Posted on 09/28/2021 5:56:07 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Archaeologists excavated the entrance gate of Magnesia's Zeus Temple in the Ortaklar district in Turkey's southern Aydın province.
The Artemis sanctuary, a stadium, a theater area, 80 statues and various items have been unearthed in the ancient city so far during the excavations led by Ankara University Archeology Department's associate professor Görkem Kökdemir.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Kökdemir said Magnesia was a prominent city in ancient times with its religious festivals held in temples and sanctuaries.
"We think that the temple we found in this area is as important in the history of architecture as the fourth largest Temple of Artemis in Anatolia. It is a temple dedicated to Zeus," he said.
He said the ancient area was previously excavated by Germans who took some pieces of the Zeus Temple to Germany, which are still on display at the Berlin Pergamon Museum.
"Next year, we will reveal the origin of the structure, which is exhibited in the museum in Berlin. This is a tremendous thing. It is very important both for archaeological literature and tourism. So, we are very excited," he said.
"When we unearth this temple completely, the eyes of the world's archeology community will be here," he added.
PING
Great find. They should milk it for all it’s worth.
Here is a good page about Magnesia Through Time
Magnesia on the Maeander is an ancient city in western Turkey that was founded by Greek colonists almost three milennia ago. It grew to be a prosperous town with all the architectural trappings of Hellenistic civilization, and later, Roman Imperial grandeur. Today the site of its main temple sanctuary is crossed by a highway, but few tourists stop to visit the ruins nestled among fig orchards and small farms.
Near the end of the article, you will find information about the stadium in Magnesia.
I'd LOVE to travel there!
I C W U D T (You beat me to it, too, you dratted scoundrel!)
I believe [ we get our word *meander* from the river's name. :) Or so, I was told by a guide.
FWIW, when you stand at the base of one of these ancient amphitheaters, you can speak in a normal tone of voice, and can be heard perfectly from the *nose bleed* seats. Rly. It's amazing.
I am most familiar with the great amphi at Ephesus; down the road a piece from Magnesia.
When we lived in Izmir, and from what I could tell from visiting these sites [late 60s], Turkey did no excavating of their own; they seemed to rely on the Germans, French, USA to do it.
Wow, what an amphitheater at Epheus! Thanks for the pic and info. Visiting those sites must really bring history and the times of those people alive.
I thought “Meandres” seemed a lot like the English word “meander.”
This is written about in Rev 2:12 as the throne of Satan at Pergamum. The Germans took it to Berlin and put it in a museum. Hitler’s propaganda minister built a copy of it in Berlin for Hitler to speak from. When you see Hitler speaking to thousands of people, that’s what was built for him from this model of Satan’s throne.There were 6 million Jews killed out of approximately 60 million people killed in WWII. This is considered the “tithe” to Satan during the war.
One of my favorite things from Didyma...
What a gorgeous carving. Was that for the top of a column or the frieze on a temple?
It is astonishing that all these objects STILL lay underground waiting to be discovered.
“Maiandros” was the ancient Greek name for the river. Already in ancient times the word was used of a winding pattern (meander). That pattern is found on a lot of Greek pottery from the so-called Dark Age.
Thanks Tennessee Nana. The ancient city of Magnesia produced most of the Roman Empire's milk supply. /r
Was it Phillip’s?...................
There are also new excavations going on in its sister city, Dontyma.
Soldier Field!................
I thought ISIS destroyed Didyma.................
Either his, or Phillip the 2nd, father of Alexander the Great. Alexander is credited as founder of Alexandria, but less well known is the fact that he was also the leader of Alexandria's Ragtime Band.
Which was unfortunately lost in the Great Fire of 48 BC when Alexandria’s Ragtime Band was really hot......................
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