KIBYRA

 

Kibyra ancient city was founded on low hills, heights of which differ from 950 m and 1350 m,  to the West of Burdur, in Gölhisar. The city was at the junction of Lycian, Karian and Phrygian cultural areas and in the center of a trade route connecting the North to the South and the East to the West in early periods. The area was called as ‘Kabalia’ in early periods and ‘Kibyratis’ during Hellenistic and Roman periods. Although the meaning of the word is not known exactly, Kibyra is not a Hellenistic name. Common view is that it belonged to a language used by Luvians, people who lived in western and southwestern Anatolia during the Late Bronze Age, and this unknown name was changed as Kibyra in Hellen. According to Strabo, a traveller from Anatolia, Kibyrians were of Lydian origin and they moved to Kabalis from there. It is also obvious that there were also migrations from Pisidia, Milyas and Solym to the area and all these people joined and established Kibyra, the width of which reached to 100 stadia. Strabo also emphasized that four different languages, Lydian, Solymi, Psidian, Hellenic, were spoken in the city. Strabo’s description about the foundation of the city has been supported by the archaeological finds from Uylupınar, a settlement approximately 18 km away from Kibyra. The settlement around Uylupınar village of Gölhisar and the rocky area around Gölhisar Lake has finds dating back to the Early Iron Age. This settlement is most probably the area where Kibyrians had settled long before they moved to the city, which can be seen today, in other words ‘Old Kibyra’. Old architectural ruins of the city today are from the Roman Imperial Period and Late Antiguity.

Kibyra was an autonomous city which could coin its own money during the Hellenistic Period.  It is known that the quadruple council  (Kabalis Tetrapolis / Association of Four Cities in Kabalis Region) which was established in the second century BC under the leadership of Kibyra and consisted of Bubon, Balboura and Oinoanda, cities located nearby, played an important role in the political history of the area. It seems that the council was a decision making mechanism based on voting of city representatives.  In this political association, Kibyra had two votes, whereas the other cities had one vote each. According to Strabo, Kibyra had two votes for providing 30.0000 infantry and 2000 cavalry. Records show that the council was eliminated by Roman commander Murena in 82 BC. After this period, Kibyra was incorporated into Asia Minor and the other cities were incorporated into the Lycian League. During the Roman Period, it became the judicial centre of Asia Minor’s state governor.

The city, destroyed by an earthquake in 23 AD, was exempted from tax for five years and it was donated money by Roman Emperor Tiberius. Thus, the city was rebuilt and Kbyrians showed their gratitude by naming their city as ‘Caesera Kibyra’. After the second devastating eartquake in 417 AD, the city lost its architectural plan and continued its existence getting smaller and losing its glory during Late Antiguity.

Kibyra main city is on three hills seperated from each other by deep cliffs. It is seen that public, civil and religious buildings were organized symmetrically to form completeness. All the buildings were placed on the terraced hill so as not to spoil each other’s lake and valley view.

Necropolis, consisting of many different architectural styles, surrounds the hill where public buildings are seen densely. These buildings are dense between the Stadion in the East and the West ridge of the hill where the Theatre and the Odeon are. On the same axis, main street, secondary routes, basilica with administrative and judicial functions, temples, social and commercial market place (Agora), temples and small shops, symbols of economical liveliness of the city, can be seen. According to the records and inscriptions, Kibyra was famous for its ironworking, leather trade and horse breeding. It has also been found out that ceramic fabrication was of great importance in Kibyra.

Excavation and research studies in Kibyra, under the leadership of the Burdur Museum, started in 2006. It has been a continuous excavation by the decision of the Council of Ministers on behalf of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University headed by Associate Professor Şükrü Özdoğru since 2010. Since 2006, Stadion, Odeion (Music House), Agora, Necropolis, Late Antiguity Bath, Caiserion, Roman Imperial Bath and Basilica have been excavated. Stadion, Odeion and Bath excavations have been completed. Work continues in Agora, Main Street, Necropolis, Caisarion, Basilica and the Bath Complex from the Roman Imperial Period.

