The other side of the world: 37. Perga

There are 1,100 Greco-Roman cities in Turkey. 95% of them have not been excavated.
Perga is only briefly mentioned in the Bible. Perga bookends Paul's journey through present day Turkey. It was the entry point before traveling to Antioch of Pisidia. And, when Paul returned, he preached in Perga before returning to Antioch of Syria.

Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. (Acts 13:13,14).

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And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. (Acts 14:24-26).

History of the City
Perge was established by colonists from Argos under the leadership of the heros like Mopsos and Kakhas after the Trojan War. These men called the region “Pamphylia – The Country of All Tribes.” In 1986 a bronze tablet was found at Hattusas, capital city of the Hittites. On it the name of Perge was written indicating a presence in Perge before Akhas in the 13th Century B.C. Some ceramics and stone tools from the Early Bronze Age (4,000 - 3,000 B.C.) have been found on the Acropolis. Perge was ruled by the Lydian and Persian kingdoms respectively. After Alexander the Great's death, Perge was part of several Hellenistic kingdoms. The city spread to the plain in the south and was surrounded by walls. Perge joined the Roman Empire in 133 B.C. This was similar to Turkey wanting to join the EU. There were economic and political benefits to align your city with Rome. Fight and lose everything vs. Join them as a colony and prosper. Plancia Manga, a rich widow probably of Lydian descent or Roman royalty, donated money for city beautification projects. Most of the structures which remain today were built during this period. These include the theater, stadium, agora, baths, foundations an columned streets Major trade items were timber and roses. As Atalya's star rose, Perge's faded. Today, the Mediterranean Sea is 7 miles away.

Roman Gate
At the end of the 3rd Century A.D. when danger of chaos and war threatened the peace, the people of Perge built new walls to defend the city. The door of the new wall became and entrance to the city. The outside of the wall was covered with marble. A columned architectural façade gave a monumental impression.

On the face of the wall, which looks at Septimius Severus Square, are five large niches and between them there are two niches. The door stands in the large middle niche. In the Septimius Severus period, when the fountains were made at the west of the square, a marble arch was added over this part of the door. The marble columned façade was decorated by vaults, entabletures and triangle-shaped pediments. Sculptures of Athena, Artemis, Aphrodite, Nemesis and Asklepion, found during the digs, are exhibited in the Antalya Museum.

The interior of the Roman Gate forms one side of the square.

Entering by the Roman Gate with the Hellenistic Gate across the square.

Kule (or Red) Tower in front of the Roman Gate.

Hellenistic Gate
Perge has the only Hellenistic gate in Turkey. Only the ruling class lived inside the city. Their small residential neighborhood was located on the Acropolis. There is a 500 year difference between the Hellenistic and Roman gates. There were 8 km walls on each side. At the museum we will see a statue of the rich widow who owned half of Perga - either Roman royalty or Lydian royalty.

I would like to see replicas of the statues placed in the niches.

Health
The average age was 35. People died early because of the calcification in the water system. The use of lead in cookware and as an additive in preserving wine caused high infant mortality and stillbirths.

High calcium levels led to kidney stones, a common complaint in Perge.

On the flip side, the calcium layer prevented exposure to the lead pipes.

Southern Baths
This complex, built in phases from 1st - 5th Century A.D., is one of the best preserved in Perge. Rooms included: dressing room (Apodyterium), cold bath (Frigidarium), warm bath (Tepidarium), hot bath (Caldarium) and exercise area (Palaestra). Bathers could move from room to room. The heating system (Hypocaust) can be seen beneath the pavement of some rooms today. There was also a room for intellectual activities, thus preserving this tradition of the Greek gymnasium. One of these rooms is a hall dubbed today as the Claudius Piso Gallery. This gallery and the rest of the rooms in the South Baths have yielded a large collection of sculptural finds that are now displayed in Antalya Museum.

The southern baths are extensive.

The Palaestra is a open-air exercise area surrounded by pillars.

Agora (Marketplace)
The area with lots of pillars on the right is the marketplace. Mosaics, covered by gravel for protection, served as store signs. The purpose of a circular structure in middle of the agora is a puzzle -- but it does have water pipes. The pillars in the agora are originals but their bases renovations. The agora was not yet built when Paul came through town.

Roman Gate on the left. Agora on the right. Acropolis in the background.

Butcher shop sign. See the meat hook and the knife?

Protected mosaics lie underneath the gravel. I wish I could have uncovered one.

Civil Engineering at its Finest
An amazing skill with architecture and engineering. You can't see the columns behind the first one.

Precision.

Look how many columns are perfectly aligned.

Nymphaeum
This nymphaeum was a water source for the city. The water coursed through the center of the road. Roads for chariots flanked either side. Columns separate the road from the pedestrian walkway. Stores lined the pedestrian paths.

Orhan is a natural teacher. He's captivating, except that ...

... the sights are distracting. :)

Water flowed from the fountain and into the center trough.

Candy ascends for a bird's eye view of the city.

I was there too.

A road for chariots flanked the pool of water. On the other side of the columns were pedestrian lanes and shops.

Newly Opened Section
Three weeks ago excavators opened a new section in the far left section. There aren't any identification signs installed yet, but Mark Wilson had already visited. These descriptions are because he told us what we had seen.

The arch is an aqueduct. This side of the city was used during Paul's day.

The gymnasium peeks behind the aqueduct.

I have surmised that baths were popular, because here is another one.

Darlene photographs Jimmy in front of the gymnasium.

Success!
I drew an arch along the shopping / pavement area. Just fifteen minutes was all I needed.

Original sketch

This was my inspiration.

I found a creature feature.

Stadium
The north side is closed like a horseshoe. The south side is open. The uppermost line consists of backed seats placed on top of the walking area. The spaces were used as shops in which the name of the owner and commodity were written. Every three spaces would be an entrance into the stadium. There were also passages between the shops. Construction began at the same time as the theater in the second half of the 1st Century A.D., however the stadium was completed more quickly. It held about 12,000 people.

Shops were under the arches. Kebab anyone?

Horseshoe-shaped north end. Hear the roar of the crowd!

Harbor
Ate lunch at cafeteria overlooking the old harbor. And later, after the museum, I walked down to the harbor with Sharon and Dave. We walked back up through scores of shops that lined a cobbled street. I believe the agora was similar to that shopping district with the wares spilling out into the walkway.