Sagalassos
View of the archeological site of Sagalassos
In antiquity, Sagalassos was the second major city of Pisidia, after Antioch
ad Pisidia. At present, its excavations form by far the most impressive
archeological site of ancient
Pisidia. Sagalassos is located 7 km north of the village of Ağlasun,
near Isparta in the Lake District. Like Termessos, Sagalassos was founded
by the Pisidians, a warlike tribe of the 'People from the Sea' who liked their
cities to be perched on high on easily defendable mountains. The ruins of
Sagalassos lie dramatically
on the southern flank of mount Ak Dağ (White Mountain), at a height between 1400 and
1650 meter. Most of the site dates from the Roman Imperial Period. Sagalassos,
once the metropolis of Pisidia, was only thoroughly surveyed in 1884 and 1885 by an Austrian team. In
1986-1989 this work was resumed by a British-Belgian team. In 1990 Sagalassos
became a full scale Belgian project and a leading centre for interdisciplinary
archaeological and archaeometrical research.
Due to its remoteness and altitude, Sagalassos is one of the best preserved
cities from
classical antiquity, with a rich architectural and sculptural tradtion dating
from the 2nd century BC to the 6th century AD. The site was never pillaged
for building materials, which makes it most suited for restoration. Excavations are
concentrated on the upper and lower agoras to document the political and
commercial life in the town and also in the area where a late Hellenistic
fountain house or Nymphaea, which stlll functions to date, and a Roman library were
discovered. Major efforts are undertaken to restore the excavated monuments in
their old glory. Several disciplines integrate the town again within its ancient
environment and document the central role which Sagalassos played in the area.
