Southern Cyprus

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde E. Fant ◽  
Mitchell G. Reddish
Keyword(s):  
13Th Century ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Hebrew Scriptures ◽  
The Bible ◽  
12Th Century ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
Southern Cyprus ◽  
The City ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Second Wave

In Southern Cyprus the principal site of interest is Paphos, where the Apostle Paul encountered the Roman governor of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus. But other fine sites of interest range from Paphos to Larnaca, a distance of approximately 80 miles. Since there are airports in both locations and ferries arrive at Limassol, a visit might begin at any one of these places. In any case, with an early start it is possible to make a round trip between Paphos and Larnaca in one day and see the principal sites. A much easier itinerary, however, involves seeing the sites in the Paphos area on one day and the sites in Larnaca on another day, along with those between Paphos and Larnaca. The two sites in the south referred to in the Bible are Paphos and Kition (Kittim), which is mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures. Related sites include St. Paul’s Pillar, the Catacombs of Agia Solomoni, the Tombs of the Kings, Paleopaphos, the Temple of Aphrodite, Kourion, the Temple of Apollo, and the Church of St. Lazarus, as well as several museums. The route below begins at Larnaca and proceeds toward Paphos, since that is the direction Paul and his companions traveled. At one time, Kition was one of the greatest naval powers in the Mediterranean, and its mercenaries even served in the deserts of southern Judea. Today its ruins still suggest the might of this ancient city. The site of ancient Kition, known in the Bible as Kittim, is located in the modern city of Larnaca. In the construction of Larnaca, whose name likely came from the Greek word for sarcophagus (larnax), or coffin, many sarcophagi were unearthed from ancient Kition. Larnaca was the location of a settlement of Mycenaeans as early as the 13th century B.C.E. Later abandoned, the site was rebuilt around 1200 B.C.E. by Achaean refugees following the destruction of the great Mycenaean centers of mainland Greece. A second wave of immigrants arrived about 1150 B.C.E. The original mud-brick city walls were rebuilt in the 12th century B.C.E. with cyclopean stones, huge rectangular ashlar blocks. After an earthquake in 1075 B.C.E., the city was resettled closer to the sea.

scholarly journals STONE TEMPLES OF YURYEV: PLANNING AND STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-181
Author(s):  
M. V. Kvitnitskiy
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Second Temple ◽  
13Th Century ◽  
12Th Century ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Limestone Sand ◽  
The City ◽  
The Temple

For a long time the localization of Yuriev (now Bila Tserkva — the city in the Kyiv region of Ukraine) has been the subject of discussions connected to the attempts to find a stone temple. Excavations in 1980-s, made by Ruslan Orlov, have discovered the remains of the temple and put the end to debate. The temple was interpreted as a four-pillar three-apsed structure and dated to the late 12th — first half of the 13th century. Further comprehension of the materials made the authors of the study to question this interpretation. In 2011 and 2014, in connection with the idea of a museum foundation and architectural reproduction the foundations of temple were discovered. Two outbuildings of the first half of the 12th century and the first half of the 13th century have been found. The outbuilding of the 12th century contained the building materials of the 2nd half of the 11th century. In the outbuilding of the first half of the 13th century bar bricks were found. After the excavations it was cleared that the foundations were significantly damaged and the apse was completely destroyed in 2008. New finds and materials allow to suggest that here two stone buildings have been existed. The first one was built in the second half of the 11th century and completely dismantled in the first third of the 13th century. From these materials the second temple was built with the participation of the builders of the Kyiv school and Western Europe. The latter have brought new masonry techniques and materials (brick and limestone sand mortar). There are good reasons to suggest that the new temple was a five-apsed.

