PAMUKKALE AND HIERAPOLIS The slope of the mountain north of Denizli is covered by travertine basins. These have been created over millennia by the deposition of calcium which comes from a spring – the Turkish word for this formation, Pamukkale, means ‘Cotton Castle’. The unique appearance and curative power of the spring have attracted settlers from earliest times. The nearby settlement of Hierapolis is first mentioned in 183 BC in connection with Apollonis, the mother of Eumenes II of Pergamon (197-160 BC) and is thought to derive from the name Hiera, wife of the mythical character Telephus – the Pergamene Dynasty claimed her as one of their ancestors. It is possible that the city was an earlier Seleucid foundation which was taken over by the Attalid kings after the defeat of Antiochus III at Magnesia in 190 BC. Hierapolis became part of the Roman Province of Asia in 129 BC. It was damaged in serious earthquakes in AD 17 and AD 60 but became a prosperous trading centre producing manufactured goods. It was known for metal working and wool production. It also produced a distinctive marble. The city was visited by Hadrian, Caracalla and Valens. The city adopted Christianity at an early date, probably as a result of a sizeable Jewish community – the apostle Philip is believed to have lived in Hierapolis and to have been martyred here by being nailed upside down to a tree and stoned to death around AD 80. A martyrion was erected in his honour are on a hill north of the city. During the reign of Justinian (AD 527-65) John the Bishop of Ephesus destroyed temples and shrines. The city was abandoned at the end of the 12th Century with the coming of the Turks. Italian archaeologists have been digging at the site since 1957. The remains are from the Roman and Byzantine period. Near the Museum (housed in a 2nd Century AD Roman baths which includes a large palaestra) is a 6th Century basilica, probably the Cathedral of Hierapolis. The vaulted structure has a large nave and two side aisles. Near the basilica is a section of colonnaded street which ran NS through the city. To the west is the sacred pool which was founded in Roman times and preserved a number of sunken columns. To the north of this are the remains of a 4th Century nymphaeum (water fountain). It consists of a large basin enclosed by walls on three sides. Water from a reservoir east of the city poured into a basin from a central niche. The ruins of the Temple of Apollo lies near the nymphaeum. This was a Hellenistic foundation but the visible remains are of a temple of the 3rd Century AD. The building measures 13.5 by 18 m. Adjoining the temple was the Plutonium, a sanctuary dedicated to Pluto, the God of the Underworld. The fissures in the rock produced noxious gases and were thought to be an entrance to the underworld. A cult of Cybele (Fertility Goddess) existed here. Behind the temple is the well preserved theatre. It is not Greek but dates to the reign of Septimius Severus (AD 193-211). A decorative frieze shows the Emperor and his family in procession with the gods. The cavea had a diameter of 91 m and there is a single diazoma. The elaborately ornamented stage building was 3.7 m high and showed Dionysus and his progress through Asia in a cart drawn by leopards. The stage building was repaired in the middle of the 4th Century during a visit by the Emperor Constantius (AD 337-61). Up the hill are the remains of the marytrion of Philip. It dates from the beginning of the 5th Century and consists of a square building with 9 small rooms on each outer face. In the centre of the building is a synthronon (small auditorium) in an octagonal room. The structure seems to have been used during processions. A triple arch dating to the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96) marks the end of the colonnaded street and was dedicated to Julius Frontius, the Proconsul of Asia. Outside the arch is the main necropolis of Hierapolis. This is one of the largest cemeteries in Asia Minor and contains tombs from the Hellenistic period to the early Christian Period. The road is bordered by sarcophagi, house and temple tombs and circular tumuli. Many of the tombs bear inscriptions with much information about the lives of the deceased. B.C. Archaeology travel is leading a tour of Turkey which includes a visit to Pamukkale and Hierapolis. WESTERN TURKEY: CULTURE & HISTORY A tour exploring the antiquities of western Turkey led by Dr Michael Birrell Includes: Istanbul, Gordion, Hattusas, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Priene, Pergamon, Pamukkale 29th May - 21st June 2015 $7800.00 including airfares from Australia. Itinerary: bcarchaeology/turkey.html
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 23:37:18 +0000
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