Sagalassos Ancient City, first known as Pisidia in ancient times, and then the most important city and religious center of Rome. It is one of the most impressive ancient cities of the Mediterranean, with its 1000-year-old fountains, eye-catching scenery, and position settled on steep rocks.
The first time I went to Sagalassos Ancient City was when I was 5-6 years old. When I saw this city, one of the most important ancient cities in my hometown Burdur, I remember being very impressed by these structures, which for me consisted of huge piles of stones. Years have passed, the ancient city of Sagalassos has undergone restoration, it is still magnificent for me, still very impressive…
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What You Will Find In This Article
History of Sagalassos Ancient City
Sagalassos is an ancient city at an altitude of 7 meters on the Akdağ Slopes, between the Taurus Mountains, 1700 kilometers from the Ağlasun district of Burdur. Although the distance between Ağlasun and Ağlasun is short in kilometers, the ascent takes about half an hour due to the narrow road that climbs up. Climbing the steep hills, there is a magnificent view of the Ağlasun plain below and the mountains ahead.
The first settlement in Sagalassos BC. Although it is estimated to date back 12.000 years, the closest remains are from BC. It's from the 3000's. Sagalassos was one of the most important cities of the Eastern Mediterranean in ancient times.
The civilization that ruled in Burdur and its environs, such as the Lycians, Carians, and Phrygians, was the Pisids, and the name of the region is Pisidia. Sagalassos, the most important city and religious center of Pisidia, continued its importance during the Roman period. Almost all of the buildings in the city now belong to the Roman period.
The statues of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Emperor Hadrian, which are estimated to be around 1990 meters in height, unearthed during the excavations that started in the 5.5s, and other artifacts unearthed are exhibited in the Burdur Museum. I recommend you to see Burdur Museum.
Sagalassians BC. He was from the Pisidian people, a branch of the Luwian tribes living in Western and Southern Anatolia at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. B.C. Alexander the Great captured this city in 333 BC. In 25, the city was included among the Roman cities. When the human bones found in this region recently were analyzed, it was determined that they had exactly the same characteristics as the people of Ağlasun today.
The city was destroyed by a great earthquake in 590 AD and lost its importance over time. With the occupation of the region by the Seljuks in the 13th century, the settlement in the city came to an end.
Belgian archaeologist Marc Waelkens is impressed when he visits Sagalassos. The Catholic University of Belgium-Leuven, of which he is a faculty member, provides financial and technical support, and excavations begin in 1990 on behalf of the university. In a short period of 10 years, many important parts of the ancient city were unearthed.
In the region where Sagalassos is located, there are many large and small hills such as Dizi Tepe and İskender Tepe and it is known that there are settlements on those hills. No excavations have been made here yet, and many ores still lie under the ground.
Why did people settle on steep slopes?
When going to the ancient city of Sagalassos, the first question that comes to mind is, "Why did people settle on these steep slopes?" These steep slopes form the natural walls of the city and eliminate the security problem. Another reason is that water is easily accessible in the city. Numerous large fountains in the city are the best proof of this.
In ancient times, the valleys, which were green even today, were even more fertile than they are today. In addition, there was also mineral ore to produce high-quality ceramic utensils and clay suitable for making bricks, quality building stones and metal goods, which are an important commercial product of Sagalassos.
Sagalassos Ancient City Travel Routes
Three different routes have been drawn to visit the Sagalassos Ancient City. You can see the routes in the photo below.
Sagalassos – Yellow Route
The tour duration of the yellow route is 1 hour and the distance is determined as 1,5 kilometers.
If you have limited time to visit Sagalassos, you can see the most beautiful spots of the city by following the yellow route. On the yellow route, there are Antonines Fountain, the Odeon (closed theatre), Upper Agora, City Mansion, Roman Bath, Food Market, Parliament Building, St.
The Antonine Fountain was built between 150-180 AD. The fountain, which was made using seven different colored stones, is 29 meters long and 9 meters high. The fountain, which falls in the form of a waterfall from a height of 4,5 meters in the middle of the fountain, was built with the theme of water and wine.
Although the fountain was destroyed as a result of earthquakes, with the restoration work carried out between 1998 and 2010, it was turned into a stream as it used to flow in the ancient period, that is, 1000 years ago. The originals of the sculptures found in the niches are exhibited in the Burdur Museum, while the replicas are exhibited in their original place.
Sagalassos – Yellow and Red Route
The travel time of the yellow and red route together is 2 hours and the distance is determined as 2,5 kilometers.
If you want to take a little longer time, you can also add the red route to the yellow route. Added places; Colonnaded Street, Tiberius Gate, Lower Agora, Severan Fountain, Hadrian's Fountain with Hellenistic fountain above (the water is still flowing and drinkable today), Neon Library and theatre.
Charles Fellows, one of the first visitors to Sagalassos, wrote in his 1839 Diary of a Travel in Asia Minor, “On the slope of the rising hill is the most elegant and most beautiful theater I have ever seen or heard of…”. he told the ancient theater of Sagalassos.
Although the theater has not been restored yet, the section with the steps is still intact, and the section with the stage is severely damaged. The location of the theater and the view towards Iskender Hill are very impressive even today.
