As I mentioned in a previous article “The shipwreck of Kızılburun” a late Hellenistic ship sank near the
promontory of Kızılburun before reaching its destination with on board freshly
quarried marble intended for the Temple
of Apollo in Claros (about 40
miles from Kızılburun). Among the many remains and
artifacts, divers found eight drums for an entire ten-meter high column and its
capital in Doric style, although at that time (late 2nd or 1st century BC)
builders generally preferred Ionic or Corinthian columns.
[Picture from Hurriyet Daily News]
The column elements indicated that were
destined for a monumental construction and after serious investigations, archaeologists
were able to make the connection with the nearby Temple of Apollo at Claros. When I was in Claros
a few years ago, I was utterly amazed by the size of one of the drums lying in
the grass and I took a picture of it, leaving my camera cover on top to show
the shear size!
By now a team of archaeologists have carried
out works to determine the place of the column in the lay-out of the temple and
they were able to determine that it was the sixth column. The original idea was
to present this column in the nearby museum but it was much more appropriate to
put it in its rightful place. And so it happened: delivery was finally made,
only 2,200 years later. Isn’t that exciting?
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