Olba and Diocaesarea (Uzuncaburç)
Uzuncaburç · Olba · Diocaesarea · Ura
Hellenistic to Byzantine (c.300 BCE–600 CE)·Seleucid priest-kings → Isaurian → Roman Cilician·🇹🇷 Mersin Province, Rough Cilicia, Turkey
About
About Olba and Diocaesarea (Uzuncaburç)
Temple-state capital of priest-kings of Olba: Isaurian Zeus cult centred on the gigantic Zeus Olbius peripteros (30 × 40 m, five Corinthian columns 11 m high still stand) overlooking the plummeting Canyona valley gorge. Augustus merged Hellenistic Olba (rock-cut canyon tombs) with Roman Diocaesarea 4 km upslope: a colonnaded avenue links the Tiara of Olba gate pyramid-roof, theatre, nymphaeum and Hadrianic Zeus Temple (corinthian, five standing columns). The whole “sacred way” is paved with Isaurian inscriptions chanted on processions.
Why it mattersRare intact temple-state pilgrim road with paired Hellenistic canyon-city and Roman grid-city 4 km apart.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Name “Ura” = Bronze Age port Ura?
- 02Ritual route between Olba Zeus and Corycian Cave?
Theories
- 01Priest-king lineage from Persian satrapal cult of Auramazda translated to Zeus
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Olba Zeus temple 3rd c. BCE; Diocaesarea refound 72 CE by Vespasian
- Period
- Hellenistic to Byzantine (c.300 BCE–600 CE)
- Culture
- Seleucid priest-kings → Isaurian → Roman Cilician
- Builders
- Teukrid priest-dynasts and Roman emperors
- Purpose
- Temple-state capital and pilgrimage canyon centre
- Abandoned
- c. 600 CE (Isaurian wars, Arab raids)
- Rediscovered
- 1902 Keil & Wilhelm; 1950s–2000s German DAI (W. Held) surveys
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c.300 BCE
Olba priest-state founded by Seleucus I grant
72 CE
Vespasian merges Olba with Diocaesarea colonia
c.130 CE
Hadrianic Zeus temple built
On the ground
Structures & features
36.5875° N · 33.9228° E · 1200 m · 2 mapped features
Temple of Zeus Olbius
templeHellenistic peripteros with five 11 m Corinthian columns still erect
36.5868° N · 33.9220° EDiocaesarea Colonnaded Avenue and Zeus Temple
avenueRoman cardo with Hadrianic temple five columns at head
36.5880° N · 33.9234° E
Gallery