AIZONAI ANCIENTE CITIES: LITTLE EPHESSUS AND ZEUS TEMPLE, TURKEY

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10 Mar 2024

Photographer : @anatolianlands

Apart from being the seat of a bishopric in Byzantine times, Aizanoi, which enjoyed its most brilliant period in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, is historically significant for possessing the best preserved Temple of Zeus in Anatolia. Not only that, ruins of a large theater and attached stadium, two baths, one of them paved with mosaics, five bridges, two of them still in use, an ancient dam, colonnaded streets and burial grounds are among the remnants of the town's past.

The city's name is thought to derive from a mythological hero by the name of Azan cited in the ancient sources as an ancestor of the Phrygians. Described as the fruit of the union of the water nymph Erato and the legendary king Arkas, Azan lived near a cave on the upper reaches of the Kocaçay River.

Excavations carried out around the Temple of Zeus on the high plateau of ancient Aizanoi have uncovered evidence of life dating back to the 3rd millennium B.C. Attached to the Pergamon Kingdom in the Hellenistic period, the city fell under Roman rule in 133 B.C.

Photographer: @anatolianlands

1 ) Where is Aizonai Ancient City?

Although it appears on paper to be a township, Çavdarhisar, fifty-seven kilometers from Kütahya, is actually more of a typical Aegean town. Turning off the main hghway, you have to stroll down a pleasant road lined on both sides with trees and flowers to reach Aizanoi. Standing smack dab in the center of Çavdarhisar, Aizanoi is known by various names such as 'Ayzonayi', 'Ayzanoy' and 'Ayzene'.
The ruins of the ancient city seem to have been scattered carefully amidst fields, gardens and greenery.

2) Aizonai Historical Journey

Attached to the Pergamon Kingdom in the Hellenistic period, the city fell under Roman rule in 133 B.C. Thanks to the production of grain and wool it grew wealthy in this period when its fame exceeded regional boundaries. While Aizanoi was the seat of a bishopric in the early Byzantine period, its importance began to wane from the 7th century onwards. In the Middle Ages the temple platform was transformed into a citadel ('hisar' in Turkish).

Captured by the Seljuks in the Middle Ages, Aizanoi was given to the Çavdar Tatars and from the 13th century onwards was known as Çavdarhisar. Centuries later in 1824 Aizanoi was rediscovered by European travelers, and the excavations first undertaken here by German archaeologists in 1926 continue apace today.

3) AIZONAI ANCIENTE CITY ZEUS TEMPLE

Located just off the town of Cavdarhisar in Kutahya province, the site is also home to one of the best-preserved temples in Anatolia dedicated to the chief Olympian god Zeus of ancient Greek mythology. One of the most magnificent temples in Anatolia is the Zeus Temple. It even best-preserved one in the world. Construction of the temple started around the last half of the 2nd century AD. Emperor Hadrian ordered its constructiıons. There is a stepped podium which is made from marble and the temple rise over it. The podium is around 33 x 37 meter and originally there were 15 ionic columns on long side and 8 on the short. Today, the only column on northern and western sides are still standing. The temples were made for the two deities. The section which is above the ground for the ruler of Olympians, the Zeus and the underground part of it, is the place of Cybele cult. You will also see some battle scene depicted on the walls of the temple are belong to the Tatars from 13th century AD. There are also some small building around the temple but their history is unknown yet.

4) Theatre and Stadium

Imagine an ancient theatre and stadium. Now, think that there is a complex of both in Aizanoi Ancient City. This complex is located in the northern part of the city. Ancient theatre can have more than 20.000 of spectators and the stadium is around 14.000 more. theatre and stadium can have almost 35.000 of people which more than today’s football stadium. Aizanoi was that big! Today both of the building is heavily damaged because of the earthquakes. During the rainy season bottom of the building are full with lots of waters. It is totally free to visit these buildings.

5) ROMAN BATHS IN AIZONAI

Today, there are two ancient Roman Baths in Aizanoi Ancient City. The first one is very close to the Zeus Temples. It is located on the road from the Zeus Temple to the stadium-theatre complex. The second one is in the Çavdarhisar centre. Both buildings date back to the 2nd century AD.

