SELEUKEIA SIDERA

ANCIENT CITY OF SELEUKEIA SIDERA 

EXCAVATION, RESTORATION and CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Prof. Dr. Bilge HÜRMÜZLÜ KORTHOLT

           The ancient city of Seleukeia Sidera is located on Hisartepe and its vicinity, which is within the borders of Bayat Village, 16 km North of Isparta and 7 km South of Atabey District. It is one of the fourteen cities founded under the name of Selekuia during the Seleucid Kingdom Period. Ptolemaios refers to the city as “Σελεύκεια Πισιδίας, “Seleukeia Pisidias” (Ptol. 5.5.4). According to research Claudius I played an important role in the history of the city. Probably, as in other cities, Seleukeia also achieved significant advantages in this period. During the Roman Period, the city was renamed ““Claudio Seleuceia”, when Lycia-Pamphylia was organized. The epithet of “Sidera” meaning “made of iron” began to be used along with the name of the city.

          Considering its historical background, Seleukeia Sidera provides significant information both for itself and for the neighboring cities. Located on Hisartepe and surrounded by a fortified city wall, the city expanded towards the flat lands surrounding the acropolis during the Imperial Period, it was rebuilt, and public areas were arranged in the 2nd century A.D. The data revealed so far by the scientific investigations carried out in Seleukeia Sidera have confirmed that this ancient Seleucid colony had public buildings and institutions which qualified it for the status of a polis, from the early periods to the Roman Imperial Period.

              In addition to the excavations, restorations, urban management plans, geophysical studies, which go along with interdisciplinary subfields, a wide range of investigations have been carried out with the participation of a team of SDU teaching staff and students as well as faculty members and students from the Department of Archeology, Groningen University, Department of Archeology and Hochschule für Technik (HTW-Berlin) under the chairmanship of  Prof. Dr. Bilge Hürmüzlü, head of the Department of Archeology, Süleyman Demirel University. The studies aim establishing the understanding of history of Seleukeia Sidera.
 
Internet address: https://seleukeiasiderakazilari.sdu.edu.tr/