It's difficult to believe, but the most popular guidebooks to Turkey make no mention of Stratonikea at all. It's time to correct this glaring oversight and have a look at the extraordinary ruins of the Carian city, which was inhabited continuously from the 4th century BCE to the 20th century CE and may soon become a candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage List. If this happens, then Stratonikea, also known as the City of Gladiators and Love, will certainly gain in popularity, but will lose much of its charm and the atmosphere of mystery that accompanies travellers walking the abandoned streets of the town.
Historical overview:
The earliest mention of a settlement in this area dates back to the Hittite period. The city at that time was called Atriya. Atriya played an important role in the conflict between the Greek Mycenaean colonists (Ahhiyawa) and the native Anatolians. During the reign of the Hittite Great King Tudhaliya IV, Utima and Atriya were part of Hittite territory, while Awarna (later Xanthos, the ancient capital of Lycia) and Pina (Pinara) were controlled by the king of the city called Milawata (most likely the later Miletus), which in turn was controlled by the Mycenaeans. In a historical document called the Milawata Letter, the Hittite Great King Tudhaliya IV complains about the attitude of the king of Milawata. He mentions that he sent hostages from Utima and Atriya to Milawata, while the king of Milawata did not send him hostages from Avarna and Pinya, thus not honouring his part of the hostage exchange agreement.
Thanks to the accounts of Herodotus, Strabo, and Pausanias, it is known that at the site where the city later known as Stratonicea was founded, there was a Carian settlement called Idrias (or Chrysaoris, meaning 'Golden Sword'). Along with other settlements in the area, Idrias came under the control of the Persian Empire in the mid-6th century BCE.
According to an estimate made by Athens in 425 BCE, Idrias was to pay a significant annual contribution of six talents to the Delian League, indicating the great size of the settlement. In reality, this estimate remained only a theory, as Idrias never joined the League and paid no tribute to Athens.
According to Strabo, the city of Stratonicea was founded by the Seleucid king Antiochus I Soter, who ruled from 281 to 261 BCE. However, some historians believe that this date is too early and propose that the founder of the city was his son, Antiochus II Theos, or even his grandson, Antiochus III the Great. In any case, Stratonicea was founded in the 3rd century BCE by merging several local settlements surrounding Idrias and was intended to be the main city of Caria. Its inhabitants were a mixture of the local Anatolian population and Macedonian settlers from the Seleucid army.
According to Strabo, the name of the city comes from the name of the Syrian princess Stratonice. She was married at a very young age to Seleucus I Nicator, one of the diadochi (i.e. successors) of Alexander the Great. Stratonice even bore Seleucus a daughter. It soon turned out that Seleucus' son, Antiochus, born to the ruler's previous wife, had fallen in love with Stratonice. What could Seleucus do when he discovered that his own son was in love with his stepmother? He unexpectedly showed a great deal of sense and generosity: he divorced Stratonice and gave her as a wife to his son, the later king Antiochus I Soter.
During the reign of the Seleucids, Stratonicea was a member of the Carian confederation of cities, the Chrysaorian League, as evidenced by an inscription from 267 BCE. Near Stratonicea, there was the settlement of Panamara, where the League held its meetings on the grounds of the temple of Zeus Panamaros. The second important religious sanctuary near Stratonicea was at Lagina, where the goddess Hecate was worshipped.
The Seleucids adorned Stratonicea with many magnificent buildings, but at the turn of the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE the city came under the control of the island of Rhodes. In 167 BCE, the whole of Caria was declared an independent territory by the Romans. The coins that started to be minted locally in that period, continued to be issued until the mid-3rd century CE. In 130 BCE the city played a central role in the revolt against Rome, ending with the siege and capture of Stratonicea, defended by the self-proclaimed king Aristonicus.
In 88 BCE, Stratonicea was conquered by the king of Pontus, Mithridates VI Eupator, who established a garrison in the city and even married the daughter of one of the city's prominent citizens. In 40 BCE, Stratonicea defended itself during a siege by Parthian troops, led by the Roman rebel Quintus Labienus. The city remained unconquered, but in retaliation, Quintus Labienus destroyed the nearby sanctuary in Lagina. Stratonicea's heroism earned the gratitude of the future emperor Octavian Augustus and the Roman Senate.
