Tourists flock by dozens of busloads to visit
the thermal springs of Pamukkale,
which in Turkish means “cotton castle,” hardly aware of the existence of Hierapolis.
As the spring water is cooling in contact with the air, it leaves behind a
thick coat of travertine that sets in the shape of basins cascading downhill. It appears like a giant white scar in the landscape. Visitors loved
to wade through these basins, trampling the fragile formation and polluting the
mineral waters, with catastrophic results as even hotels were built right on
top. Luckily, the government stopped these practices, and hotels have been
dismantled while visitors are now generally ushered over wooden boards laid
over the inviting basins.
For me, this is the first time I have heard of Hierapolis,
an ancient city half swallowed or integrated by the travertine deposits of Pamukkale. Upon arrival, I first glimpse the many impressive sarcophagi alongside the road, the largest
concentration in Anatolia.
Hierapolis, meaning “sacred city,” was founded by Eumenes II, King of Pergamon, in 190 BC and was famous
for its woven fabrics, mainly wool. Like so many cities in the area, it
surrendered to the Romans in 133 BC. However, a large part of the city was
destroyed during the earthquake of 60 AD. Still, most of it was rebuilt
afterward, and Hierapolis prospered again, reaching its apogee between 196 and 215 AD. By 395, The
Byzantines took over, and it was still known for its gladiator fights till it
was abandoned in the 6th century, and a good part of the buildings disappeared
under the travertine formations.
The necropolis I first saw is huge and counts
no less than 1200 sarcophagi and tombs built in the shape of mostly Roman
houses, but others date from earlier Hellenistic or later Christian eras. I’ve
never seen such a large concentration! A city by itself!
Old Hierapolis is a little further down the road, where the Arch of Domitian leans against a
thick round fortification tower. From here, the 14 feet-wide colonnade street,
the so-called Plateia, runs straight ahead for about 1,500 meters. To the
left are the remains of the Agora leading to the antique Theater with high
crooked walls ready to tumble down any moment since the earthquake of 60 AD.
The large Theater at the other end of the town dates from the 2nd century AD
and once seated 20,000 people. Although only about thirty tiers of seats
remain, it is worth admiring the Baroque stage that has been recently restored.
In the upper part of the stage, reliefs of Septimius Severus and his wife Julia were found. This Roman Emperor loved Hierapolis and
contributed to building this very Theater, whose architecture is said to be
unique.
Nearby we find the poor remains of the Nympheum
with the adjacent pool, which might be the only testimony of the Temple of Apollo. This site was abandoned after
the earthquake of the 7th century, and the marble portico collapsed into the
spring waters. Today’s visitors are welcome to swim between these idyllic
marble columns among lush flowers and bushes of pink laurel. What a setting!
Because of the hot springs, Hierapolis
was a popular health center in Roman times when literally thousands of people
bathed in one of the fifteen baths, each seeking his/her own kind of remedy.
From down here, I try to take in the site.
There is still a lot of excavation work in this large city. As I see
no fence or surveillance, many antique artifacts must be simply for the taking.
The locals freely swarm out over the site with their embroidered pillowcases,
crocheted napkins, postcards, and booklets as if they own the place. In a
sense, they do, but I expect stricter control over an
archaeological site.
I climb to a higher point among the ruins,
basically to get away from the noisy crowds. I reach the sturdy walls of Philip’s
Martyrium, a church built in de 5th century on the alleged spot
where Apostle Philip was stoned and crucified upside down in 80 AD.
Outside the church runs a corridor where the pilgrims can find a room for the
night. The square Martyrium measures no less than 20 x 20 meters, and in its
center lies an octagonal rotunda surrounding a crypt that was tied to the
apostle for years. Excavations in 2014, however, have located Philip’s gravesite
in a 1st-century Roman tomb at the center of a new Christian church, some 40 meters away. This
church was built around the grave in the 4th/5th centuries.
Excavations are still ongoing at Hierapolis,
and in 2013, a
unique head of Aphrodite was found, clearly dating from the Hellenistic era
based on the hairdo and the facial features. More marble sculptures were
unearthed, and all have been moved to the nearby Hierapolis Archaeology Museum.
At about the same time, the statue of a 1.5-meter-high marble Cerberus
was found. He was the mythological three-headed dog who guarded the entrance to
the underworld or Hades, the so-called Gate to Hell. It was discovered thanks
to the remains of small birds that appeared to have fallen dead at the mouth of
a cave spewing deadly carbon dioxide fumes. Cicero visited this cave in the 1st century BC and reported the phenomenon. Sparrows but
also bulls fell dead at the entrance of the cave. Besides this Cerberus,
archaeologists also found a huge marble serpent, another mythical guardian of
access to the next world.
Wait and see what else the archaeologists will discover in the future.
Thank you for the wonderful pictures, especially of the nyphaeum and martyrium.
ReplyDeleteI was curious about one thing you mentioned about your trip. You mentioned the statute of Cerberus and a serpent that were found in a cave. I never knew about the story of Cicero visiting Hierapolis or about the cave. Were you able to get any pictures of the cave or of the statues?
Lovely to hear that you enjoyed my pictures.
DeleteTo answer your question, I have not visited this cave as I picked up this story after my visit. This is the link I used:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/plutos-gate-hierapolis-plutonium-gate-to-hell-hierapolis_n_2994297.html
As to Cicero, it seems at one time he was governor of Hierapolis (renamed Laodike).