Sagalassos – Yellow, Red and Blue Route
The travel time of the yellow, red and blue route is determined as 4 hours and the distance is determined as 4 kilometers.
For those who say we don't have a time problem, this longest route will be suitable. In addition to other routes, there are Hadrian and Antonius Cult Areas, early Byzantine fortifications, rock tombs, stadium and potters' quarter.
While the city of Sagalassos was being built, the hill where these rock tombs are located was used as a quarry. A type of marble known as Burdur beige comes out of these mountains and this marble was mostly used in the construction of the city.
We traveled all around the longest route, except the Stadium and Çömlekçiler Mahallesi, in about 3 hours.
When you complete your tour, be sure to see the visitor center. There is a model of the city in the visitor center, and when you see the model, one's eyes come to life even more.
There is also a cafe next to the visitor center, the view is magnificent and the prices are very reasonable. You can drink your tea and watch the green gardens of Ağlasun plain and the Taurus Mountains behind.
Has Sagalassos Ancient City Entered the UNESCO List?
For six centuries, Sagalassos remains an important center of ceramic production.
Starting from the Augustus period (27 BC - 14 AD), Sagalassos is known for its fine and red slipped ceramics (terra sigillata) produced from the quality clays of the region. As the population increased during this period, the city was also connected to the rest of the empire by land and sea routes. In this development environment, the elite families of Sagalassos invest in ceramic production. Workshops capable of large-scale production are established in the Çömlekçiler Mahallesi. These acquire an almost industrial character over time. The red slipped pottery of Sagalassos is exported throughout the empire. Wine flasks made in Sagalassos have been found in excavations in other cities of Anatolia, Egypt and Carthage.
What is the secret of this success? The people of Sagalassos both preserved the traditionally preferred utensil forms and were innovative enough to not hesitate to increase the production capacity. In other words, they were able to combine tradition and innovation.
Sagalassos was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2009, as it is the longest-lasting ceramic production center in ancient times.
How to Get to the Ancient City of Sagalassos?
Sagalassos Ancient City is located in Burdur's Ağlasun district. The city is reached by a narrow and climbing road of 7 kilometers from Ağlasun. The city is located 40 kilometers from Burdur city center. On the 14th kilometer turn of the Burdur – Antalya highway, you can turn in the direction of Ağlasun and follow the signs to Ağlasun first and then Sagalassos on the mountain road.
I list the transportation options to Sagalassos Ancient City below;
- You can come with your own vehicle or a rental car. You can reach here by rented vehicles from Burdur, Isparta city center, Isparta Airport or Denizli Airport.
- You can come with tour companies.
- You can reach Ağlasun by minibuses from Burdur, Isparta and Antalya. However, as far as I know, there is no car from Ağlasun to Sagalassos, you can take a taxi to get to the ancient city from the district.
Sagalassos Ancient City Entrance Fee
- Sagalassos Ancient City entrance fee is 2020 TL for 14.
- You can enter for free with the Museum Card.
Sagalassos Ancient City Visiting Hours
Sagalassos Ancient City visiting hours differ in summer and winter. I recommend that you count at least 1,5 hours to visit the Ancient City and make your arrival plan accordingly. We spent 3 hours on our last visit and did not go to the stadium, for example, we would have to add at least half an hour if we went there.
Below you can see the visiting hours of the ancient city for the summer and winter periods.
Summer Term – 1 April – 1 October
Opening Time: 09:00
Closing Time: 19:00
Winter Term – 1 October – 1 April
Opening Time: 08:30
Closing Time: 17:30
Box Office Summer / Winter Closing Hours
Summer Term: 18:30
Winter Term: 17:00
Where to Stay in Sagalassos
If you want to stay in Sagalassos, the best choice is Sagalassos Lodge & Spa. Located on the side of the road climbing from Ağlasun to Sagalassos, the hotel is one of the best hotels in Burdur, its nightly prices are around 300-400 TL.
There is no campsite that I can see in Ağlasun and its surroundings, and I could not find it in my internet searches.
What to Eat and Where to Eat in Sagalassos
Since Sagalassos has just been opened to tourism, both accommodation and food and beverage options are not very rich. You can find my eating and drinking suggestions below.
- There is a cafe in the ancient city of Sagalassos, where simple food is available. Such as tea, coffee, biscuits, toast.
- There are a few restaurants in the city center of Ağlasun where you can eat Burdur Shish. Find the historical plane tree in the center of Ağlasun, restaurants are in that area.
- After turning to Ağlasun from Burdur-Antalya road, you will see restaurants on the road where you can eat trout. Here you can find foods such as trout, shepherd's roast, meatballs. Onur Balık became our preferred place to eat trout.
If you visit Sagalassos, I recommend you to see other ancient cities and ruins in and around Burdur.
- If you want to see where to visit when you go to Burdur; Burdur places to visit
- Little-known ancient city; Kibyra Ancient City
- Famous as Turkey's Maldives; Lake Salda
- For Burdur dishes; What to eat in Burdur, where to eat?
Stay on the Road!
1 Comment
I was struck by the appearance of the Man Rocks nearby.