Category: Archaeology

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.

The ancient ruins of Cedrae in the island of Saray, date back to the Hellenistic Roman era. What is known as the City Islands is comprised of Orta Island and Kucuk Island. The remains of the ramparts can be easily seen from the distance. The island took its name from the rumour that Cleopatra swam with the locals in a small bay at the northwest of the island. Furthermore, she was supposed to have entered the sea with Mark Anthony, the sands of which were transferred from Northern Africa via ships by Anthony which may be true as this type of sand is only seen in Egypt.

The remains of buildings surrounded by ramparts on the east of Saray island date back from the Roman and Hellenistic period, and the small amphitheatre is in the best condition. The Christian Basilica was constructed over the pedestals of the Apollo Temple, belonging to Dors. There is an Agora on the west of Saray with inscriptions suggesting that athletics festivals devoted to Apollo were organised in the region. There are Necropolis ruins at Kucuk Island, as well as column reliefs.

The Acropolis was built on an extremely steep hill, approached by a winding road ascending some 300m. In this uniquely designed city, religious, official, social and commercial buildings are all found side-by-side. The King of Pergamum is on the top of this hill, which has been inhabited since ancient times. There are also five cisterns and an arsenal on the hill. Below these buildings is the Temple of Athena, as well as the Library and the Temple of Trajan. The Altar of Zeus was carefully placed below these buildings on a terrace.

One of the steepest amphitheatres in the world is found here. The lowest section of the acropolis is the gymnasium and the Temple of Demeter. Because of the topographical location of the city and the course of the main street, all the buildings of the acropolis are line up in a north-south fashion, but the buildings all face west so that they can be seen from far away. The Altar of Zeus was not encircled with colonnades for the same reason. The Agora and Athena Temple also have an unobstructed view of the plain.

Settled down on skirt of Cebel-i Reis mountain elevating at the entrance of Dim valley on Taurus Mountains, about 25 km away from Alanya. The nearest village is Gozukucuk.In the border of the region known as Mountainous Kilikya Region in the ancient times. Strabon mentions the town as having a harbour and being established on a hill in chest shape. The important ruins of the town remaining at present are observatory towers, Caracalla exedra, an Odeon or theatre, Zeus Megistos temple, Apollo temple, Caesar temple, an agora, a bath and a necropolis.

Non-existence of ruins from the Hellenistic times is due to the fact that the town was under control of pirates during then and therefore improvement was not made sufficiently. Inscription dating the town from the 6th century BC in Phoenician language and found in the town is exhibited in the Alanya museum. Other important art discovered in the town is a “diploma of a Roman soldier” being exhibited in the Alanya Museum, which gives information about military aspect of the town. The ruins are dated from the Roman period.

It is located near Avsar village, 15 kmto the east of Millets, at the shore of the Bafa Lake. Strabon stated that Myus was founded by Kydrelos, son of Kodros, the king of Athena. According to Strabon, it is one of the cities included in the Panionion Union. Herodotus stated that Persian fleet anchored to Myus off-shores in 499 BC. However, Herodotus declared that Myus took part in the Lade Sea War in 494 BC. with only three ships. Dionysus tempest of which name is being mentioned in ancient resources and which is made of white marble has been found during the digs. Today, we see in the city, some parts of Dionysus tempest, and rampart walls of the Archaic Period and the ruins of Byzantine castle.