A historic city in Turkey – Kibyra
The historic archaeological city of Kibyra is located in southwestern Turkey in the state of Burdur and is famous for the longest decorative strip engraved on its walls depicting the ancient wrestlers in Anatolia.
In addition, the old city contains rare archaeological and mosaic pieces, dating back to ancient times, and is one of the rarest tourist sites in Turkey.
Where is the city of wrestlers “Kibyra” located in Turkey?
Kibyra is located at an altitude of 1350 meters above sea level in the Golhisar region of the state of Burdur, surrounded by juniper and cedar forests. It is famous around the world for its longest frieze (a decorative strip engraved on the walls), which depicts a military unit comprising 30,000 infantry soldiers, and more than 2,000 Persia, and due to the ancient history of the city, archaeological excavations and excavations have been launched since 2006 in search of antiquities of the city, which are more than two thousand and 300 years old.
The ancient city of gladiators was a capital and industrial center
The director of the city of Kibyra, Mr. Shukri Ozudogru, a faculty member in the Department of Archeology at the Turkish University of Mehmet Akif Ersoy, points out that the city was a capital and industrial center with a strong economy and a huge army.
Excavations and historical studies indicate the city’s political strength, as the city is considered The only one in the Anatolia region with which a friendship agreement was concluded with the Roman Empire, and the city is considered an industrial and agricultural center. Studies indicate that 4 common languages were circulated in the city, including the “Lydian” language, which remained in use until 500 years after the demise of the Lydian kingdom.
Mr. “Ozudogru” notes that the city is equipped with an infrastructure with main and subsidiary streets, which indicates that the city was not built randomly, but based on prior planning, and most of these buildings still exist to this day, and we mention the city’s stadium, in addition to the Agoras Grand Market and the theater Its auditorium can accommodate 9,000 people, the Odeon stage for concerts, and the judiciary and parliament building.
The legendary Medusa painting, the most important landmark of the ancient city of Kibyra in Turkey
The Medusa mosaic was discovered during the period of excavations that extended from 2009 to 2012.
The painting adorns the orchestra section of the Odeon Theatre. It was exposed to several natural disasters, but it has remained until our time, proving that it is one of the best historical buildings in Turkey.
Plans to add Kibyra “City of Gladiators” to the World Heritage List
In 2006, the city of Kibyra was included in the temporary list of the World Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization “UNESCO”, and efforts are directed to include the city’s name on the permanent list, as it meets many of the criteria and conditions required by “UNESCO”.
