Allianoi

Allianoi (Greek Ἀλλιανοί ( m. pl. ) ) Is an extensive ancient spa, which is situated 18 kilometers north east of Pergamon in the Turkish province of Izmir on Paşa Ilıcası thermal baths. The ancient town is beautifully preserved. He was acutely threatened by the construction of a dam that was to be flooded on 15 November 2005. On 29 October 2005, the relevant conservation authority was upheld in İzmir an action against the flooding of Allianoi. The Yortanli Dam could not be flooded until the necessary measures to protect the ancient site had been completed. In January 2007 it was announced that the same committee the authority had revised its decision in a closed session. Allianoi could now be flooded again at any time. A highly controversial report, which was present to the water authority in October 2007, recommended the immediate operation of the dam.

In December 2008, the Yortanli Dam was put into operation, the mosaics should be scantily covered with sand for the next five decades of operation. Meanwhile, the ancient city has been flooded.

History

Allianoi was first settled in the late Hellenistic period. But in its present form it was created by a large construction program during the reign of Emperor Hadrian ( 117 AD to 138 AD). Under the Byzantines buildings were built over those of the Roman period and remained until the 11th to 12th centuries in use. In Roman and Byzantine times in the seaside resort was visited by an urban, affluent population. Individual bath springs were used even into the 1950s by the local population.

The ancient spa town has now been identified by epigraphists Helmut Müller of the Commission for Ancient History and Epigraphy of the German Archaeological Institute as Allianoi. In his Hieroi Logoi ( ἰεροί λόγοι " Holy Reports" ) described the Roman Aelius Aristides a treatment that he learned there. The living in the 2nd century AD rhetorician described therein his illness and miraculous healings. The research looks at Allianoi as one of five worldwide locations with a asclepieion - an ancient spa, the one after Asklepios ( Ἀσκλήπιος, Latinized Aesculapius ), the god of healing named.

The Baths

Various bathing rooms were connected by a long underground water tunnel. You are unusually complete and well received, because large parts of the archaeological site were covered by alluvium ( alluvial ). Another highlight of the excavations was found almost intact, one and a half meter tall marble statue of a nymph, it is interpreted as Aphrodite.

The hot springs of Allianoi have a temperature of 45 to 50 ° C. By 2004, an area of ​​40,000 square meters was exposed. Excavation director Yara estimates this share to more than 10 or 20 percent of the total area of the historic city area. The most important building is the northern Spa, which covered an area of ​​9,700 square meters. More discovered structures are bridges, roads made ​​of marble stones, shops, public fountains, ornate gates and houses with completely preserved, colored geometric mosaics from the Roman period. The Byzantine era are allocated accommodation on the outskirts, a basilica, chapels and cemeteries. Lost property were recorded in great number, such as several hundred pottery ( oil lamps, dishes) and rare Glasbrennöfen. All the houses were connected to a water supply system. Among the finds are sculptures, ceramics, metal, bone and glass objects and a large number of coins.

Another striking building is a hospital with a courtyard and colonnades, surrounded by interconnected treatment rooms. All rooms have an individual mosaic floor and access to the colonnaded courtyard, in the center was once a fountain. Gratitude was the purpose of building the ancient medical instruments, a rarity in archeology.

Threat of dam

Allianoi should be covered on 15 November 2005 with up to 17 meters from the water from then dammed Yortanli Dam, which was named after the creek Yortanli. The dam is located a few hundred meters from Allianoi away. In an interview, according to Yara's also an alleged opening of the locks by Prime Minister Erdoğan was personal. According to a report by Agence France-Presse, the water has reached the ruins of Allianoi on 22 February 2011 after the closing of the gates of the dam. However, the protests of the dam opponents should go according to her lawyer, since the flooding began before the end of the dispute. Despite the dispute began on December 31, 2010, flooding of the lake, the Allianoi was eventually sink.

