Aigai – the city of goats

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We visited Aigai – a Greek and Roman antique city ruins a few days ago in February. It was a very pleasant time for a walkabout. The weather was sunny as usual in Turkey, but the temperature was cool enough to enjoy the walk among the ruins. The city buildings were scattered around quite a large area on top of the mountain. The views to the surrounding mountains, valleys and the rivers down below were magnificent. I was surprised to see so many oak trees at the site, some of them really large and impressive.

Aigai was the city situated high up on Mount Yunt (Aspordeon), in the region called Aeolia, currently within the borders of Manisa. Around 700 BC Aeolians, who had migrated to the area along the coast between Izmir and Canakkale, founded the city. It became a part of the Lydian Empire and then the Achaemenid Empire. By 3rd century BC it was incorporated into Kingdom of Pergamon, which in turn later became a part of Roman Empire. It seems that the city particularly prospered in times of the Pergamon Kingdom as some large monumental structures were built at that time.

Aigai paved street
Paved street, Aigai

Importance of goats


Goats played a major part in the lives of the citizens here. The coins minted by Aigai had goats on them as a symbol of the city. People here owned herds of goats which is not surprising as the rocky terrain looks ideal for these animals. Even today we can see goats climbing the mountains around the villages in the area. The city was known for the goods produced from goat hair, skin and bones. It is thought that the parchment made here was also used in the famous Pergamon Library. As natural to this part of the world, wine was also produced.

Archaeological excavations have unearthed the ruins of a district of the city where the industrial workshops were located. There are nearly 30 two-storied structures of interconnected rooms. Public latrines are also visible and its urine and faeces were likely used for textile and leather production.

Aigai workshops
Workshops, Aigai

Precious water

aigai workshop latrines
Workshop latrines


Perhaps the most interesting part of this city for me was to learn about their water use. Usually in those times water was supplied by aqueducts and pipes from higher mountains, but here such sources were not available. There are rivers flowing around the mountains down at the bottom of the valleys but it was too costly and inconvenient to haul the water up from there. So according to the information stands at the site the solution was found in rainwater.

There are hundreds of cisterns carved in the rocks all over the city area. Rainwater was collected from the roofs, courtyards and streets by the intricate infrastructure of terracotta pipes and channels running under pavements and roads leading to cisterns. The cisterns were in various sizes, some for private properties, some for public use. Even the two public baths of the city operated only on rainwater. We can say not a drop of rain was wasted. Now this is something we can learn from in the 21st century!

Aigai Bath
Public Bath, Aigai

Important buildings


Here the Gymnasion, the Gymnasion Bath and the Theatre are located next to each other. Gymnasion was essential for mental and physical education. There were classrooms as well as palaestrae in the middle of the gymnasia for physical exercise such as wrestling. The baths were right next to it to wash off after exercise.

Next to these was the theatre of which the seating area and the stage are largely in ruins except for Vomitorium. Vomitorium is the entrance as well as the exit of the theatre from which the spectators are ‘vomited’ out. Here it is an impressive arched tall passageway which has remained in good condition.

Aigai theatre vomitorium
Vomitorium, Aigai

A short walk from the theatre is the Sanctuary of Athena. Athena, Zeus and Apollo were revered the most. Athena Temple is of Doric style and stands above the city centre. A Temple for Apollo was built down by the river a few kilometres from the city centre.

Bouleterion was the building were the City Council gathered. The front of the building was three stories high and faced the Agora Street. There there marble statues and probably the Prytaneion, where councilors had their workrooms and the sacred fire was kept. The meeting hall had the capacity for 200 councilors with semicircular rows of seats.

Aigai Bouleterion
Bouleterion, Aigai

Agora was built on different levels due to sloping terrain. The commercial market was on the lower level and the plateau on the higher level was meant for social and political gatherings. Between the upper and lower agoras was a three storey building. The shops were located on the same level as the commercial agora. The top floor of the building opened to upper agora as a stoa – a gallery with columns. I can imagine how fascinating both architecturally and practically this hub of daily activity must have been.