Colossae

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde E. Fant ◽  
Mitchell G. Reddish
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Textile Industry ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
The Road ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Trade Route ◽  
The Right ◽  
The City

At one time a thriving city in the fertile valley of the Lycus River, the city of Colossae is almost forgotten today. If not for its significance to the Bible, the site of ancient Colossae, now only an unexcavated mound, would be visited very seldom. Colossae was situated near the Lycus River (today the Aksu Çay), the chief tributary of the Meander River. Located in the Phrygian region of Asia Minor, the city was approximately 120 miles east of Ephesus. During the 5th and 4th centuries B.C.E. Colossae was a large and prosperous city. At that time the leading city of the Lycus Valley, Colossae was eventually eclipsed in importance during the Hellenistic and Roman periods by the neighboring cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis. The textile industry flourished in the Lycus Valley, particularly because of goods made from the exceptionally fine wool produced in the area. Colossae was well known for its purple-colored wool. The economic prosperity of the city was also due to its being located on the main trade route from the Aegean coast to the Euphrates. Like Laodicea and Hierapolis, Colossae likely was damaged by the severe earthquake that struck the Lycus Valley in 60 C.E. By the 9th century the site was abandoned, its remaining inhabitants having moved to the nearby town of Chonae (modern Honaz). To reach the ruins of ancient Colossae, take highway 320 east from Denizli toward Dinar. Approximately 12 miles from Denizli, turn right onto the road for Honaz. After traveling approximately 4 miles, turn left. The site of ancient Colossae, a low hill in a field, is about 6 miles on the right. The ancient city of Colossae is remembered today primarily because one of the letters in the New Testament is addressed to “the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae” (Col 1:2). Aside from this one reference, the city of Colossae does not appear in the New Testament. The Letter to the Colossians claims to be a letter from the Apostle Paul, although its authorship is sometimes attributed to an anonymous disciple of Paul’s who wrote in the name of Paul.

Sardis

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde E. Fant ◽  
Mitchell G. Reddish
Keyword(s):  
Biblical Studies ◽  
Roman Period ◽  
Asia Minor ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Gediz River ◽  
The City ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Western Half

A city with a strong and vibrant Jewish community during the Roman period, as well as a center for the worship of Artemis and home to a significant Christian community, Sardis is an intriguing place to visit for anyone interested in biblical studies or ancient religious history. The partially restored 3rd-century-C.E. synagogue in the city is the largest known synagogue outside Palestine from ancient times. Ancient shops, a bath-gymnasium complex, and the Temple of Artemis provide glimpses of the life of this ancient city. Once the capital of the ancient Lydian Kingdom, Sardis (Sart) lies approximately 60 miles east of Izmir along the modern highway (E96/300) connecting Izmir to Ankara in the Hermus River valley (today called the Gediz River). Portions of the ruins of Sardis are situated adjacent to the highway and are easily accessible. The ancient city was built along the Pactolus River, a tributary of the Hermus, and at the foothills of the Tmolus Mountains. The city’s acropolis was strategically located atop a spur of the Tmolus Mountains. The Tmolus Mountains (or Mt. Tmolus) were, according to some ancient traditions, the birthplace of the gods Dionysus and Zeus. Sardis first came to prominence during the 1st millennium B.C.E. when it served as the center of the powerful Lydian kingdom, which encompassed most of the western half of Asia Minor. The Lydians supposedly were the first to develop a technique to dye wool and also to invent dice games, knucklebones, and other games. (Interestingly, archaeologists found a terra-cotta die in the ruins at Sardis.) Legend says that Midas, the mythical Phrygian king, was able to rid himself of his golden touch by bathing in the Pactolus River. As a result, the sands of the river turned to gold. Though legendary, this account points nonetheless to the enormous wealth enjoyed by the Lydian kingdom. The earliest Lydian rulers belonged to the Heraclid dynasty, which according to Herodotus (5th-century-B.C.E. Greek historian) lasted 505 years. They were succeeded by the Mermnad dynasty, of which the first king was Gyges (r. ca. 680–ca. 652 B.C.E.).

Smyrna

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde E. Fant ◽  
Mitchell G. Reddish
Keyword(s):  
Asia Minor ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
The Third ◽  
The People ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
Major Route ◽  
New City ◽  
The City ◽  
The Temple ◽  
Of Greece

