Surprising city of Tripolis in Turkey

Tripolis can be found some 20 kilometers from the famous site of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis. Its name meaning three cities is due to its location, i.e., at the crossroads of Phrygia, Lydia, and Caria, on the northern bank of the Meander River. From here, it was a convenient hub to reach Sardes, Philadelphia (modern Alaşehir), and Laodicea. 

Although Tripolis existed in Hellenistic times, it reached its peak in the 2^nd century AD as testified by the remains we find here today. 

The city could be entered by two gates, the Gate of Hierapolis on the southern side and the Gate of Philadelphia at the western end.

[Picture from Female Fearless Travels]

Excavations have exposed a straight colonnaded street of ten meters wide and 450 meters long that runs east-west through the city. It was paved with travertine slabs. At the intersection of the main streets, a Nymphaeum was discovered. This Orpheus Fountain rested on a marble floor, and its walls were covered with onyx and white marble. The water came from a cistern east of the street. 

The colonnaded street is the most prominent element in Tripolis and is for now the main attraction. Pending further digs, several monuments from the 2^nd century AD have been identified, such as two Agoras, one of which borders the northern side of the street, and two Baths, the Great Thermae near the western entrance to the city, and the Theater Thermae close to the theater. The theater is estimated to seat 8,000 people. Also, the Stadium could be located just outside the city walls and measures 256x66 meters. The Bouleuterion of 64x44 meters stands in the center of Tripolis, and only part of its walls are visible. 

[Orpheus Fountain from Turkish Archeo News]

It is remarkable, however, to discover an indoor bazaar in excellent condition since it remained buried for centuries. This structure is a unique example so far in the Mediterranean. 

The fate of Tripolis was sealed after repeated earthquakes, the most severe one happening in 494 AD.  

A visit to Tripolis sounds rather inviting. The colonnaded street is very promising, but sadly little is known of the city’s role in history despite its early origin dating to the 4^th millennium BC.

With a population of nearly 20,000 in the 2^nd century AD, I assume an emperor like Hadrian would be mentioned as he stayed in nearby Hierapolis in 129 AD. This also applies to Caracalla in 215 AD. I would not be surprised if during Hellenistic times members of the Seleucid dynasty spent time in Tripolis. Apparently, nothing of the kind has transpired from the excavations yet. It is like visiting a skeleton without a soul …

Another sundial unearthed in Laodicea

As I stated in an earlier blog (see: What about sundials in antiquity?), the sundial is an exciting artefact to discover and not so uncommon as one might expect.

[Picture from Daily Sabbah]

It truly makes me happy to read that the site of Laodicea on the Lycos River has yielded a marble sundial from Hellenistic times. It clearly shows reference points to the seasons, months and hours, and is facing south. In fact, it is ready to be used again provided we add the missing gnomon, the metal needle that projects its shadow onto the concave dial surface.

Laodicea is located in southwestern Turkey and is set on top of the earlier city of Diospolis, the city of Zeus. It was Antiochus II who rebuilt and renamed the town Laodicea after his wife Laodike.

The proud city of Laodicea has been discussed in my blog Laodicea, great works in progress!

Let’s see what surprises future excavations have in store.

The road to the Stadium of Laodicea

In a previous blog (see: Laodicea, an update on the works in progress), I have listed the many buildings and features of Laodicea that are awaiting excavations.

The site is being labeled as being the largest in Anatolia after Ephesos. Additional archaeological digs have exposed the sacred agora as wells as a church and one of the two theaters.

[Picture from Hurriyet Daily News]

The latest excavations are carried out in and around the Stadium. This huge construction was built in 79 AD and measured 285m x 70m. It could seat as many as 25,000 to 30,000 people. According to the recently found inscriptions, this Stadium hosted Olympic-scale events and the customary Roman gladiator fights in which men fought against each other and against wild animals.

As always, the Stadium was situated outside the city walls and presently the street linking it to the center of Laodicea has been cleared. Old pavements, especially roads, are always an exciting feature. Modern visitors will now be allowed to walk over such a precious testimony of the past.

Closer study of the area around the Stadium has revealed the presence of a huge Bath Complex covering some 12,000 m2. Nearby, the remains of an Assembly Hall and a state guest house have been found.

It seems that in time, Laodicea will be one of the many favorite travel destinations Turkey has to offer.

