Sunday witnessed one of the best expeditions ever. Randy, Gultekin and I set out to see three ancient treasures. The first, and biggest, was the Pisidean city of Sagalassos. This was the second city of the Pisideans after Antioch. As we knew it was second fiddle to the city we had seen the day before we were not expecting anything as good, much less better. We could not have been more wrong. Although you find Sagalassos in some guide books, it does not get much of a mention. I can affirm that if you go to Turkey and are interested in history you must see this city. We have been to Ephesus, the highly touted ancient city on the Aegean coast, and we think Sagalassos is much more impressive and evocative.
It is located in the highlands about 20 miles south of Isparta. You approach through a good road that is well sign posted (not usually the case in Turkey). In in the immortal words of author John Ash "The Pisideans sure knew how to site a city." (More on John Ash later in this blog.) At the back is a steep mountain, almost a cliff. In the front, are pretty steep mountains with great views. You could certainly see an attack coming and defend against it. The Pisidean city was conquered by Alexander the Great and later by the Romans. Most of the ruins are Roman.
There were two tour buses during our 2+ hour stay but each seemed to stay for only an hour or less. There were a couple of independent travelers at the ruins also but for the most part we were wholly alone. The site is extensive and built on a number of terraces. It is not for the mobility impaired or for those out of shape. You need to climb like a mountain goat to see it adequately. The pictures tell most of the tale so I would spend too much time in text but let me say that the scale, the details, and the setting combined to make this the most impressive ancient wonder I have ever seen. We could have used another hour to see it more thoroughly. The weather was also a challenge - very cold (I had to borrow a cap from Gultekin) and it snowed lightly intermittently. We could view the city for many miles as we left for out next destination - a testament to how well the city could prepare itself against approaching interlopers.
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| Scenery along the way to Sagalassos |
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| Part of the lower city - notice both red brick and stone construction |
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| A view of the lower city with the upper city behind |
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| Randy and Alice at the lower city |
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| Scallop detail from niche at the lower city |
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| Part of the Roman road of the lower city |
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| Randy with nicely carved column |
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| Gultekin takes a break from mountain climbing on a handy fallen column |
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| Detail of a fountain carving from the lower city |
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| Another fountain carving detail from the lower city |
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| Randy and Gultekin at the upper city |
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| Detail of finely carved column |
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| Randy surveys the landscape from the upper city |
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| A close up of the mountainside tombs taken with the telescopic lens at the cliff at the back of the city |
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| The hero's monument - or heroon |
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| Carvings at the base of the hero's monument |
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| Detail of original carving from the heroon |
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| Lion detail from the heroon- this lion is a little scary - note fangs |
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| Column detail |
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| Triumphal arch at the upper city |
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| The impressive central fountain - still operating |
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| Detail from the splendid central fountain |
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| Alice at the monumental fountain of the upper city - the statues are reconstructions |
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| Another view |
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| Interior of the library (now preserved under a modern roof enclosure) with mosaic floor | |
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| Detail of the mosaic - sadly the building was locked so we could only peer in |
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| The 9000 seat well preserved theater |
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| Alice is ready to perform |
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| Gultekin and Randy admire the fountain - our last stop at Sagalassos |
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| Detail of a fountain with unique double columns in the corner |
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| Lion detail (the Romans loved their lions!) from the fountain |
As evening was fast approaching we needed to work fast to see my next destination, the Incir Han (incir meaning fig in Turkish). Hans, as you should know, are buildings built during the Selcuks spaced one day's travel apart along the silk road. Animals (camels and the like) with their people and goods would travel between hans. A han is large (it had to house both beast and man) with a central courtyard and a heavy entry. Most were built in the mid-1200's. Incir Han was well signposted off the main north/south road to Antalya and lies about 30 miles south of Isparta. A small road leads to a better road which peters out to a dirt track (but quite drivable). The han is located literally in a farm yard and has been all but forgotten. The entry carvings are the main attraction (see photos below) and are still clear. Part of the roof is caved in but otherwise the structure is in good shape (but buried in dirt about 1/2 way up on the sides and rear). This treasure was Randy's favorite sight of the day because it has been essentially untouched (except for some inside grafiti) for the past 900 years. It is well worth spending 1/2 hour seeing this unappreciated treasure if you are heading back or forth to Antalya.
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| Alice in front of the scalloped entry to the Incir Han |
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| Lion with sun on its back detail of entry carvings |
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| The roof from the inside of Incir Han |
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| The exterior of this neglected wonder - mostly half buried in the dirt of the farmyard |
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| The scallop detail from below (note Arabic writing within the scallop) |
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| The full scallop with lions on either side |
Our last goal was about another 15 miles south, again just off the main Antalya highway. The light was fading so we had to dash. This is the Susuz (in Turkish without water - hardly inviting!) Han found in the middle of the village of Susuz. Again, this is well signposted from the main road and represents a small detour for the traveler. This han is better cared for and is, in fact, undergoing a major restoration. Gultekin obtained the keys (a door was fitted and padlocked) from the cafe proprietor so we could see inside and outside. Again, the door carvings are the main attraction - these curiously with angels. Arabic writing also is carved beautifully into the entrance. The interior is fully intact and from what we could tell wholly original. The outside had been cleaned and parts were being resurfaced in white marble, including the impressive center dome. Lighting is being fitted inside but was not operational where we were there and we had to view the interior in semi-darkness as sun was setting. Again, this is a must see for the traveler to or from Antalya.
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| Wonderful carved ball on the Susuz Han entry |
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| Detail of angel carving at the Susuz Han entry - two angels on either side are flying angled towards each other |
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| Gultekin takes a photo of the Susuz Han |
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| The renovated dome of the Susuz Han |
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| Randy and Alice at the intricately carved entrance to the Susuz Han |
To sum up the day's historic ventures, an overused word seems most appropriate - AMAZING! Turkey is full of art, architecture and engineering from the ancient world and today's excursion emphasized again that no other country contains such an abundance of under appreciated riches.
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| A self photograph of Alice in her stylish borrowed cap invigorated by the splendors of Sagalassos |
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