Amyzon Temple of Artemis — Mazınkale Acropolis
Amyzon Artemis Tapınağı · Amyzon Artemis · Mazın Kale Amyzon
Hellenistic·Carian, Chrysaoric League·🇹🇷 Aydın Province, Çine road, Mazınkale hill, Karpuzlu west, Turkey
About
About Amyzon Temple of Artemis — Mazınkale Acropolis
Mountain sanctuary Amyzon (Carian Amazon city) on Mazınkale (450 m) twin peaks south of Alabanda/Alinda ridge, 37.366,27.85, controlling forest route to Euromos-Mylasa. Artemis sanctuary (Artemis Amyzonia) 3rd-century BCE on fortified terrace with 200+ votive stelae and Chrysaoric League decree wall (300+ inscriptions) — richest Carian epigraphic site after Stratonikeia Lagina. Theatre, bouleuterion. Peschlow & Robert 1960s–80s corpus. Unlike valley Euromos Zeus plain temple, Amyzon is mountain Artemis of forest pastoralists, myth Amazon eponym. Fortress walls polygonal with later Hekatomnid tower. Pine forest encircled.
Why it mattersRichest Chrysaoric epigraphy site documenting Carian league federalism via Artemis sanctuary archive.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Amazon eponym myth
- 02Artemis Amyzonia vs Ephesia relation
Theories
- 01Mountain pasteur Artemis vs plain Zeus complementary
- 02Epigraphic archive as sanctuary legitimation
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.300 BCE sanctuary; fortress 350 BCE
- Period
- Hellenistic
- Culture
- Carian, Chrysaoric League
- Builders
- Amyzon demos and Hekatomnid
- Purpose
- Mountain forest Artemis sanctuary and Chrysaoric federal epigraphy archive
- Abandoned
- c.600 CE
- Rediscovered
- 1840 Fellows; 1950s Robert epigraphy
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
300 BCE
Artemis terrace built
1840
Fellows sketch
1980
Robert inscription corpus
On the ground
Structures & features
37.3660° N · 27.8500° E · 450 m · 2 mapped features
Amyzon — Artemis Temple Ashlar Terrace
temple terrace3rd-century BCE Artemis sanctuary on fortified hill terrace with votive inscriptions 200+
37.3670° N · 27.8510° EAmyzon — Bouleuterion league inscription wall
inscription wallInscription wall with Chrysaoric League decrees, 300+ stones
37.3650° N · 27.8490° E