Huge columns said to be 1900-years-old found buried at Laodicea

Hurriyet Daily News reported today the discovery of a large number of “1,900-year-old huge columns” at Laodicea.

Excavations in the Aegean province of Denizli’s ancient city of Laodicea have revealed 1,900-year-old huge columns seven meters underground. The columns were found in the area known as the northern agora, one of the oldest faith centers in Anatolia.

The head of the excavations, Professor Celal Şimşek, said the northern agora had been discovered last year and they were continuing restoration and conservation work there. He said the area was one of the largest agoras in Anatolia. “The columned galleries here are in a rectangular shape on an area of 35,000 square meters. We previously revived the columned galleries that we call the eastern porch. This year we found the extension of these columns seven meters underground. They were in the same condition as when an earthquake ruined them. The columns date back to 1,900 years ago. Dust erosion and residue have filled the earth here and preserved the columns.”

Şimşek said their goal was to finish the excavations by the end of the year and to revive the columns in the beginning of the next year. He said the ancient city of Laodicea had served as a religious center.

“When the columned galleries are completely unearthed, there will be a very nice touring area. Tourists will have the chance to see traces from the past up close.”

A nice gallery of photos illustrate the article. One is a drawing showing how the area may have looked before being destroyed by earthquake. We are given no hint how the age of the columns was determined and whether the earthquake that felled them was also about 1,900 years old. Mark Wilson says,

Because of earthquakes the city was rebuilt numerous times during its history. A devastating earthquake during the reign of Focas (AD 602-10) finally caused the site to be abandoned. The residents founded a new city called Ladik, now the Kaleiçi district of Denizli. — Biblical Turkey, 247.

Laodicea is mentioned only in Paul’s epistle to the Colossians (2:1; 4:13-16) and in the Book of Revelation (1:11; 3:14). Paul says that Epaphras worked diligently for the saints in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. These were cities of the Lycus River valley.

We have visited Laodicea several times over the years and been delighted with the archaeological reconstruction underway. The city should be on everyone’s list of “must see” sites of Turkey. Turkey has approximately 1100 historical sites, and the country has made considerable progress in preparing some of them for visitors. Use the search box on this blog to locate previous entries about Laodicea.

Tourists on the Syrian Street at Laodicea. Colossae is located at the foot of Mount Cadmus, seen in the distance to the east. Hierapolis is to the north (our left as we view the photo). Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

HT: Joseph I. Lauer