Laodicea, an update on the works in progress

As announced last year (see: Laodicea, great works in progress!), excavations of the area around the city's sacred agora and the adjacent temple have exposed a row of colossal columns from under seven meters of rubble. The back wall covered with paintings is now painstakingly and meticulously reassembled and reinforced. That sounds very promising indeed for it is a rare example of frescoes covering such a large surface. Plans to restore the Hellenistic theater from the 2^nd century BC and seating as many as 15,000 seem to be materializing as well.

[Picture from Tornos News]

Further excavations have established that Laodicea existed already before Antiochus II (see also: When pillars with unknown writing were discovered in India) who dedicated the city to his wife Laodike. Archaeologists have found proof that the settlement was established already in 5500 BC and that the first settlers were people from Anatolia. The location was ideal for trade as there was access to the sea through the Meander River to ship their local productions of cereals and textiles, as well as the locally quarried marble.

But there is still a huge amount of work to be done to expose the remains of Laodicea which cover some five square kilometers. The list of monuments waiting to be unearthed and restored appears to be endless: a large Stadium measuring 285 x 70 meters, two theaters (Western and Northern), four Roman Baths, no less than five Agoras, five Nymphaeums, two monumental city gates (Ephesus and Syria), a Bouleuterion, several temples, churches, public latrines, houses with a Peristyle design, and several colonnaded streets (Syria, Ephesus, Stadium Streets). Importantly, let’s not forget the two large water distribution terminals where the city’s water laws were found (see: Water laws, still unchanged after nearly two thousand years). Outside Laodicea all the necropolises used over the centuries are awaiting investigation.

The unique mosaic from Apamea

During clandestine excavations on the site of Apamea in October 2011, a mosaic with a very rare and unusual scene was discovered as it represented the foundation of Antioch on the Orontes by Seleucos in 300 BC. The work is obviously Roman and has been dated to the 4^th century AD. What makes the picture so unique is that it shows the religious sacrifice as performed by Seleucos I and his son Antiochus I.

The name Apamea appeared in 300 BC when Seleucos, a successor of Alexander, created one of the grandest cities in the east. At the Susa mass wedding of 324 BC, Seleucos married Apame, the daughter of Spitamenes of Bactria. Apame accompanied her husband during all of his expeditions and campaigns. After conquering the east, Seleucos established another capital of his empire at Antioch on the Orontes, today's Antakya in Turkey. The region pleased him so much that he built another beautiful city further inland, which he named Apamea (see: Apamea, heritage of Alexander) after his wife. Together with Antakya, it became the most important city of his wide empire, reaching from the Mediterranean to the Indus. Seleucos truly moved in Alexander's footsteps, and like him, he built many cities, which are said to be all named after family members. One city was named after his father, Antioch; five after his mother, Laodicea; four after his two wives, Apamea and Stratonikea; and last but not least, nine were named after him, Seleucia.

After being incorporated into the Roman Empire, Apamea grew to harbor 250,000 people and became very rich. It was a military base and was renowned for breeding military horses. This explains the monumental remains of private and official buildings we still see today on both sides of the colonnaded Cardo.

The above-mentioned mosaic was created when the city reached its peak of refinement between the 3^rd and the 5^th century AD. The alarming fact is that the mosaic has disappeared, probably sold on the black market to some art collector. It is quite peculiar that we have a photograph of this beautiful composition made by an unknown author, even if it is not the best shot. The mosaic may have been decorating the floor of a house belonging to some high official, as it covers about 10 m2.

[Picture downloaded from Pinterest]

A Greek inscription identifies the sacrifice attended by five standing figures above which floats an eagle, representing Zeus, holding a bull’s head in its claws. We see Seleucos I Nicator (the Victorious) and Antiochus I Soter (the Savior) standing on either side of an altar with a fire burning on which a bull is being sacrificed. Seleucos wears a blue tunic underneath his parade cuirass and a purple cloak; his head is crowned with a golden tiara. Antiochus, in turn, is dressed in a white tunic trimmed with two black stripes covered with a purple cloak as well; he wears some jewels. Next to Seleucos, we recognize Heracles and the Muse Calliope, and next to Antiochus, we find Ktisis, the female personification of the city, holding the tools of the architect. The two women are clad in a belted chiton and show their jewelry.

Interpol has now launched an official search for this out-of-common mosaic. Unfortunately, this is not the only one that has disappeared from the Apamea site that was badly damaged when the IS occupied the region. Please keep on the lookout!

[For more mosaic news, read also: More illegal mosaics from Apamea] 

Laodicea, great works in progress!

Only recently, Laodicea was in the news because a tablet explaining the laws for the city’s water management dating from Roman times was discovered (see: Water laws, still unchanged after nearly two thousand years).

