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2,200 year old ancient city Aigai waiting to be discovered
2,200 year old ancient city Aigai waiting to be discovered
Only one percent of the ancient city of Aigai in the Yunuslar district of the western Turkish province of Manisa has been unearthed so far in the excavations that started back in 2004. Click through for the story in photos...
The 2,200-year-old city of Aigai was one of the 12 Ionian cities mentioned by Herodotus. It is sometimes known as “Nemrut Castle.” The city was a significant center of trade in the Hellenistic era and it is home to the Temple of Athena.
Associate professor Yusuf Sezgin from the archeology department of Celal Bayar University, who heads the excavation work at the site, said they had recently discovered the ruins of the temple in a nine-meter deep water cistern.
According to Sezgin, those pieces from the temple were buried in the cistern by the Byzantines. A team of 32 people that are the students from the university’s archeology department are carrying out the excavation work, which has been mostly focused on the sacred sites of the ancient city this year.
“We are working to unearth the Temple of Athena,” Sezgin said. “When the excavation began in 2004, we concentrated on the public buildings. We found the parliament building, discovered the roads. But still we have unearthed only one percent of this ancient city. The Athena area, which includes a temple and an altar, is the holiest site of the city."
According to Sezgin, the archeological data at hand suggests this temple is the Temple of Athena and the altar is the Zeus Altar.
“We found a water cistern by the altar and discovered a number of pieces from the temple in the cistern. When the temple collapsed, the ruins sank into the cistern,” he said.
He added that they did not have much information about the temple but noted the Byzantines who arrived at the site in the 13th century put the remains of the temple into the cistern.
“The people of Aigai had left the city in the third century. They were pagans. The Byzantines who came here nearly a thousand years later wanted to destroy the temples of the pagan religion,” Sezgin explained.
Sezgin also noted the ancient city has been attracting a large number of tourists recently. “The number of visitors has increased five times compared to five years ago. Foreigners also come to visit the city,” he said.
MANİSA - Demirören News Agency
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