Izmir, the modern name for the city that once was known as Smyrna, is the third largest city in Turkey, with a population of around 3 million. Situated on the Aegean coast, it is Turkey’s second busiest port. Not only is Izmir an interesting place itself to visit, but the city also serves as a good base from which to visit several important sites in the area, such as the ancient cities of Ephesus, Sardis, Miletus, Didyma, and Priene. The ancient city of Smyrna, which according to some reports was the birthplace of Homer, was commercially successful due to its harbor and its location (approximately 35 miles north of Ephesus) at the end of a major route through Asia Minor. The earliest settlement at this location was in the first half of the 3rd millennium B.C.E. on a hill known as Tepekule in the Bayraklï suburb of the city. In the 10th century B.C.E., the first Greek colonists from Aeolia settled at Tepekule. They remained there until the end of the 8th century, when Ionian Greeks took over. Excavations at the site have uncovered houses from the 9th to the 7th centuries B.C.E. In the 7th century a temple to Athena was built. This temple was destroyed around 600 B.C.E. by King Alyattes of Lydia when he captured the city. The people of Smyrna rebuilt and enlarged the temple, but it was destroyed again around 545 B.C.E., this time by the Persians. An insignificant settlement in the 5th and 4th centuries B.C.E., the site was finally abandoned. According to a story related by Pausanias (Description of Greece 7.5.1–3), the city was refounded by Alexander the Great, who was instructed in a dream to establish a new city on Mt. Pagus (now the site of the Kadifekale, or “Velvet Fortress”). The new city was actually not started until the beginning of the 3rd century by the Hellenistic ruler Lysimachus. During the subsequent centuries Smyrna, situated around the harbor, grew and prospered. By the 1st century B.C.E., Strabo was able to describe Smyrna as “the most beautiful of all” cities (Geography 14.646).

Iconium

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde E. Fant ◽  
Mitchell G. Reddish
Keyword(s):  
Early Church ◽  
Alexander The Great ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Theological Schools ◽  
South Central ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Roman Province ◽  
Central Turkey ◽  
The City

Although mentioned in the New Testament as one of the cities visited by the Apostle Paul, the ancient city of Iconium is more famous today because of its Muslim mosques, its theological schools, and its connection with the great Sufi mystic known as Mevlana. Considered by many to be Turkey’s most religious city, modern Konya (ancient Iconium) is an intriguing place to visit because of its rich religious and architectural history. Known today as Konya, Iconium is located in south-central Turkey, approximately 170 miles south of Ankara. Situated in the Anatolian steppe, Iconium is one of the oldest cities in Turkey. Archaeological evidence indicates that the site of Iconium was occupied at least as early as the 3rd millennium B.C.E. During the 2nd millennium, the Hittites controlled the area. After the Hittite empire was destroyed, eventually the Phrygians gained control of the region and established a town at the site of Iconium. The Lydians took control of Iconium at the beginning of the 7th century, and then the following century the Persians ruled the area. When Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in the 4th century, Iconium became a part of Alexander’s empire. After Alexander’s death, Iconium was controlled by the Seleucids and then by the Pergamene rulers. In 129 B.C.E., four years after the Pergamene kingdom was bequeathed to Rome, Iconium was made a part of the Roman province of Asia. During the Roman period, Iconium was the seat of an archbishop and the location of an early church council (in 235). The city prospered under the Romans and also during the Byzantine time. From the 7th to the 9th centuries Iconium, like most of the towns and cities in the region, suffered from Arab raids. The Seljuk Turks unsuccessfully attacked the city in 1069, but by the next century they had taken control of the city, which they called Konya. As the capital of the Seljuk sultanate of Rum, Konya enjoyed a period of economic and cultural prosperity. Several of the mosques, mausoleums, and theological schools that can be seen in Konya today date from this period.

Derbe

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clyde E. Fant ◽  
Mitchell G. Reddish
Keyword(s):  
Asia Minor ◽  
Apostle Paul ◽  
Stone Block ◽  
South Central ◽  
The People ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
The Face ◽  
Concentric Circles ◽  
The Village ◽  
The City