Also, Emperor Hadrian showed special respect for the city, even changing its name to Hadrianopolis. The city flourished in Roman times, and its most magnificent preserved buildings come from that period: the theatre and the bouleuterion. At the time of its greatest power, Stratonicea was home to over 70,000 people.
During Turkish times, the village of Eskihisar was established on the territory of Stratonicea. After the 1958 earthquake, it was moved a little further to the west. The purpose of the move was to make room for an open-pit lignite mine that was being built in the area.
The lignite mine contributed to the destruction of part of the Stratonicea necropolis. There are plans to flood the mine and turn it into a lake once the coal deposits are exhausted.
Archaeological research:
The existence of an ancient city in the Eskihisar area has never been a secret. In modern times, as early as the 17th century, travellers visiting this area of Asia Minor described visible ruins and inscriptions.
In 1743, Richard Pococke in his book A Description of the East, and Some Other Countries described the theatre, bouleuterion, and gate in the city walls surrounding Stratonicea. The first systematic archaeological excavations in the city began in 1977 under the direction of Yusuf Boysal. Thanks to them, it was possible to uncover the most important buildings of the city and create the first indicative plan of Stratonicea.
Currently, the excavations and restoration works in Stratonicea are led by Professor Bilal Söğüt from Pamukkale University in Denizli. The works are not finished, and new discoveries are constantly being made. For example, in 2010, a sacred spring was found that supplied water to a fountain in the city.
In 2012, when we visited Stratonicea, excavations were underway there, with the participation of 50 scientists and students from eight universities. The researchers focused on the areas of the theatre, gymnasium, necropolis, and city walls. That year, over 700 artefacts were found in the city, many of which were transferred to the museum in Muğla. In addition, the researchers reconstructed the colonnade along the western street of the city. At the same time, efforts were made to register Stratonikea as the candidate for the UNESCO World Heritage List in the near future.
A year later, in 2013, archaeologists led by Bilal Söğüt worked on the area of the Roman baths in Stratonikea. A team of 100 workers cleared the remains of the bath complex, which was built exclusively for women.
In 2019, archaeologists announced their intention to excavate the Sacred Way that in ancient times connected Stratonicea with the sanctuary of the goddess Hecate at Lagina. In 2021, a church with a mosaic floor was discovered in Stratonicea, that was built after the earthquake of 365 CE and was used until the 7th century, after which the area became a cemetery. Restoration work continued at Stratonicea in 2023, with the latest addition being a series of new seating steps at the 2,200-year-old bouleuterion building.
The finds from Stratonicea are exhibited in many museums, including Istanbul, Bodrum, Milas, and Muğla. There is also a small museum within Stratonicea itself, which has many interesting exhibits obtained locally.
Sightseeing:
Although human settlement in the Stratonicea region dates back to the Early Bronze Age, and the existence of settlements in the Archaic and Classical periods is confirmed by the remains of earlier fortifications on Kadıkulesi Hill, almost all of the settlement remains visible today date back to the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Stratonicea’s greatest asset is its extraordinary architectural mosaic: abandoned Turkish houses and a historic mosque are interspersed with buildings from ancient times. Around every street corner, there is another surprise: will it be a stone house from the 19th century CE or a Hellenistic bouleuterion? Stratonicea can surprise even the travellers seasoned to Anatolian historical attractions.
The city is located on a plain between hills, and on a hill on the southern side there are remains of a fortified acropolis. The expansion of Stratonicea in the Hellenistic period proceeded according to the Hippodamian plan, often implemented in Asia Minor at that time. Despite the still insufficient archaeological data, it can be assumed that the main avenue of the city ran along the north-south axis, and from it branched perpendicular streets, creating an urban grid.
Stratonicea was surrounded by fortifications, defining an area of about one square kilometre. The defensive walls were 3.5 km long and 2.4 to 3 meters wide. Long sections of these fortifications have survived to this day, as well as a fortress from the Hellenistic period located at their north-eastern end.
