Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City - TÜRKİYE

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31 Jan 2024

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Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City - Denizli

Pamukkale, which is included in almost all lists of places to see before you die and is visited by around 2 million tourists every year, is one of the places where nature plays the role of artist. The discovery of the charm of Pamukkale dates back to the Roman Period, where the white travertines formed as a result of the contact of thermal waters with the air formed gradual shapes resembling a frozen waterfall and occasionally formed terrace-shaped pools.

Most of the ruins of the Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City, standing in all its glory right next to the Pamukkale Travertines, are also from this period. These ruins, together with the uniquely beautiful travertines, are on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.

We are sure that Pamukkale will fascinate you at first sight. 2 thousand years ago, the Kingdom of Pergamum could not resist this attraction and built the City of Hierapolis next to the travertines. During this period, Hierapolis served as a thermal health center, and its springs, believed to be healing, were visited by people from different parts of Anatolia seeking health and beauty for thousands of years. Today, thermal pools continue to be visited in search of beauty and health. You can also swim in the waters where people of the ancient world swam thousands of years ago and watch the magnificent view of the travertines. However, this natural beauty, which took thousands of years to form, is quite delicate. That's why you can only walk around certain parts of it and enter its waters. Those who want to stay in Pamukkale for a longer time and benefit from its healing waters can stay in the thermal facilities located near the ancient city and travertines and enjoy massages, thermal waters and mud baths.

The Ancient City of Hierapolis has survived to the present day and is very well preserved. The Roman Bath, which we can definitely say was frequently visited when this place was a thermal centre, is now used as an archaeological museum. Here you can see the statues and other ruins unearthed during the ancient city excavations in Hierapolis and its immediate surroundings. Buildings such as the ancient theatre, temples, monumental fountains, tombs, agora and gymnasium are in such good condition that you will feel like you are in the city of 2 thousand years ago. You will be especially interested in the stories told about Ploutonium, which was believed to be the entrance to hell in the Roman Period.

Hierapolis is also a sacred settlement in terms of Christianity. The most important reason for this sanctity is that Phillippus, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, was killed here and his grave is located here. Martyrium, where the saint's tomb is located, built by palace architects in the 5th century, is one of the sacred buildings of Christianity. The 6th century cathedral, which contains a baptismal boat and bishop's ritual spaces, and the Direkli Church, dating back to the 7th century, are other important Christian buildings. Many smaller churches are also scattered around the city. All these structures prove that Hierapolis was an important religious center during the Byzantine Period.

Where is the Ancient City of Hierapolis?

The reason why the Ancient City of Hierapolis, located 17 kilometers north of Denizli, is called "Holy City" in the archaeological literature is due to the presence of many known temples and other religious buildings in the city. It is debated in which ancient geographical region the city is located.

With its geographical location, Hierapolis is located among the various historical regions surrounding it. In their information, ancient geographers Strabo and Ptolemy claim that Hierapolis is a Phrygian city, with its proximity to the cities of Laodicea and Tripolis, which border the Caria region. There is no information in ancient sources about the name of the city before the Hellenistic Period. It is known that there was a life in the city before it was called Hierapolis, due to the Mother Goddess cult. Although information about the founding of the city is limited; II of the Pergamon Kings. II BC by Eumenes. YY. It is known that it was founded in the early 1960s and was named Hierapolis after the Amazon queen Hiera, the wife of Telephos, the legendary founder of Pergamon.

Hierapolis maintained its original texture by adhering to the Hellenistic urbanization principles until the great earthquake during the reign of Roman Emperor Nero (AD 60). Located on the earthquake zone, the city was greatly damaged by the earthquake of the Nero period and was completely renovated. After these earthquakes, the city lost all its Hellenistic character and took on the appearance of a typical Roman city.

After the Roman period, Hierapolis became a very important center during the Byzantine period. This importance dates back to AD IV. It became a center of Christianity (metropolis) from the 19th century onwards, and in the 80s AD, Hz. It is due to the murder of St. Philip, one of Jesus' apostles, here. Hierapolis, XII. It fell into the hands of the Turks towards the end of the century.