One of the cities visited by the Apostle Paul during his travels, Derbe has almost vanished today. A few inscriptions, coins, and literary references and an unexcavated mound bear scant testimony to a city that was one of the early recipients of the preaching of Paul and Barnabas. The ancient city of Derbe was located southeast of Iconium (modern Konya) in the ancient region of south-central Asia Minor known as Lycaonia. Several sites have been proposed for the precise location of Derbe, most of them located near the modern town of Karaman. The location that has the strongest claim to being the authentic site of Derbe is the tumulus (mound) Kerti Höyük, which is situated approximately 15 miles northeast of Karaman (ancient Laranda) and near the village of Aşïran (Ekinözü). On the side of this mound in 1956, Michael Ballance discovered a white limestone block approximately 41 inches high, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches thick. The stone block is inscribed with a dedication by the council and the people of Derbe honoring Emperor Antoninus Pius. In the inscription, which has been dated to 157 B.C.E., the city was likely referred to as Claudioderbe, a special title given to the city during the time of Emperor Claudius. (Part of the face of the stone immediately preceding the word Derbe is broken off. The name Claudioderbe appears on 2nd-century-C.E. coins from Derbe.) Another inscription mentioning Derbe, this one from a tombstone from the 4th–5thcentury C.E., was discovered in the nearby village of Suduraǧi. This inscription, surrounded by five engraved concentric circles, mentions “the most God-loving Michael, bishop of Derbe.” Michael Ballance says he was shown this inscribed marble slab in 1958 and was told by the villagers of Suduraǧi that the inscription was found nearby at Devri Şehri, about 2.5 miles southeast of Kerti Höyük. Bastiaan van Elderen reported seeing the slab in 1962 and said that the people of Suduraǧi were adamant that the inscription came from Kerti Höyük.

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2012. Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke. Preliminary results

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 45-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Fischer ◽  
Teresa Bürge ◽  
I. Trinks ◽  
B. Stolle ◽  
K. Heiß ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
13Th Century ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
The Third ◽  
12Th Century ◽  
Area 6 ◽  
New City ◽  
The City

The third season of excavation at Hala Sultan Tekke added knowledge to the project, the main objective of which is the investigation and determination of the complete occupational sequence of the pre-12th century BC levels. New walled and open spaces from Strata 1 and 2 were exposed in Area 6. Another pictorial krater with birds was excavated. The terminology for the much discussed Cypriote-produced White Painted Wheel-made ware has been revised and a new terminology is suggested, i.e. “White Painted Wheel-made Geometric Style (WPGS)” and “White Painted Wheel-made Pictorial Style (WPPS)”, of which the latter includes the Creature Krater from 2010 and the Bird Krater from this season. The hypothesis that a tsunami destroyed parts of the city in the 14th or 13th century BC is discussed. An additional radar survey of some 1.3 hectares revealed substantial structures, i.e. new city quarters, west of Area 6.

“TURN AGAIN, DICK WHITTINGTON!”: DICKENS, WORDSWORTH, AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Parrinder
Keyword(s):  
Outer Boundary ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Sacred Place ◽  
Ancient City ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Lewis Mumford ◽  
Heavenly City ◽  
Historic City ◽  
The City ◽  
The Temple

IN A BRILLIANTLY SUGGESTIVE ARTICLE, the urban historian Lewis Mumford defined the form of the “archetypal city” as follows: First of all, the city is the creation of a king…acting in the name of a god. The king's first act, the very key to his authority and potency, is the erection of a temple within a heavily walled sacred enclosure. And the construction of another wall to enclose the subservient community turns the whole area into a sacred place: a city. (12) This ancient city, which arose just before the beginning of recorded history, is double walled. It has an inner as well as an outer boundary. The outer walls enclose the area inhabited by a subservient population, but the city itself exists for the sake of the temple and its adjoining palace, the homes, respectively, of the god and the king. Some great historic city centers such as Rome with its Vatican, Moscow with its Kremlin, and Beijing with its Heavenly City preserve a structure that is apparently descended from this model. In Anglo-Saxon London, however, an abbey and a seat of government were established at Westminster, just outside what became the walled City overlooked by the grim citadel of the Tower. Canterbury, not London, became the nation's religious capital. London, in effect, marks a stage in the separation of spiritual and temporal powers and, thus, in the secularization of the city. Medieval London was able to assert its independence from the monarchy through the institution of its self-governing Corporation, presided over by the Lord Mayor. The mayoralty was the only significant temporal office in the land not in the gift of the king; and this explains why, in the folk-tale, the ragged boy Dick Whittington could become Lord Mayor of London.

scholarly journals The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2019: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results, with contributions by L. Recht, B. Placiente Robedizo, C. Eriksson, L. Andersson, M. Svensson, L. Avial Chicharro, S. Hermon, M. Polig, & D. Kofel