Photographer: @anatolianlands

6) Worlds First Macellum

Yes, that’s right! The worlds first macellum is in the Aizanoi Ancient City. This building constructed in the 2nd century and identifies as one of the oldest known commodity exchange. You can still see the inscriptions over of its walls defines the prices of goods traded in here. There are also some graves and other ruins from Roman and Turks of course. Also, you can visit the Kutahya Archeology Museum which is in the city centre of Kutahya to see other remains.

7 ) Avenue with columns and the door building:

The avenue with columns was the main axis of Aizanoi’s city road system. This 450-metre-long road was discovered in a series of drillings in 1991. This avenue with columns was excavated in 1979, and remains of the door building which form the southwest end of the road are visible. This avenue was a part of the ceremonial road leading to the Metre Steunene sacred area outside the city after passing through the main bridge.

8) Necropolises:

The large necropolises surrounding the city give us an idea about how big the city was. Various kinds of tombs existed in the necropolises including doorshaped tombstones which were typical for the Phrygia and Aizanoi region. These doors symbolize passage to the other world. Most of these tombs belong to the second century A.D., and they bear the name of the person who is buried or who donated it. They also have signs on them showing the tomb’s owner. On women’s tombs, there are pictures of baskets full of wool and a mirror, and men’s tombs are decorated with eagles, lions and bulls. In 1990 and 1991, archaeologists found two remarkable tomb remains on the sacred road that leads to Metre Steunene two kilometres southwest of Aizanoi. In the tomb that resembles a cross, there are niches to put sarcophagi. A sarcophagus depicting the war of the Hellenes (Greeks) and Amazons is today displayed at the Kutahya Museum. The structure with four arches (tetrapylon) was turned into a small Byzantine chapel in the Middle Ages (11th and 12th centuries). Here is found the lower part of a marble sarcophagus bearing a picture of Eros. This piece is displayed in the garden of the Kutahya Museum. These sarcophagi and other tomb remains date back to 155 and 165 A.D.

9) Metre Steunene sacred site

The cult place of the goddess Metre Steunene, the oldest sacred side of the city, was a deep burrow in a cave which today has collapsed. Here, archaeologists found clay cult figurines in excavations in 1928, and these pieces date back to between the first century B.C. and the second century A.D. On the upper part of the cave, there is a rock throne with steps. Such sacred sites are encountered in Phrygia’s rural areas, and this shows that the Metre Steunene sacred site was used long before the first century B.C. There are two round pits (bothroi) to sacrifice animals, and these could belong to earlier ages of the sacred site. In these pits, people used to kill offerings for Anatolia’s goddess whom they believed to be living in rock formations and the ruler of the mountains and nature.

10) Dam and stone quarries:

There are two well-preserved dam walls, built in two stages, which were constructed on the Penkalas River (Bedir Dere) to protect the city from floods. These two stages are separated with marble pieces which are mostly seats. On the rocks on the upper parts of the dam wall, there are marks showing that this place was used as a stone quarry in ancient times.

11) How to Go to The Aizanoi Ancient City?

Çavdarhisar is only accessible with local buses or car from the Kutahya. There is no railway, unfortunately. If you’re coming to Aizanoi from Istanbul or from other major cities you have a couple of options. First, you can come with intercity buses to Kutahya bus terminal and take a local coach to go to the Çavdarhisar. Second, You can take a flight from Istanbul to Kutahya Zafer Airport, then go to the Kutahya bus terminal with airport service than take local coach again. This way takes more time than buses, so you should think to take the coach. Third, you can use the train to come to Kutahya and go to the bus terminal and the same local coach. Of course, the most comfortable way to rent a car.

12) Are There Any Hotels to Stay?

Yes, there a couple of hotels to stay in Çavdarhisar. You can use the booking app and sites to arrange them. If you don’t want to stay in Çavdarhisar you can go to Kutahya, Afyonkarahisar or Gediz to spend the night.