Category: Archaeology

Situated at the head of Latmian Gulf, Herakleia was called Latmus at the beginning taking its name from the impressive mountain reaching the height of 1300 meters above the sea level. Hearclia, which was located at the head of the gulf never, became an important city it was far from the popular trade road running form Ephesus to Miletus. Miletos captured most of the sea borne trade. Although it was located in Ionia, Heralia was a Carian city in character and its history was formed by the events of Caria.

King Mausolos used a stratagem to capture the city and he changed the name of the city during his efforts of Hellenisation of the Caria region. To differ it from many other Herakleias, it was called Herakleia under Latmus. In 287 BC Lysimachus, one of the generals of Alexander the Great captured the city. He also built great defense walls for the city that still surrounds the town and most impressive remains in the city. These walls, which started at the lakeshore level climb up to 500 meters altitude, extended nearly four miles and fortified with 65 towers.

Towards the end of the 1 century BC, the prosperity of Herakleia began to decline due to loss of the trade when river Meandros silted up the area and closed the Herakleia’s link with the sea. Second noteworthy monument in Herakleia is the Temple of Athena, situated on a promontory over the beach. This beautiful temple in tem plum in antis dates to Hellenistic period. Herakleia follows Hippodamic style town planning created by the Hippodamus of Miletus. During the Byzantine era, Latmos region attracted great number of monks seeking for the monastic life.

During the 7th century, monks and anchorites from Arabic lands settled in the caves of Latmus Mountain. Some of these monks became so famous and attracted great number of pilgrims and people to the area. Monastic life at Latmus region lasted for 400 years but ended with the arrival of Turks at the 14th century. The monks returned to the region when Crusaders defeated the Turk at Doryleon 1069. According to a tradition, a monk discovered a cave sanctuary on Mt. Patmos. Discovering also a tomb in it, the monks accepted as the tomb of Endymion and converted the shrine to a Christian holy place.

If you head towards the Gulf of Gulluk and get to the edge of the Bodrum Peninsula and the Cove of Varvil you will find the ancient city of Bargylia. The site where there are remains is four kilometres off the main road. You can get there by four wheel drive, though it is much easier to get here by boat from Gulluk. At the site of the ancient city, which had its heyday during the Hellenistic and Roman eras, you can see the columns, the walls of a Roman temple, an altar with reliefs, a small part of a theatre, the ruined foundations of a stoa, fragments of a Roman era aqueduct, city walls and the town’s cemetery.

It is founded on a steep rock at 200 m. height at approximately 5 km. south of Milas. Name of the city is passed as “Pezona” in Medieval Italian sources, and “Bercin”, “Pecin” and “Becin” in Turk Islam sources. Structure ruins, reached today from city are dense at Kenez and Sigmen, ramparts and external castle surrounded by ramparts, internal castle looking to Milas plains.

Men is the ancient lunar deity or moon deity of Anatolia which was worshipped as far back as the 3rd millenium BC and who occasionally graced the coins minted in the area. One of the Men cult’s most important centers, the ancient city of Antiocheia is adorned with many structures dedicated to the Men god. The Sacred site of Men is located 5 km from Yalvac. The temple can be dated back to the 4th century BC. In addition to the temple, there are 2 churches, a stadium and residential dwellings.

Antiocheia is was founded about 1 km north of Yalvac in the province of Isparta on a fertile area lying along the southern slopes of the Sultan Mountains. It was the capital city of the Pisidia and a Seleucid colony like Apollonia. It was built between 281-261 BC by Seleucus’s son Antiocheia and named “Antiocheia” in his honor.

In 25 BC with the selection of Pisidia as the site of Rome’s first and biggest military colony, the city was rebuilt by emperor Augustus. Augustus brought 3000 soldiers from Rome and settled them here in Antiocheia.

The city was given the name “Seven boroughs” and in Latin texts it is referred to as “Res Gestae.” For this reason the ancient Roman city and Antiocheia are sister cities with an important place in history.

At this time, there were inscriptions in Antiocheia of two Lefro (V-VII). In the Roman era, the city had, according to inscriptions, a population of over 100,000 people. The official language was Latin but the population at large spoke Greek. In the early part of Emperor Period of Rome the city was rebuilt according to a ordered city plan and many buildings both religious and civil were constructed.