We like to believe that the double highway is
an invention from the 20th century. Well that is not so since remains
of what is likely to be the first double highway ever have been discovered in Anavarza,
near the village of Dilekkaya in the
province of Adana, Turkey.
The origins of the city go back to the days of
Assyrians and was successively occupied by the Sassanids, the Byzantines
(Emperor Justinian I rebuilt the city after a destructive earthquake in 525 AD and
renamed it Justinopolis), the Armenians, and the Ottomans. It still holds
traces from Hellenistic and Roman times who named it Caesarea .
The fact that Anavarza was situated on the main road east after leaving the Cilician Gates made it one of the most
important cities of Cilicia in the third and fifth centuries, after supplanting nearby Tarsus
Unfortunately, Anavarza’s well-preserved
remains have been damaged by powerful earthquakes as recent as 1945, during
which the three aqueducts that stood there for nearly two thousand years
collapsed. Among the ruins are colonnades along two streets, a gymnasium, a
triumphal arch, a theater, a stadium, and a fort.
The most striking element, however, is this
double-columned highway, approximately 35 meters wide and 2.7 kilometers long.
It has been established that columns were of the Corinthian order and were
erected at 2.15 meters
intervals. At present, work is underway to restore a 250-meter section of this
highway in the hope to make it accessible for tourists in a few years’ time.
So far, 1,360 columns have been unearthed and
plans are to restore them. The entrance gate also will be put back together as
no less than 500 pieces have been found lying around the monument. Two more streets
will be excavated and archaeologists hope to locate the sewage system as well as
the stores on either side of the streets.
Once again, Anavarza may become one of the most magnificent cities from the ancient world after being cleared and restored. After all, this city is larger thanEphesos
It is not unthinkable that Alexander passed through this city, this very highway even, on his way from Tarsus to Issus. In any case, it is a place worth to be added to our next travel plans.
Once again, Anavarza may become one of the most magnificent cities from the ancient world after being cleared and restored. After all, this city is larger than
It is not unthinkable that Alexander passed through this city, this very highway even, on his way from Tarsus to Issus. In any case, it is a place worth to be added to our next travel plans.
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