Trajan nymphaeum in the ancient city of Laodikeia (fountain of trajan)

    The Nymphaeum of Trajan was unearthed at the southern end of the West Portico of the Stadium Street, bordering the street and the portico connected to it at the southern end. The monumental fountain has a single-storeyed façade with a large square in front of the façade. The fountain, which has a rectangular plan on the exterior, has a façade animated by an apsidal pool and a colonnaded gallery on the interior, which was widely built in the Roman Empire at the end of the 1st century AD. In the monumental Nymphaeum structure, the power of both the Roman Empire and Laodikeia was exhibited to the public as political propaganda with four granite and eight marble columns and pedimented facades on both sides in front. The water law unearthed on the eastern wing of the façade facing the square provides important information about the use of water in the city, its cleanliness, the protection of the line, its distribution, the nature of the officials supervising it, and the penalties and prohibitions to be imposed on those who violate the rules, as well as showing that the monumental fountain was built in 113-114 AD during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117 AD). The group sculpture of Emperor Traian and the Daker (Dacia) captive in the pediment carried by two columns, which are higher than the others and arranged in the form of a temple pediment on the main façade of the fountain, reveals the importance of the structure. On the other hand, water was provided from the north side of the fountain, an arched pool at the southern end of the Stadium Street West Portico, and water was provided on three sides, one of which was rectangular in plan, on the east and west sides. The main pool provided water to the part facing the square in the south front.

It is understood from the crosses engraved on the parapets that the monumental fountain structure was used for a while more in the 4th century AD due to the liberalization of Christianity (313 AD). Due to the importance of the square and the construction of an administrative building to the south and official offices on both sides of the square in the 5th century AD, the apsidal pool was converted into an exedra for seating. During this phase, the rectangular pool on the east side was enlarged, two small pools were built on the southwest side, and a small water terminal was created in the north by installing a system of funnels supplying water in different directions. In this use, the sculpture group consisting of Emperor Trajan and the captive was continued to be exhibited in the exedra since it was likened to Constantine the Great who freed Christianity. The exedra completely lost its function as a result of the collapse of the columned gallery on the rear façade into the building with the earthquake in 494 AD.

REFERENCE: https://twitter.com/celal1964

                           https://laodikeia.pau.edu.tr/yapilar-696

ANCIENT CITY OF EPHESUS

     

    

The first foundation of the ancient city of Ephesus within the borders of Selçuk District in İzmir Province dates back to 6000 BC. Recent researches and excavations have revealed Bronze Age and Hittite settlements in the mounds (prehistoric hill settlements) around Ephesus and on Ayasuluk Hill where the castle is located. The name of the city was Apasas during the Hittite Period. The harbour city of Ephesus, where immigrants from Greece started to live in 1050 BC, was moved around the Temple of Artemis in 560 BC. Ephesus, which is visited today, was founded by Lysimakhos, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, around 300 BC. Ephesus, which lived its most glorious times during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, had a population of 200,000 people as the capital of the Asian province and the largest harbour city. Ephesus was relocated again during the Byzantine Period and came to Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, where it was founded for the first time.

What is the most important feature of the ancient city of Ephesus?

    Ephesus, which was the main gate between East and West, was an important harbour city. This position enabled Ephesus to develop as the most important political and commercial centre of its time and to become the capital of the province of Asia during the Roman period. Ephesus does not only owe its importance in ancient times to this. The largest temple of the Artemis cult based on the ancient Anatolian mother goddess (Cybele) tradition is also located in Ephesus. The Temple of Artemis in Ephesus is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia, 3 kilometres from today's Selçuk district, which later became an important Roman city. It was one of the twelve cities of Ionia during the classical Greek period. Its foundation dates back to 6000 BC in the Neolithic Age. The first foundation of the ancient city of Ephesus within the borders of Selçuk District of İzmir Province dates back to 6000 BC, the Neolithic Period, the Neolithic Stone Age. Recent researches and excavations have revealed Bronze Age and Hittite settlements in the mounds (prehistoric hill settlements) around Ephesus and on Ayasuluk Hill where the castle is located. 

    The name of the city was Apasas during the Hittite Period. The harbour city of Ephesus, where immigrants from Greece started to live in 1050 BC, was moved around the Temple of Artemis in 560 BC. Ephesus, which is visited today, was founded by Lysimakhos, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, around 300 BC. Ephesus, which lived its most glorious periods in the Hellenistic and Roman ages, had a population of 200.000 people as the capital of the Asian province and the largest harbour city. Ephesus was relocated again in the Byzantine Age and came to Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, where it was first founded. In 1330, Ayasuluk was taken over by the Turks and became the centre of Aydınoğulları, and gradually started to shrink from the 16th century onwards. After the establishment of the Republic in 1923, it was renamed Selçuk and today it is a touristic place with a population of 30.000 people. Ephesus, one of the most important centres of the ancient world, has always played an important role in the fields of civilisation, science, culture and art throughout its history dating back to the 4th millennium BC. Ephesus, which was the main gate between East and West (Asia and Europe), was an important harbour city. This position enabled Ephesus to develop as the most important political and commercial centre of its age and to become the capital of the province of Asia during the Roman period. However, Ephesus did not only owe its importance in antiquity to its development as a major trade centre and its status as a capital city. The largest temple of the Artemis cult based on the ancient Anatolian mother goddess (Cybele) tradition is also located in Ephesus. This temple is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Since Ephesus has been relocated many times throughout its history, its ruins spread over a wide area. These ruins spread over an area of approximately 8 km², excavation-restoration and arrangement works have been carried out and are open to visitors.

1- Ayasuluk Hill (the earliest settlement dated to the 3rd millennium BC and the Church of St. Jean, which belongs to the Byzantine period and is of great importance for the Christian world)

2- Artemision (an important religious centre from the 9th-4th centuries BC; Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the world)

3- Ephesus (Archaic-Classical-Hellenistic-Roman and Byzantine Period settlement)

4- Selçuk (Seljuk, Ottoman settlement and the modern city that hosts this settlement, which is an important tourism centre today), Ephesus, which was an important civilisation centre in ancient times, is still an important tourism centre visited by an average of 1.5 million people annually.

    The first archaeological excavations in Ephesus began in 1869 by J.T. Wood on behalf of the British Museum. Wood's excavations to find the famous Temple of Artemis were continued by D.G. Hogarth after 1904. The Austrian excavations at Ephesus, which continue today, were first started in 1895 by Otto Benndorf. The work of the Austrian Archaeological Institute, which was interrupted during the First and Second World Wars, continued uninterruptedly after 1954. In addition to the work of the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Ephesus, the Ephesus Museum has been carrying out excavation, restoration and arrangement works on behalf of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism since 1954.

Pisidya Bölgesi

Adada Sikkeleri

1-  yak. M.Ö. 100

ÖY: Cepheden boğa başı.

AY: İnsan bacağı şeklinde, koşar vaziyette Triskeles, sola.

AE., 13,21 mm., 1,83 gr.

SNG France 1019