Perge

Their building structures were considerably strong and beautiful. Also, these ancient inhabitants attributed the founding of their city to Kalkhas, Mopsos, and Arnphilokhos after the Trojan War, a tablet discovered at Bogazkoy is the proof of that it existed at least during Hittite times when it was known as “Parha”. We have little information about the city until Alexander’s arrival here in 333 B.C. The Pergeans opened up their gates to Alexander and allowed him to make use of the city as a base during his Pamphylian campaigns. With the death of Alexander, Perge remained in Seleucid hands until 190 B.C., in which year it was annexed to the kingdom of Pergamon. Like all the Pergamene possessions, it too came under Roman rule in 133 B.C. and it was during the Roman imperial period that the city flourished. Most of the ruins we see at the site today are from Roman times. Excavations at Perge were begun in 1946 by Professor Arif Mufit Mansel. Following his death they were taken up by Professor Jale inan and are still in progress.

Before corning upon the ruins of Perge proper we first encounter the city’s magnificent theater. Of the Greco-Roman type, this theater could seat 15,000 and was built in the second half of the 2nd century AD. The stage building had two stories on the lower of which there were scenes concerning Dionysos and reliefs of a river-god, Kentros. It is still possible to see some of these in place today. The seats of the theater are divided into two sections with thirteen sets of steps. During late Roman times, the theater was used for spectators of gladiatorial combats and a fountain was built into the outer wall.

Before the theater is a U-shaped stadium which is in a fine state of preservation. It too was built in the 2nd century A.D. and there are seats for 12,000 supported by barrel-vaulted constructions. The entrance to the 34 by 234 meters arena is on the southern side, but the once monumental gateway has been destroyed. Below the vaults on the eastern side there are thirty shops.

Perge is surrounded by a Hellenistic period wall reinforced here and there with towers. The fortifications on the southern side were expanded in the 4th century A.D. We enter the ruins through a gate built during the reign of Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.) that passes into a courtyard in the walls. The rectangular courtyard before the gate was created when the 4th century walls were built. After entering through the Roman gate we are confronted by a round portal that was the main gate of Perge in Hellenistic times. Between the two is a courtyard measuring 92 meters in length from the 2nd ,century A.D. On the western side of the courtyard is a nymphaion, a richly-decorated monumental fountain that was dedicated by: Septimius Severus to the Pergean Arternis. The statues of the emperor and his wife that were once here are now in the Antalya Museum. Beside the fountain there is a propylon belonging to the baths. This entranceway was also richly decorated with statues, many of which have been unearthed in excavations, and was also built during the reign of Septirnius Severus.

After passing by both structures we come again to the Hellenistic period gate. This well-preserved structure is flanked on either side by towers and leads to a horseshoe-shaped courtyard that was magnificently beautified between 120 and 122 A.D. by Plancia Magna, daughter of Plancius Varus, the Roman governor of Bithynia. Plancia Magna contributed much to the development of Perge. Her tomb is located at the right of the main gate and there is a statue of her in the Antalya museum. The northern side of the courtyard has three entranceways built in the form of a two-storied entrance. The niches once contained statues of the Roman emperor and empress. On the eastern side of the Hellenistic gate is the Pergean agora, a column-enclosed area with shops and rooms around the perimeter that was built in the 4th century A.D. In the center of the agora is a round temple. Excavations have revealed a colonnaded portico measuring 4.30 by 96 meters alongside the agora. On the southern side of the agora is a church. Recent excavations have shown that the Roman baths located opposite the agora are very well preserved.

A broad, marble-paved double-colonnaded street measuring 300 meters in length extends from the main gate to the acropolis. A water channel two meters wide runs down the middle. There are shops on either side of the street. Another street running east and west intersects this main street and the remains of a monumental palaestra is to be found on its western extension. Measuring 76 by 76 meters in size, this structure is in a very good state of preservation. The building was dedicated by C. Cortunus to the emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) At the western extremity of the street adjacent to the city walls are the ruins of baths. These two main streets thus divide Perge into four quarters. In the western section there is an episcopal basilica with a double nave. At the northwestern end of the street at the skirts of the acropolis is another nymphaion, a semicircular structure from the reign of Hadrian (130-150 AD).A statue of a river god was located in the center of this huge fountain, which measured 21 meters long and 37.5 meters wide and from which numerous examples of sculpture have been recovered. The acropolis of the city of Perge is located above the fountain.

Perge is situated in the district of Aksu at the 17th km of the Antalya - Alanya motorway. It has been understood by reading a clay tablet discovered in Bogazköy that Perge had existed during the Hittite period under the name "Parha".

The city was first captured by Alexander and the it was dominated by the Seluokos, the Kingdom of Pergamon and Rome respectively. Most of the remains seen today belong to the Roman period. The excavations which were started here in 1946 under the presidency of Prof. Dr. Arif Müfid Mansel, are being continued today.

The first structure we come across in the site of the ruined remains is the theatre of Hellenistic -Roman type which is capable to accommodate 15.000 people. The theater was constructed in the 2nd century A.D. and gladiator fights had taken place here during the late Roman Period. The U-shaped stadion in front of the theater dates back to the 2nd century A.D. The rows of 12.000 seats in the stadion were supported by vaults and its monumental gate is total ruined today.

The city walls of Perge, which belong to the Hellenistic Period , had been fortified by towers in certain places and the southern part, which is the entrance today, was enlarged in the 6th century and a patio was formed. A gate built during the time of Septimus Severus gives access to a second patio. The monumental fountain dedicated to the memory of Artemis Pergaia and Septimus Severus, is seen in the west hand-side of the patio. And adjacent to these are situated the Roman Bath and an ornamented Propylon belonging to this bath.

We leave these behind and come to a horseshoe-shaped patio which is accessed by means of a gate belonging to the Hellenistic period which has two towers. Plancia Magna, who had done many useful things for Perge, had this place constructed. The statues belonging to the two storied gate with three entrances which is located in the northern port of the patio, were found out during the excavations and are exhibited at the Museum of Antalya today.

An Agora built in the 4th century A.D. is situated at the east of the Hellenistic gate, the portico with columns is adjacent to it, and a church and a bath are located at the south of the gate. An avenue with marble pillars, which is 300 meters long, extends from the gate of entry towards the acropolis. This avenue ends with a fountain. The Palaestra located on the avenue that extends in the west hand-side of this avenue is in well preserved form and it had been dedicated to emperor Claudius. There is a Basilica of the bishopric and, at the west of this basilica, they are situated the ruined remains of a bath adjacent to the city wall. The acropolis of Perge is located above the fountain.

The ruins of Perge are located sixteen kilometers along the Antalya-Alanya highway in the district of the town of Aksu. It is one of the better-preserved archaeological sites in Turkey.

Although the Pergeans attributed the founding of their city to Kalkhas, Mopsos, and Arnphilokhos after the Trojan War, a tablet discovered at Boğazköy is the proof of that it existed at least during Hittite times when it was known as "Parha". We have little information about the city until Alexander's arrival here in 333 B.C. The Pergeans opened up their gates to Alexander and allowed him to make use of the city as a base during his Pamphylian campaigns. With the death of Alexander, Perge remained in Seleucid hands until 190 B.C., in which year it was annexed to the kingdom of Pergamon. Like all the Pergamene possessions, it too came under Roman rule in 133 B.C. and it was during the Roman imperial period that the city flourished. Most of the ruins we see at the site today are from Roman times. Excavations at Perge were begun in 1946 by Professor Arif Müfit Mansel. Following his death they were taken up by Professor Jale inan and are still in progress.