Elaiussa-Sebaste / Ayaş - 13 September 2020

   The ancient city of  Elaiussa was established by the Greeks in the 2nd century BC, but almost nothing has left from that time. It became Sebaste (Greek equivalent of Augusta) in 12 BC thanks to a Cappadocian client king, Archelaos, who ruled the city, and who wanted to honour Emperor Augustus (Sayar 2010). Elaiussa Sebaste thrived in the 1st century AD and was inhabited through the Roman and into the Byzantine periods. However, when the nearby city of Korykos flourished in the 500s, the settlement lost its importance, which led to its abandonment in time.

Elaiussa-Sebaste - aqueduct arch *

Landform (Google Earth) N↑ *

City plan (Sapienza University) *

Seen from theatre *

    One of the in-situ elements that attract attention is the arch of the aqueduct. The water for Elaiussa-Sebaste, taken from the Lamos river, ran for 26 km, traversing 7 bridges, to finally reach the city. The aqueduct was erected by the Romans, probably in the 1st c. AD (Murphy 2013). The well preserved arch is adjacent to agora.

Information available in Italian as archaeologists
from Italy did the digging at Elaiussa *

Agora - overview *

Building - Agora - Basilica *

Agora was rather small *

Byzantine church on basilica plan,
located in front of agora; 5th c. AD *

Roman theatre, 2nd c. AD *

If actors were not good, one
could switch to sea view *

23 rows could take 2300 spectators *

Built on hillside *

Byzantine palace *

Modern campsite behind gate *

Ruins of palace; theatre on horizon *

Byzantine cross *

Necropolis (northeast from agora) *

Lonely tomb *

Sarcophagus in background *

Ruins of Roman bath among
lemon trees (northeast from agora) *

Promontory where first structures

of Elaiussa were built *