 

KIBYRA CAISARION (EMPEROR CULT TEMPLE)

 

            Caisarion is located to the Southwest of the main hill. The hill, at this point, goes towards the stream (Kanlı Dere)  in South and West directions by forming steep crests and  creating an area to control everywhere easily. Caiserion was built at this dominant point of the city. The reason why it is called as ‘Caisarion’ is the inscriptions. Inscriptions are reliable proofs to show us that the construction was built for the memory of Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia, by the order of Emperor Cladius (41-54 AD). Thanks to the insriptions, it is also understood that it was built during the reign of Emperor Cladius. Therefore, this construction must have been built as a Caisarion (emperor cult temple). Facade of the North-South directioned construction is on the North. Total area of the construction is 16.00 x 8.90 m. Findings, which can be seen today, give us information about the structure because the whole construction except for the foundation must have been destroyed by the devastating earthquake in 417 AD. Caisarion is originally an Ionic emperor cult temple built in ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­prostylos (four columns on the facade).

KIBYRA BASILICAL PLANNED CHURCH

    The Basilical Planned Church, located just above the Kibyra Stadion, is the largest religious building of the Eastern Roman period city, measuring 20.00 x 48.00 m from exterior to exterior. This church has a basilica plan with three naves and a triconchos (clover-shaped) apse. The central apse has an altar and synthronon, while the pastophorion rooms are located behind the side apses. The three rooms to the south of the basilica and the rooms next to it are burial chambers. In the first room in the east, an altar and a relicer were found inside the altar. In the other rooms, burials were made in terracotta sarcophagi under the floor. In front of the basilica is a landing added later. From here, the narthex (the covered front space at the entrance of the church) is entered through four doors, two at the front and one on each side. The floor is paved with opus sipicatum (rectangular pieces of terracotta/tile arranged side by side to form the spica (spike) motif that gives the floor its name) decorated with different geometric ornaments. Entered through three doors from the narthex is the naos section (the place where the congregation gathers in basilicas consisting of the central and side naves). The naos is divided into three naves by colonnades (spaces within the naos, placed perpendicular to the apse, separated from each other by columns or pillars). During the excavations, it was observed that the floor of the central nave was paved with marble slabs reclaimed from Roman Imperial Period buildings. The floor of the side naves, which are separated by colonnades from Roman Imperial buildings, is paved with opus spicatum. At the eastern end of the naos is the bema (a raised space with an altar separated from the naos by parapets and accessible only to priests). The bema is surrounded by a buttressed tempo (a parapeted section separating the naos from the altar room). In the center of this area, traces of the etching of the metal doors on the stone are still visible. A four-legged altar table was excavated in the center of the area. In the central apse, there is a stepped Synthronon (stone or wooden seating benches placed inside the apse). To the north and south of the main apse, two rooms were exposed. These rooms are called "pastophorion". The room to the north, where bread and wine were prepared, is the "prothesis" room. The room to the south, where liturgical objects or vestments were kept, is called "diakonikon". To the south of the basilica are the burial chambers, which seem to have been planned together with the building. In the first room, which is accessed through the diaconicon room and paved with marble, an altar is observed to the east of the row of three opposite columns. During the excavations, a silver relicer (objects in different forms made for placing relics belonging to holy people) was found inside this altar. This room and the rooms to its west were used as burial areas. Fifty-five terracotta sarcophagi placed under the floors of the rooms were found during the excavations. Architectural fragments, ceramic vessels, lamps, coins and medallions were found inside the basilical planned church with triconchos apse. The dating of the building is based on its plan with triconchos apse, which is not very common in Anatolia, and it is thought that it was built in the 5th-6th century AD after the 417 AD earthquake, which was the second largest earthquake that the city suffered according to ancient sources.