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 73-111
Author(s):  
Peter M. Fischer ◽  
Teresa Bürge ◽  
Laerke Recht ◽  
Bebelyn Placiente Robedizo ◽  
Cecilia Eriksson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Late Bronze Age ◽  
13Th Century ◽  
City Wall ◽  
14Th Century ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
12Th Century ◽  
First Time ◽  
The City ◽  
Large Compound

The tenth season of excavations at the Late Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke was carried out in four areas: City Quarter 1 (CQ1), CQ4, City Wall 1 (CW1), and Area A (Tomb RR). The excavations in CQ1 provided additional information on the pre-LC IIIA occupation of the city. Stratum 3 which can be dated to the LC IIC (13th century BC) was further exposed. For the first time in the city even older phases, Strata 4 and 5, were found. These are tentatively dated to the LC I–II (15th to 14th century BC). In CQ4 numerous storage areas were exposed, which belong to a large compound. There is also evidence of production of textiles and purple dye. All remains can be associated to the most recent Stratum 1 and can be securely dated in the LC IIIA, i.e. the 12th century BC. A test trench (CW1) was opened up 150 m to the south-east of CQ4, in an area where the magnetometer survey indicated a possible city wall with moat. A c. 2.5 m-wide man-made construction consisting of small stones intermingled with larger blocks of stones was found running north–south. Built against the interior of this structure is a copper-producing workshop as indicated by much slag, ash, and remains of a furnace, which is preliminarily dated to the 13th century BC. Tomb RR, which was partly excavated in 2018 and secured, was reopened and additional burials came to light. The total number of skeletons now stands at 37; these are associated with 74 complete/intact finds of mainly pottery vessels of which some contained food remains. The pottery comprises Cypriot-produced wares and Mycenaean imports, which indicate a LC IIB–C date of the burials. Other finds include a unique Minoan female figurine and a bronze knife with ivory handle.

Medieval London

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Public Works ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
13Th Century ◽  
Popular Entertainment ◽  
Royal Court ◽  
15Th Century ◽  
12Th Century ◽  
Craft Guilds ◽  
The City

There is no beginning or end date for medieval London. Long-term changes transformed the post-Roman city into a 16th-century metropolis. Crown and church worked with city institutions to manage the outcome, but economic, social, geographic, and demographic factors beyond their control were the determinants of London’s evolution. Medieval London owed much to a well-chosen Roman site with double-facing connectivity, providing access to mainland Europe by sea and to the interior by river. London was the lynchpin. The Roman settlement had a defensive fort and walls, an amphitheater—recently rediscovered underneath the medieval Guildhall–and an impressive road network converging on the city. This defensible hub, combining economic prosperity with popular entertainment, was the basis for London’s perennial appeal to English and alien migrants. It quite literally provided the foundation for medieval London. The early extramural Anglo-Saxon settlement relocated behind the walls as an Alfredian burh, expanding trade with nearby parts of the Continent. The Norman construction of the Tower, overshadowing the eastern aspect, demonstrated that control of London was essential to government of the realm. An economic driving force, the city was not the administrative capital until the 12th century. London generated trade revenues and ensured urban stability, in return for which the Crown granted self-government and privileges for its merchants and markets. The city’s own records survive from the later 13th century, although its institutions have earlier origins. Regarding itself as the New Troy, it engaged in public works and staged triumphant royal entries. London’s bread-basket extended to the Norfolk coast and the upper Thames valley. Apart from frank discussions at the wardmote, there were further opportunities for ordinary Londoners to express their views and participate. The craft guilds regulated the city’s trades and their members, developing separate livery and yeomanry organization. Parish fraternities were a neighborhood outlet for literate lay spirituality and accounting skills. The population, significantly reduced by the Black Death, recovered and prospered. London was above all a cosmopolitan city with thriving markets and accessible credit. Although there were recurrent demands for protection against alien competition, aliens joined the livery companies, became citizens of London and some became Englishmen. The royal Court, Parliament, and law courts a short ride away at Westminster guaranteed good business for city merchants. Most importantly, the lucrative 14th-century wool trade and 15th-century cloth trade were increasingly concentrated in the hands of Londoners who dominated English exports.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document