Diokaisareia is an ancient city located 90 km west of Mersin and 30 km north of Silifke. The city grew around the temple of Zeus Olbios erected in the Hellenistic period by the inhabitants of nearby Olba. According to Prof. Durugönül of Mersin University the temple was built 'not before 250 BC' (2001). In the early Roman period in Cilicia, Diokaisareia was declared a free city by Emperor Tiberius who ruled between AD 14 and 37. The decline of the city began in the 5th century AD.
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| Propylaia of Diokaisareia (A) * |
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| Landform (Google Earth) N↓* |
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| Excavations in progress (B) * |
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| Temple of Zeus Olbios (C) * |
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| Built not before 250 BC * |
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Side entrance from Byzantine times;
looking from north (C) * |
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| Looking from east (C) * |
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| Looking north from inside (C) * |
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| Looking from southeast (G) * |
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| Byzantine North Gate (F) * |
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| Looking from south (F) * |
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| Looking from west (D) * |
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| Tyche - Greek goddess of fortune * |
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| South wall of Tychaion (E) * |
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| 2nd century AD, capacity 2500 (H) * |
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| Looking from southeast (H) * |
The curious fact about the trip was that for the first time I had to buy a ticket to sight-see an ancient city. The fee was very small, but I didn't see it coming even when a gentleman stood in front of me with a small, white packet of rectangular shape.
