Kibyra

Kibyra

Türkiye · Burdur

Ancient cityExcavation ongoing
Approximate period400 BCE — 800 CEIron Age–Early Middle Ages; especially Hellenistic and Roman See on the map ↓

In brief

Kibyra, near Gölhisar, was a city at the intersection of different regional cultures and trade routes. Excavations have uncovered large public buildings and, in particular, the decorations of the odeion.

What was found?

  • 1Depiction of Medusa

    This is an opus sectile pavement in the orchestra section of the odeion, made by cutting and assembling pieces of colored marble. Its fine details demonstrate the level achieved in stone craftsmanship.

  • 2Mosaic in front of the odeion

    An extensive mosaic pavement has been uncovered in front of the building. It documents the careful decoration of floors in public spaces as well.

  • 3Stadium

    This is a large structure used for sporting events and gladiatorial shows. It shows the architectural expression of mass spectatorship in the city.

  • 4Reliefs from gladiator tombs

    The reliefs include scenes of training, contests, and combat with animals. They are visual sources for gladiators’ lives and the ways they were commemorated.

  • 5Sewers and water pipes

    Sewer lines and terracotta water pipes run beneath the stone-paved streets. The drainage arrangement beneath the stadium documents engineering intended to remove rainwater.

What does it point to?

Performance buildings, decoration, and infrastructure in Kibyra together indicate a developed urban life. The Medusa pavement and gladiator reliefs show that craftspeople used different materials and narrative techniques.

What did it teach us?

  1. Documented the creation of the Medusa figure using cut pieces of colored marble.
  2. Revealed gladiatorial culture through both performance buildings and tomb reliefs.
  3. Showed that water drainage was planned beneath large spectator buildings.

Images

Kibyra Stadium 9784
Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Kibyra Roman bath 9974
Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Kibyra Theatre 9919
Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Cabalian, Pisidian, Hellenistic and Roman
First modern dig
2006
Team / historical
Şükrü Özüdoğru; Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
Coordinates
37.1596°, 29.4893°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. mehmetakif.edu.tr
  3. muze.gov.tr

Nearby excavations


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12.000

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