[Picture from Hurriyet Daily News]

It appears that excavations have intensified and that a sacred agora, the only such example in the world, has been exposed and is undergoing serious restoration. This agora, the largest sacred area in Anatolia because of the adjacent temple, collapsed after the severe earthquake of 494 AD and was covered under a layer of up to seven meters of rubble. It is leaning against a 100-meter-long and eleven-meter-high back wall that is covered with paintings. Over its entire length ran a Stoa and the columns – some 34 of them - that once held the roof are now being reassembled.

At the same time, work has progressed in reviving the Hellenistic theater planning to make it accessible again in two years time. The lower tiers of seats have been preserved but the upper tiers survived only partially. Most of the restoration apparently seems to be needed around the skene, which in the 5^th century became part of the city wall.

Archaeologists are still sorting through the reliefs, sculptures, vessels, and jewels found on the site, generally transferred to the local museum.

Laodicea, which is located only ten kilometers from Hierapolis (next to Pamukkale) was founded by Antiochus II Theos of Syria and named after his first wife, Laodike. This Seleucid king is the one who is mentioned on one of the Ashoka pillars as Amtiyoko, king of Greater Syria and Bactria (see: When pillars with unknown writing were discovered in India).

In 188 BC, the city was ruled by the kings of Pergamon until it fell to the Romans in 133 BC. At this point and because of its strategic position, Laodicea flourished thanks to the intensive trade in black wool.

[Picture from Wikipedia]

As mentioned before, there is far more to discover at Laodicea besides the Agora and the Theatre. The list contains buildings like baths, several temples, another theater, and a Bouleuterion.  The Stadion is in good condition and still contains the original seating on both sides, taking advantage of the narrow valley in which it has been built. At its western end are the remains of an underground passage used by chariots and horses to access the arena. Many streets were lined with columns and pedestals and there are even traces of a city gate, the Ephesos Gate. North of the city, closer to the adjacent Lycos River, the necropolis has been discovered with many sarcophagi whose lids have been removed in antiquity by tomb raiders.

Quite exceptional, however, is the aqueduct of Laodicea since it is very similar to the one found at Aspendos (see: Aspendos, the unfaithful). In both cases, an inverted siphon carried the water from the summit of a low hill down the valley all the way up to the header tank at the edge of the city. This certainly is great news, as until now Aspendos claimed the monopoly for this kind of Roman architecture. 

Water laws, still unchanged after nearly two thousand years

The year is 144 AD, the location the city of Laodicea near Hierapolis (modern Pamukkale), the lawmaker Aulus Vicirius Matrialis who was State Governor under Emperor Antoninus Pius, and the law regulating the use and misuse of water is still very current. 

[Picture from Huriyet Daily News]

It reads as follows:

Those who divide the water for their personal use should pay 5,000 denarii to the empire’s treasury. It is forbidden to use the city water for free or to grant it to private individuals. Those who buy the water cannot violate the Edict of Vespasian; those who damage the water pipes will pay a fine of 5,000 denarii. The water depots and water pipes of the city should have a roofed protection. The governor’s office will appoint two citizens as curators every year to ensure the safety of the water resource. Those who have farms close to the water channels cannot use this water for agriculture.

These are the explicit does and don’ts as can be read on a marble inscription recently unearthed in Laodicea. It regulates the use of water running down the nearby Karci Mountains that was channeled through the city and that fed many of its fountains. The text was presented by the Laodicea Assembly to the proconsul of Ephesos for approval. This proconsul in turn approved the law on behalf of the Roman Empire. The fact that the law was supervised by Rome proves how important water management already was 1,900 years ago – maybe earlier than that.

Water was vital for Laodicea as it was (and still is) for any other city and it is not surprising that the fines were pretty steep. The basic amount of 5,000 denarii would represent more than 16,000 Euros in today’s money. Those who polluted the water, damaged the water channels or broke the water seals of the pipes could be fined 12,500 denarii, i.e. 40,000 Euros. The same penalty would apply to senior staff that overlooked the illegal use of water. It would make you think twice before tampering the water conduits! There was a system of justice in place also, for whoever denounced the polluters would receive one-eight of the penalty as reward.

The discovery of this law tablet is part of the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Laodicea, exposing some 2,300 artifacts retrieved from among the monumental columns of the Sacred Agora, the Central Agora and the Stadium Street (see: Laodicea, great works inprogress!). It looks like one of those must-see places in Turkey!