PERGE-AKSU

This place is established next to the River Aksu-Kestros, 12 km east of Antalya. The name of the city originates from “Parga” meaning “High” during the Luwian/Etruscan era. The most famous Pergean of ancient times is Apollonius who calculated the characteristics of an ellipse in geometry. It is known that the city was within the boundaries of the country Ahhiyawa as a very small settlement unit during the Hittite era. The population of the city, which was established on the south-eastern hillside of the acropolis during early periods increased with those who returned from the Trojan war, with the boundaries extending down to the flatlands. When Alexander the Great seized the city in 330 B.C., the Persian occupation ceased. The temples built in the name of Artemis, the chief goddess of the city that was included within the boundaries of the Roman Empire in the wake of the commotion which took place in the 1st century B.C., and her brother Apollonius, were converted into a church during the early times of Christianity, Artemis being identified with Virgin Mary and Apollonius with Jesus Christ. The city became the missionary centre during early periods of Christianity and new ramparts were added during the Pax Romana era. It was exposed to the invasions and plunders of the Arabic raiders during the 7th century. Upon the Aksu river being filled with alluvia and becoming unsuitable for maritime transportation, thus devoid of marine trade, the people emigrated to other cities and abandoned Perge. The first of the city remains that one encounters is the theatre thought to have been built during the 2nd century A.D. 43 caveas of the theatre with a seating capacity of 15,000 spectators are divided into two through a diazoma in the middle. By building a gallery at the end of the uppermost cavea it was intended to optimize the acoustics. The existence of protective walls between the tiers of seats and the orchestra shows that the theatre was used as an arena during the late Roman era. The stage building has two storeys, with its face embellished with marble reliefs. Legends from the mythological life of Bacuss, God of entertainment and wine, are depicted in relief.

The most striking ones are the reliefs and embossings of Kestros, God of river, with Fortuna, Goddess of fate, standing and the friezes depicting a boy bathed by three Pergean women in the river. The U-shaped Stadion located opposite the theatre has a capacity of 25 thousand people and is a Roman era work of art. The building, with dimensions of 34 x 234 metres, was built upon 50 round arches and consists of 17 caveas. The façades of the arches facing outwards were used as sales stores in ancient times and according to the inscriptions discovered, it is understood that the best selling goods were the wooden statues of Artemis. To the North of the Stadion, one comes to a City Gate dating to the late Roman era connecting two watch towers 10 metres high and covered with slabs of marble. The walls behind the gate entrance are also marble-faced, with 4 round-arched built-in niches thought to have contained statues of deities. Through this gate one steps into Septimus Severus Square, 70 metres long. To the right of the square, the ruins of the protocol box are visible. On the left hand side are the remains of a monumental fountain. The surface of the fountain, which is 15 metres high, is worked with the reliefs of Artemis, Aphrodite and Nymph muses and is faced with slabs of marble. A little further ahead, one comes to Palaestra which is a hall belonging to the Roman Bathhouse complex, paved with coloured mosaics on the floor, where gymnastics and wrestling sports were performed. Opposite to this are a small dressing room with niches on its internal walls and next to it, a Frigidarium/cold room with a cold water pool 1 metre deep. Further along one passes into the Tepidarium/warming room, which was also used as a sitting and resting area, and Caldarium/hot room where the floor is marble-faced. This section was heated from below via a Hypocaust/hot air system, a Roman invention. In the corner of the room the remains of the brick columns through which hot air passed are visible. From this section one passes through a narrow door to Sudatorium/steam and sweat room where there are five square marble bathtubs, with marble-facing on all surfaces. During the Roman era bath culture was highly advanced and bathhouses were very important places where bureaucrats of high ranks and merchants met almost every day and spent a major part of the day, and talks and discussions were held on the commercial and political topics of the country and, furthermore, major decisions were taken. As entry of women into these bathhouses was forbidden, all services were provided by men. Going from Septimus Severus Square towards the acropolis, one can access the Hellenistic Gate, the first gate of the city, protected by two large round towers, with a small protocol court in the shape of a horseshoe at the rear. It is thought that there were small wooden chambers serving as dormitories for the watch keepers on the towers. It is understood that the statues of various deities, primarily being the Goddess Artemis and God Apollonius, and Roman emperors used to occupy the niches in the internal surfaces of the walls facing the protocol square behind the towers.

In front of the marble triumphal arch with three vaults where the square ends, the statue of the Nun Plangia Magna, the wealthiest woman of the city was erected. From there one passes to the Colonnaded Street. Behind the street is Stoa / Pedestrian Way, 4 metres wide, with shops further behind. The most remarkable columns on the street are the four marble columns with Corinthian capitals, 7 metres high, embellished with reliefs symbolising Apollonius, Artemis, Calchas the hero and Fortuna, Goddess of luck. At the end of the Colonnaded street, Acropolis Nymphaeum/Monumental Fountain, 21 metres long, is visible. In the Acropolis, water cisterns of various sizes were built during the Byzantine era and it is thought that the famous Artemis Pergeia Temple also existed here. Turning southwards from the Colonnaded street, the Agora of a square plan next to the Hellenistic Gate is encountered. The bottom of the pedestrian way in the Agora, surrounded by double rows of granite columns with Corinthian capitals, is embellished with geometrical motifs ornamented with coloured mosaics. Behind the pedestrian way are small shops in the form of interconnected cubicles. The symbol of each shop is worked in relief on the marble on top of the entrance door. There is a round building in the middle of the Agora square and it is thought that this served as the distributor of the water network. The Agora square is also considered as a space where, in ancient times, the urban folk, slaves and people of different social classes met, spent their leisure time, occasionally played dual games of various sorts and discussed the commercial – political problems of the city and performed their public events. The remains of the city’s sewerage system can also be seen towards the South of the Agora square.

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Links to
- Wandering in Antalya
- Wandering in Turkey
- the Hitchhiker's guide of the Elftowners
- Where should I visit

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