Notgrabungen

Knowing the blueprints you therefore conducted rescue excavations in 1994 at a place that had long been known as a magnificent system of Pasha Ilıcası. Since 1998 head of the excavations on behalf of the Turkish Ministry of Culture Assistant Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yara with its archeology team and with the support of the German Archaeological Institute. The team has the support of the Ministry of Culture, the State Water Management, Philip Morris Sabancı, the Bergama Yortanli rescue society and Thrakienuniversität ( Edirne ). Finds from Allianoi are collected in the Bergama Archeological Museum.

The EU promotes the rescue of these archaeological sites in their program " Culture 2000 ". The pan-European Heritage Federation Europa Nostra, a 200 Non-Governmental Organizations comprehensive umbrella organization, decided to join the promotion by their own means. Together with UNESCO, the European Council called on 10 March 2005 to the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, to prevent re irretrievable destruction of part of the common cultural heritage. The letter has remained unanswered.

As before with other dam projects in the 1990s ( Hasankeyf, Zeugma ), the Turkish government urged a spate of archaeological excavation. In no one wants to stop the commissioning of the dam for a rescue or cover with clay for backup.

See also: Southeastern Anatolia Project ( Güneydoğu Anadolu Projesi - CAP)

Process

Against the planned course of the dam of the excavation director Yara and a consortium of 73 individuals and associations have brought a court action in July 2005. The plaintiffs appealed, successfully on a law from 2001, which also includes this excavation site officially as " preserve cultural asset of the first order " applies. Thus, under current Turkish law flooding was not permitted.

The citizens' initiative requires the installation of the dam. The present course is specifically come at the request of local landowners about, just to protect their fields. In contrast to the dams in the Kurdish southeast, this artificial lake is not used for electricity generation, but the irrigation of agricultural land. The commissioning of the dam was temporarily banned on 29 October 2005 a new decision by the conservation authority. Without protection measures for Allianoi the dam could not initially be flooded.

Alternatives

Yara's calls for a reconstruction of the ancient seaside resort and its conversion into an open air museum. Of the revenue from tourism more locals could live better than the irrigated agriculture that benefits only the large landowners here. Furthermore, Turkish surveyor have proposed to demolish the dam deeper and protect Allianoi by two massive protective walls before the backwater. An underground tunnel then the associations thus formed two lakes back to a lake. This proposal was ignored by the authorities.

Revision of flooding ban

The decision of the flooding stops of 29 October 2005, repealed the end of 2006 from the same committee secretly again, which until the end of January 2007 it was announced. Representatives of Allianoi protection initiative suspect political pressure. Thus, the government wanted to " show energy " to voters in rural areas compared to before the Turkish general election in November 2007. Against the non -published decision before excavation director Yara's opposition again, this time without the certainty of a suspensive effect. More effect hope you look through the media coverage and through the bodies of the EU - unfortunately without success.

Quotes

" A washed up by the rain water humus layer has the spaces of the city filled and well preserved. Despite the later use of the facility in the Byzantine period, everything is in excellent condition. Something like this is a rarity in the Aegean area. The reconstruction of the city would be easily possible. Their architecture is just as well received as that of Pompeii. "

" Only a few meters separate water Allianoi of destruction. But that was not impressed by the Turkish authorities. You want to finish the dam planned in a year. In turn, tries to save the excavation team of Allianoi, what can be saved. But it does not look good for the future of Allianoi. If not still something happens, is a historic site in Turkey once again buried under masses of water - without ever having been properly researched. "

Filmography

• Treasures in watery grave. Documentation, 45 minutes, written and directed by Halil Gülbeyaz, Production: NDR, Original Air Date: September 23, 2003. ( This documentation received at the "International Film Festival in Parma " In 2004, the first prize of the "Prix Leonardo ". )
• Allianoi, documentary, 55 min, written and directed by Halil Gülbeyaz, Production: NDR, ARTE, Original Air Date: March 25, 2006.