Perge Ancient City History

Perge Ancient City, which is the most organized Roman city of Anatolia, invites archeology and history lovers to a rich, magnificent and astonishing old world journey. Excavations that started and still continue in the city in the 1950s give today's visitors the opportunity to take a closer look at the aesthetic understanding of the Hellenistic Period and the planning and architectural genius of Ancient Rome. When you spare a day on your next Antalya trip to these magnificent lands 18 kilometers from the city center, you can discover this richness in Pamfilya Plain and meet one of the best examples of city planning.


Where is Perge Ancient City? How to go?

Perge Ancient City, located in Aksu district 18 kilometers from Antalya city center, was also the capital of Pamphylia Region of the period. The history of the Pamphylia Plain, BC. It is known that it is a very popular residential area dating back to 4000- 3000 years. Pamfilya Plain, which includes Perge Ancient City like Aspendos and Side cities, lies between Lycia and Cilicia in the east of Antalya. Perge exists here in BC. It starts to show in the 1200s. The thoughts that the "Parha" region in the tablets in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Civilization, is Perge supports the accuracy of this history. While enjoying the sea and the sun in Antalya, you take a break of discovery, you can see Perge, which carries the traces of the Hellenistic riches of a time by crossing a very short distance. When you leave the city center to visit Perge Ancient City, an easy and quite short journey is waiting for you. After about 45 minutes of road adventure, Perge Ancient City welcomes you 4 kilometers west of Aksu River in the plain between two hills

Perge Ancient City History

The beginning of the first life in Perge, which is famous for its city architecture and sculpture art, is interpreted by historians in two different ways. Some of the research shows that the city was founded after the Troia wars. However, the expression of Parha in the Hittite tablets reinforces the possibility that the settlement here goes back much earlier. It is known that the first settlement in Perge was on the northern hill of the region. Over time, the living space expands and, like other ancient cities, the city spreads over a large area. In this expansion, of course, the noble class living in the city has a big impact. Perge, which is a rich city and developing in the field of art and engineering, draws attention with its water canals and towers that fascinate even today's city planners, as well as the structures you can see in many ancient cities such as theaters, stadiums, fountains and baths. The colonnaded street that forms the north-south line of the city and the water channels passing right in the middle of the street give Perge in the Pamfilya Plain, where the climate is hot, gives it a water city feature. Acropolis walls, which are exemplary structures of defense and military architecture, the city walls and towers surrounding the city, also shed light on the political history of Perge Ancient City in the UNESCO Temporary Heritage List. Although these structures, whose construction started in the Hellenistic Period, were repaired in the Roman and Late Antiquity, they still survive today. The church and basilica structures that you can see in Perge will take you to M.S. It carries the information of the 4th century. In the first half of the century, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in the period of the Kingdom of the Great Constantine, and it was during this period that Perge took its place among the most important centers of Christianity. The writings about St. Paul play the leading role in the city's holy commemoration. The section where St. Paul came to Perge over Aksu River in the Bible enables the people to accept the river and the city as sacred. This rich, powerful and magnificent city begins to emigrate after the Arab raids that started in the middle of the 7th century. Earthquakes and wars at the end of the century cause Perge to lose its place and importance in the history scene. Having a flawless city plan, Perge continues to carry the traces of the genius of physicist Asklepiades, famous philosopher Varus and mathematician Apillonios.

Antalya Perge Ancient City with Ruins Symbol of Wisdom

When you explore Perge Ancient City, the theater welcomes you at the beginning of the road, where Greek and Roman influences are seen. The theater, which has a capacity of 13 thousand spectators, may at first glance seem to you a traditional ancient city theater structure. The orchestra, stage and audience area, the seats in the orchestra section that show that gladiator games are performed in the city carry traces of a classical ancient theater. However, the scene with 5 backstage doors is adorned with a work that fascinates those who see it, with reliefs that depict the life of the god of wine Dionysos. Perge's stadium, which has been preserved until today, is on the right of the road from the theater to the city square. The blocks that make up the stadium are made of conglomerate stone, a stone that comes out in the region. The structure of 12 thousand people consists of 11 rows of seats placed on 70 arches. The date the stadium was built, M.S. It is mentioned as the first half of the 1st century. The Agora of Perge Ancient City differs from the commercial and policy centers of other cities with its architectural structure. One door of the shops surrounded by the courtyard in the middle opens to the agora courtyard and the other door to the streets surrounding the square. It is noteworthy that the shops on the south wing of the agora are two-storey. It is known that the reason for this is the slope in the field. During the period of the Eastern Roman Empire, all the entrances outside the western entrance are closed and the northern entrance is not certain but used as a chapel. During your visit to the Perge Ancient City, you can closely examine the structure of the water channels on the Colonnaded Street, and see the sculptures of gods and city founders in the wall niches of the Hellenistic Gate. Just like the stadium, you can discover the features that distinguish the well-preserved South Bath from its counterparts in the Pamphylia Plain, and see one of the first examples of heating system in history. The ancient city of Perge, whose excavations continue today, welcomes travelers who have fallen to Antalya with its elegant and functional architecture with new surprises every time they visit. The changes and additions that the city has undergone for centuries also provide countless information about the phases of human history.