The city centre was surrounded by the wall and the road through one of the city gates leads up to the upper Agora. The inscription has been found on the site which thanked Roman Emperor Tiberius for his help. The same inscription was also used by other Lydian cities which were damaged during the earthquake in 17 AD. Therefore it is concluded that the city was destroyed by that earthquake and received aid for reconstruction.

Nowadays the hustle and bustle of the city is replaced by goats peacefully grazing among the ruins. The people have abandoned this once magnificent city long ago, but the goats that gave sustenance to it, remain to this day.

Aigai view
View from the top of the Bouleterion, Aigai

Off the beaten track Cappadocia

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Cappadocia is full of historically, culturally and geographically fascinating places, yet only a few most famous of them are usually visited. That leaves plenty of the amazing sites undisturbed by crowds, standing proudly in solitary silence and natural beauty. And so today we decided to take a little trip to a couple of such quiet areas. A short drive from our village of Uchisar through Ortahisar we arrived at the higher plateau of pumpkin fields and apricot orchards. We parked the car at the edge of the dirt track and walked through the field of grapes sundrying on their vines and headed in the general direction of a valley where there were supposedly some rock churches. As there was no path, we decided to walk along the dried up river bed which winded its way through the rocks down to the valley. This was physically the most challenging and adventurous part of our hike as the river bed was narrow and at places hardly passable, deep with sharp downfalls.

Passing through narrow dried up river bed

We managed to get through it with only a few minor scratches and came out into a wide open space. The valley was bone dry, probably hadn’t got a drop of rain for months, the vegetation being mainly yellow dry grass and bushes with thorns. Amidst of it all jutted out into the sky the cone shaped rocks.

Cone shaped rocks in the valley

It was quite a desert like atmosphere as the sun was also still baking hot and the shades were few and far between. And the silence! Oh, how I loved seeing all this magnificent landscape far into horizon and not a soul was seen nor heard, except a few birds chirping. We didn’t see any churches there but the natural beauty of the valley was awe inspiring.

View over the valley

We had a lovely hike around the area, then went back to the car and drove on a bit. After a few minutes drive we did see sign posts for some churches and we chose to follow the track to one of them. A short drive and there was another signpost with some stone steps leading up the hill to Sarica churches from the 10th century. We stopped there and climbed up the steps. Kepez valley came into vision, we followed the path down and arrived at the clearing, dotted by fantastically shaped rocks.

Kepez valley with Sarica churces

Two of them clearly appeared to be Byzantine churches so we decided to get up close and take a look at them. The first one was roughly cone shaped from the outside, with carved arches, windows and pillars visible in the inside.

First Sarica church from the outside

Indeed, as we stepped into the structure, it was an ancient church with beautiful and colourful biblical frescos painted on its vaults, domes and ceilings. Of course, not without the damage by both people and the nature, but in large part it was intact with its special atmosphere and reverence.

First Sarica church from the inside

The second church was bigger, on two levels, and although the columns and domes and vaults were as intricately shaped as in the first church, the colours and patterns were much simpler. Mainly red geometrical patterns on white plastered background.

Interior of the second Sarica church

Fascinating, how two churches in the otherwise lone valley, standing only a 50 or so metres apart could be so different in its decorations… One can only imagine what the life must have been to the people at the times they built and worshipped in these rock dug churces. Next to churches were some underground rooms, perhaps hiding places, perhaps water storage areas. Cappadocia was a place where early Christians fled the Roman persecutions, later hiding from Arabic raiders in caves and underground cities. Hundreds of such rock dug churches have been found in Cappadocia area, Göreme open air museum containing most well-known and visited ones of them. But these churches and ancient cave dwellings are everywhere around here so you can easily take a walk in the nature and suddenly come across a fascinating dwelling or worship structure made by people living perhaps a thousand years ago.

Pumpkin fields amidst rocks of Cappadocia

After these visits the October sun had reached its midday height, and we felt it was time to take a respite from its relentless heat. We headed back to the car and drove to Uchisar through Ürgüp. Back at home, sitting in the cooling shade on the terrace of our cave house, I can’t help but think of the amazing history and beauty of this one of the most unique places on earth.