Osmaniye Kastabala Archaeological Site

ANTIQUE CITY OF KASTABALA / HIERAPOLIS

Kastabala-Hierapolis, which is one of the important cities of Ancient Cilicia, is located in the middle of Kesurburun, Bahçe and Kazmaca villages. The city is located near the Ceyhan (Pyramos) River, overlooking a small plain. Research to date has shown that the boundaries of the ancient city include the fertile plain extending between the Ceyhan River in the south, Karatepe in the north, and Kırmıtlı in the west. The buildings in the city center, surrounded by a city wall built in the 4th century AD, spread to the northern and eastern slopes of a small valley dominated by the castle hill. Kastabala Hierapolis is the cult center of Artemis-Perasia and the ancient sources mention the existence of this sanctuary. Recent scientific excavations in the city have yielded important scientific data to reveal the existence of the cult center. The city was first seen in the coins of the city, which were minted during the reign of IV. Antiochos Epiphanes, one of the Seleucos Kings. IV. Antiochos gave the name of “HIEROPOLIS”, meaning holy city because of the name of the goddess Artemis Perasia who worshiped for many years in the city. With the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as a result of excavations and scientific studies carried out by a team headed by Prof. Dr. Turgut Hacı ZEYREK from Karadeniz Technical University since 2009, It was found that it was inhabited in the Late Neolithic-Early Chalcolithic Age of the Ancient City (5th-1st Century BC)1-6th century AD and the 13-15th century AD. All of the ruins that survived today belong to the Roman Imperial Period. Water was transported to the city from the Karagedik town of Düziçi district by open water channels.