Fatma SENOL
(Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey)
Keywords: Stratonikiea, mosaic, metal, mortart, Caria
Abstract:
Stratonicea was one of the most important towns in the interior of Caria, Anatolia The site is now located at the village of Eskihisar, 7 kilometers west of the district of Yatağan in the province of Muğla. Stratonikeia, inhabited continuously from the Late Bronze Age (1500 BC) to the present day, is one of the most important city-states in inner Caria.The borders of Stratonikeia are well-known thanks to the fortification walls (about 3600 m long) by which the size of the city can easily be determined. It is known that throughout history Stratonikeia suffered from many earthquakes and was rebuilt numerous times.Main traces of Stratonikeia in the old village are the gymnasium, bouleuterion, theatre, temple, the gate of the city and the extension of the city walls. Definitely, it will be possible to gain more knowledge about Roman and Byzantium periods of Stratonikeia and their continuity after getting more data from further archaeological excavations.
Stratonikeia or the old village of Eskihisar are significant and unique examples of a settlement as it keeps the characteristics of culture of different civilizations, succeeds to preserve its main structure and shows a single entity. As an important archaeological settlement the ancient city of Stratonikeia has been on the tentative list of the UNESCO since April 2015.
The excavated monuments are part of the conservation program and are constantly monitored and maintained. Conservation and restoration works have been concentrated on preserving ancient Stratonikeia and the old village of Eskihisar in a holistic approach.With respect to the integrity and coherence of the ancient city and the architecture of the old Turkish village, Stratonikeia is one of the rare examples in our country as the Ancient City of Stratonikeia and the Village of Eskihisar significantly retain their original architectural characteristics. The city offers visitors a unique experience of seeing its monumental ancient structures and examples of architecture from Late Ottoman to the Early Republican period on either sides of the stone paved Ottoman streets. Walking along the streets of Stratonikeia is like travelling in a time tunnel in which one can see many structures from the Hellenistic, Roman, Ottoman and Turkish Republican period.