Parts of the Ancient City of Hierapolis

Hierapolis Theatre: The large structure was built on four islands. The vertical cavea is divided into two parts from the diazoma, vertically 9 cuneusa Summa cavea gallery and 8 steps are placed. The middle part of the Ima cavea (lower steps) is arranged in the form of a marble exedra for proedria, high-backed, lion-footed seats are for the important people of the city. The stage building has a logeion and a large backstage and is connected to the skene. Three orders of the skene frons are placed on a podium by marble monolith columns, and there is a decorated cornice dedicated to Apollo and Artemis. This magnificent structure was built in AD III during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus. It was built in the 16th century by encompassing and destroying the previous phase (Flavian Period). It was used until the late Roman period, as can be seen from the inscription on the lower side of the architrave, dated AD 352, and the repair of the skene frons.

Great Bath Complex: There are traces that the interiors of the building, whose massive walls and some vaults have survived today, were covered with marble. The plan of the bath is like other typical Roman baths. First, there is a large courtyard at the entrance, a closed rectangular area with large halls on both sides, and later the main bath structure. Two large halls on the side wings of the palaestra, one in the south and the other in the north, were reserved for the emperor and ceremonies. The ruins of the bath complex date back to AD. II. It dates back to the century. The vaulted closed spaces adjacent to the large hall are used as a museum today.

Frontinus Street: Due to its architectural features, this 14-meter wide street (plateia), which is thought to have been built together with the gate, constitutes the main street of the city.

Agora: After the earthquake that occurred in 60 AD, a large area between Frontinus Street and the slopes of the hill in the east was transformed as the Hierapolis Trade Agora.

Northern Byzantine Gate: The Northern Gate, which was included in the wall system built in the city of Hierapolis, was built in AD IV. It dates back to the end of the century.

Southern Byzantine Gate: AD IV. It was built in the century. It was made with travertine blocks and reused materials including marble.

Gymnasium: An inscribed architrave piece on the colonnade, indicating that the building is a gymnasium, attracts attention.

Triton Fountain Building: Triton Fountain Building is one of the two large monumental buildings in the city, together with the fountain building near the Temple of Apollo.

House with Ionic Column Head: The house is located on a long secondary road leading to the theatre. The original structure dates back to AD II. It is dated as the century.

Latrina: This structure, which collapsed in the earthquake, has survived to the present day with all its parts in ruins. At the base of the long space, there is a channel that carries sewage water to the sewer on the street. There is a bench with holes on it, made for sitting along the inner wall, and a clean water channel for sanitary needs was built in front of the channel carrying waste water.

Sanctuary of Apollo: The monumental structure is dedicated to the most important god of Hierapolis. The inner structure pointed out in the podium was previously described as a temple, but as a result of later studies, it was understood that it was a divination center.

Water Channels and Nympheums: Two aquaducts, consisting of channels built on the surrounding hills, provide drinking water to the city.

Plutonium: The entrance to Plutonium is on the right side of the temple.

Walls: In the 5th century AD, as in other cities of the Roman Empire, Hierapolis was built in AD. According to a law enacted in 396, it was surrounded by walls in the north, south and east directions.

Cathedral: It is one of the most important Christian cult buildings of the Ancient City of Hierapolis. The building opens to the plateia with narthex and atrium. You enter the baptismal space from the door on the right. The quadrangular planned, apsidal space is divided into 3 naves with columns. In the apse section, there is a round, marble-plated baptismal basin with stairs on both sides. The entablature was carried by the second row of columns belonging to the section where women sat. The apse has a circular plan on the inside and a multi-sided plan on the outside. Inside the main apse is the concentric staircase, the synthronon, where the priests and the bishop sit during the service. The building plan tells us that medieval restorations and AD. VI. It allows us to date it to the first half of the century.

Martrium of St. Philippus: In addition to being a source of healing with the unique thermal waters of the Ancient City of Hierapolis, it was considered a sacred city both during the Pagan periods and the Christian period. The reason for this is the Prophet Muhammad, who came to Hierapolis to spread Christianity in the 80s. St. Philippus, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, was crucified and killed here. After Christianity became the official religion in the 4th century AD, a martyrdom was built in the place where he was killed in the name of St. Plilippus. The building, which was built as a religious and spiritual treatment center, has an octagonal plan. There is also the tomb of St. Philippus in the marble-covered area in the middle. This center, which was outside the walls of the Byzantine Period, can be reached by wide and long stairs. There is the Ayazma fountain structure on the right of the stairs in the last section approaching the building. The octagonal section, with a diameter of approximately 20 meters, is covered with a lead-coated dome. There are small chapels in the building for prayer. The floor of the octagonal section is marble, the floor of the corridor and connected sections is mosaic with floral motifs, the floor of the rooms is travertine, and the floor of the outer rooms where the public stays is compressed earth. Today, many churches celebrate the feast of St. Philippus and hold services.