Indent City of Antiocheia in Pisidia – Yalvac Indent City of Antiocheia in Pisidia
Seeking the distinctive historical texture that underlies the county of Yalvac, we are led to the remains of the ancient city of Antiocheia in Pisidia.
The first buildings our eyes light upon seem to be strewn over the hillsides and among the ravines. The principal entrance to the city was located on its western side. The present form of the Western Gate, the guardian of the city’s security, dates to 21 2 and is decorated with reliefs of weapons and armor.
From there we stroll along the street called Cardo Maximus and make a sentimental visit to the abodes of the city’s erstwhile owners. Who knows whose house we may end up in as we ply these narrow, straight streets? The old town had two forums, that of Augustus and that of Tiberius. Located on the eastern side of the city, they were the focal-points of its life. Even the first workers’ strike in the world was taken at the Forum of Tiberius in AD 46. As we walk along, from time to time we realize that we are treading.
With this pensive thought in our hearts, we reach the aqueduct, gracing the north side of the city like a necklace.
The magnificent fortifications that once encircled and sheltered the acropolis of Antiocheia measure about three thousand meters in length. These walls underwent expansion and repairs in Roman and Byzantine times. Who knows how many sentries guarding these walls gazed dreamily upon the magnificent view around him?
Goddess Kybele
Indent City of Antiocheia in Pisidia – The sacred precinct of the acropolis, the city’s highest point, contains a temple dedicated to Emperor Augustus. Originally a temple to the goddess Kybele was located here. It was replaced by a temple dedicated to the moon-god Men afterwards. Still later, an elaborately decorated Augustus temple, dedicated to the Emperor who established the first and biggest Roman colony in the area, was built on the site in the late 1st century BC. From the standpoint of both its architecture and its decoration, the Temple of Augustus is a unique example of its kind. In the early 5th century, the temple was converted into a Christian church.
As you take in the scene before you, the very air you breathe seems charged with the millennia-old mystical inspiration of goddesses, gods, and emperors.
Despite being located on a hill, Antiocheia has a well-organized city plan and a developed infrastructure.
1 st-century propylon or monumental gate is situated where the Augustus and Tiberius forums join. Over its central archway are reliefs of Genius with wings and Nike that are indescribably elegant in the artistry of their execution.
