Excavations of Sillyon Ancient City, which Hosts One of the Oldest Mosques in the Region, Carried Out under the Chairmanship of PAU
14.06.2023
The excavations of the ancient city of Sillyon, which started in 2020 under the chairmanship of Pamukkale University Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Department of Archaeology faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Taşkıran, and has been continuing as a "Presidential Decree" excavation since 2022, continue rapidly to bring the ancient city to tourism.
Sillyon Ancient City, which is one of the few cities that Alexander the Great could not capture in Anatolia, draws attention with its necropolis, stadium, bathhouse, flowing Ottoman Fountain and endemic vegetation, as well as the Kale Masjid, one of the oldest masjids in the region, which was built in the 13th century during the Seljuk Period and managed to survive until today.
Providing information about the recent excavations in the city, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Taşkıran stated the following: "The excavations we have been carrying out since 2020 consist of a team of 40 people consisting of Pamukkale University, Akdeniz University, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Isparta Süleyman Demirel University, Belek University, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa and Istanbul Technical University and expert archaeologists from abroad. We continue the excavation works of Sillyon Ancient City, which dates back 4 thousand years, intensively. Sillyon is one of the important ancient cities of the region. We come across traces of settlement here before 3 thousand BC and this city is an ancient city included in Hittite sources. Sillyon Ancient City, which has a city model that exhibits an uninterrupted settlement example from before Christ until the late Ottoman period, bears the traces of many periods with its wall writings, classical period defense systems, Hellenistic tower, Roman stadium, Byzantine castle and Seljuk mosque. In terms of contributing to the tourism potential of the region, we continue various studies to position this city where it deserves. At this point, we think we have come a long way. At first, we conducted surface surveys and conducted various scientific studies. In the new process, we are working on the stadium, Roman baths and necropolis. We are rapidly carrying out our work on the landscaping and protection of the city. We have various studies on the endemic and geological structure of the city. With these studies, we are trying to understand, promote, document and share Sillyon and the culture that diversified around it with the scientific world. The building, which is one of the most remarkable and oldest masjids in the region, is known to have been built in the 13th century in the ancient city of Sillyon."
Sillyon, the City Alexander the Great Besieged
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Taşkıran: "The fact that this building has been preserved in all details makes it the most vivid example of the period that has survived. In addition, the location of the city is a gathering center, a common area. Especially during times of danger, we see that people gathered here and it was a fortress of refuge. The city stands out especially during the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods. It is possible to say that the city could not be taken by any army. It is seen that a strong defense system was established in the city. There are two cities in the region that Alexander the Great could not take. One is Termesos and the other is Sillyon. In this respect, Sillyon has an important place in history. It is known that Alexander the Great came to the region during his eastern campaign and besieged the city, but since his troops could not break the resistance, they gave up taking the city and continued on their way."
Providing information about the recent excavations in the city, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Taşkıran stated the following: "The excavations we have been carrying out since 2020 consist of a team of 40 people consisting of Pamukkale University, Akdeniz University, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Isparta Süleyman Demirel University, Belek University, Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa and Istanbul Technical University and expert archaeologists from abroad. We continue the excavation works of Sillyon Ancient City, which dates back 4 thousand years, intensively. Sillyon is one of the important ancient cities of the region. We come across traces of settlement here before 3 thousand BC and this city is an ancient city included in Hittite sources. Sillyon Ancient City, which has a city model that exhibits an uninterrupted settlement example from before Christ until the late Ottoman period, bears the traces of many periods with its wall writings, classical period defense systems, Hellenistic tower, Roman stadium, Byzantine castle and Seljuk mosque. In terms of contributing to the tourism potential of the region, we continue various studies to position this city where it deserves. At this point, we think we have come a long way. At first, we conducted surface surveys and conducted various scientific studies. In the new process, we are working on the stadium, Roman baths and necropolis. We are rapidly carrying out our work on the landscaping and protection of the city. We have various studies on the endemic and geological structure of the city. With these studies, we are trying to understand, promote, document and share Sillyon and the culture that diversified around it with the scientific world. The building, which is one of the most remarkable and oldest masjids in the region, is known to have been built in the 13th century in the ancient city of Sillyon."
Sillyon, the City Alexander the Great Besieged
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Taşkıran: "The fact that this building has been preserved in all details makes it the most vivid example of the period that has survived. In addition, the location of the city is a gathering center, a common area. Especially during times of danger, we see that people gathered here and it was a fortress of refuge. The city stands out especially during the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods. It is possible to say that the city could not be taken by any army. It is seen that a strong defense system was established in the city. There are two cities in the region that Alexander the Great could not take. One is Termesos and the other is Sillyon. In this respect, Sillyon has an important place in history. It is known that Alexander the Great came to the region during his eastern campaign and besieged the city, but since his troops could not break the resistance, they gave up taking the city and continued on their way."
