Restorations At Stratonicea Ancient City Of Gladiators In Turkish Muğla Province

Conny Waters - AncientPages.com - An old city of Stratonikeia Stratonicea) has rich historical records going back 3,000 years.

The council building at the ancient city of Stratonicea, in Mugla, Türkiye, May 6, 2023. Image credit: AA Photo - via Daily Sabah

It played host to many civilizations that left artifacts belonging to the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Beylic, Ottoman, and Republic periods. Stratonikeia has been long-known as the city of  gladiators. It was a center where gladiators were trained, did demonstrations, and spent their life after retirement. Ancient records confirm that sport was important to Stratonikeans, who built what might be the largest gymnasium in antiquity in the 2nd century B.C. just west of the city's north gate.

The restoration of the "city of gladiators," Stratonicea, located in the Yatagan district of Mugla, has continued for some time. Recent addition to this famous ancient site is a new series of seating steps at the 2,200-year-old council building.

Head of Stratonicea and Lagina Excavations, Professor Bilal Sögüt told Anadolu Agency (AA) that excavation and restoration works in the ancient city continued for 12 months.

The council building at the ancient city of Stratonicea, in Muğla, Türkiye, May 6, 2023. Image credit: AA Photo - via Daily Sabah

Sögüt stated they carried out conservation and partial restoration work in certain areas with the support of Mugla Governorship and Yatagan Municipality, under the project prepared last year at the parliament building in the ancient city, writes Daily Sabah.

See also:

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"This is a building that has been used both as a council building and an odeon. Beyond being a council building or a building showing that this place was a city-state, there is an ancient calendar on the structure.

There are also the names and prices of all the services and products sold in Stratonicea during the Roman period," Sögüt  said.

The south entrance of the council building at the ancient city of Stratonicea, in Mugla, Türkiye, May 6, 2023. Image credit: AA Photo - via Daily Sabah

He also added that the council building was built in the Hellenistic period, and the area was expanded a little more during the Roman period and turned into an odeon – ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for musical activities such as singing, musical shows, and poetry competitions.

"There is also an additional separate inscription covering an area of approximately 23 square meters (247 square feet).

In this respect, our restoration and conservation works in certain areas continue here, and we will hopefully complete these works this year," Söğüt said.

Ruins of Stratonicea. Image credit: Alexey Komarov - CC BY-SA 4.0

"We put new step blocks to protect the existing steps, especially on the sides of the seating steps, during the works in the council building. In truth, we carried out more protection-oriented works. We use new materials as little as possible. We apply them exactly where necessary. We do this more with original materials."

Söğüt stated that after erecting the south entrance of the structure, they would now also raise the north entrance. The restoration works at the site will enable visitors to sit on the steps of the council building and rest among ruins of Stratonicea, one of the most important city-states in inner Caria.

Stratonicea is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list.

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer