Castabala (city)
Hierapolis Kastabala ( ancient Greek: Ἱεράπολις Καστάβαλα, also Castabala, Hierapolis Hierapolis or ad Pyramum, Hierapolis in Cilicia ) is an ancient city in the plain of Cilicia ( Cilicia Pedias ). It is located three kilometers north of Ceyhan, the ancient Pyramus, at Kesmeburun in the southern Turkish province of Osmaniye.
37.17666666666736.186111111111Koordinaten: 37 ° 10 ' 36 "N, 36 ° 11' 10" E
History
About the founding of the city is not known. It was first mentioned as Kastabala, when Alexander the Great before the Battle of Issus in 333 BC made a stop here. Since 200 BC, the city minted its own coins. Antiochus IV took the re-establishment as a Hellenistic city under the name of Hierapolis. In the first century BC Hierapolis was the capital of a small local kingdom under the rule of the former Cilician pirates Tarkondimotos I, who had 52 BC used the power vacuum for its aspirations for independence after the death of the Cappadocian king Ariobarzanes II. He was a close ally of the Roman triumvir Mark Antony, called on coins Phil Anthony ( friend Anthony ) and was defeated in 31 BC together with him in the battle of Actium. His successor Tarkondimotos II was established by Augustus in Anazarbos as governor. Marcus Tullius Cicero described the city as the most loyal allies beyond the Taurus and best friend of the Roman people. Your greatest extent reached the city in the Roman Empire. She was known for the cult of Artemis Perasia, who was consecrated a temple. According to Strabo, whose priestesses were at the ceremonies in a trance, so they take without damage, could walk barefoot over hot coals. Among other Ronald Syme and Anthony R. Birley keep it however possible that Strabo, who reports only second-hand, the city confused with another of the same city whose location is unknown.
Structure of the city
The main axis of the city was a 200 m long and 11 m wide east-west running street with columns, of the residues are still present, some with well preserved Corinthian capitals. South of it are the remains of a church to see further east was the point of view of a temple of Artemis Perasia, arguably the center of the cult. To the east of it are still about 15 rows of seats of the theater to see. Further south, ran parallel to a second, 300 -meter-long colonnaded street, from almost no remains are preserved. Here, relics of thermal baths and another church find.
In the north, the colonnaded streets, on an approximately 35 m high rocky spur was probably the ancient acropolis of the city, today there is the castle Bodrum Kalesi, which was built in the time of the Kingdom of Lesser Armenia. In the north of the castle hill are the remains of other churches as well as some rock tombs.