hellenistic period.
Written sources attest that Alinda was one of the poleis contributing to the Delian League and was therefore active in the 5th century BC.