Buildings from the Hellenistic and Roman periods
The bouleuterion, built in the 1st or 2nd century CE, stylistically resembles its counterpart from Miletus. The building has a rectangular plan with sides 25 by 30 meters, and the entrance to the bouleuterion is on the western side. Four rows of semicircular seats have survived to this day. Researchers once identified this building with the temple of Serapis, but this theory is contradicted by inscriptions discovered in the bouleuterion and an edict on prices issued by Emperor Diocletian. Among the other inscriptions in Greek and Latin, discovered on the northern wall of the bouleuterion, a poem enumerating the months of the year stands out, attributed to Menippus, the famous orator from Stratonicea, mentioned by Cicero.
The agora at Stratonicea occupies a large area to the west of the bouleuterion. It belongs to the first phase of the expansion of Stratonicea, from the Seleucid period. The agora was surrounded by a solid wall, fragments of which have survived to this day.
The theatre was built in the Hellenistic period on the northern slope of Kadıkulesi Hill, which stands in the southern part of the city. Its capacity is estimated at 10 to 15 thousand spectators. The theatre is a typical representative of the Greek style in Asia Minor. It was rebuilt several times, including in Roman times, when it underwent a major renovation, during which a richly decorated skene was added. The theatre served its spectators until the 4th century CE. 21 rows of seats and many Greek inscriptions have survived to this day.
The temple is located just above the theatre, in a location that dominates the entire city. In style, this temple is an imitation of the Ionic temple of Zeus in Labraunda, the most important Carian sanctuary of antiquity. It has not yet been explained which deity was worshipped in this temple: most likely it was Zeus Chrysaoreus, but there are also theories that it was a temple of the imperial cult of the Roman emperors.
The gymnasium in Stratonicea is the largest building of this type preserved in Asia Minor, and perhaps in the entire Greco-Roman world. It has impressive dimensions because its plan measures as much as 267 by 105 meters. It was built in the 2nd century BCE in the western part of the city, near the defensive walls. The public nature of this building is emphasized by numerous inscriptions referring to sports and religious events held on its premises.
In the central section of the northern side of the wall surrounding Stratonicea there was a monumental gateway that marked the point where the Sacred Way from the sanctuary of Hecate at Lagina led into the city. Between the two openings on the side facing the city there was a semicircular nymphaeum, decorated with two rows of Corinthian columns and niches for statues. It dates to the turn of the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, but has since undergone many repairs.
In front of the nymphaeum an open square is located, from which a wide colonnaded street, almost 9 meters wide, led south to the city centre. During repairs in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, the original Corinthian columns flanking the road were replaced with Doric ones, and mosaic floors were added to the eastern portico.
The necropolis situated to the north of the city was partially destroyed by a lignite mine. To date, no excavations have been carried out in the preserved area, but the existence of the cemetery is evidenced by visible tombs and fragments of pottery scattered in the area.
Buildings from the Turkish era
Stratonicea is a unique place where in a relatively small area you can see buildings from the ancient times, the Seljuk period, and the Ottoman era. The most important Turkish monuments in Stratonicea are located near the main square of the former village of Eskihisar.
The walls of the Turkish bath building, dating back to the 14th-15th century, therefore to the so-called Beylik period, have survived. Unfortunately, the vaulted roof collapsed and was not rebuilt.
Right next to the baths stands the beautifully restored Şaban Ağa Mosque. This approximately 500-year-old building was rebuilt in the 19th century. The mosque was erected on a square plan with sides 15 meters long. The most eye-catching feature is its beautiful wooden portico with 8 columns. It has one minaret with a single balcony, and its interior is naturally lit by sunlight entering through 16 windows located in all walls.
In addition, there are many old coffee houses and Turkish houses in Stratonicea, dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries.
Visitor tips:
New information boards are placed around Stratonikea, providing a wealth of information in both English and Turkish.
In 2024, Stratonikea was open to visitors every day, from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm. The entrance fee was 3 euros.
Getting there:
By car: Stratonicea is situated near the D330 route from Bodrum (distance: 74 km) in the west, through Milas (29 km) to Yatağan (10 km) in the east. To get to Muğla, that is the centre of the district, it is necessary to drive to Yatağan and travel further 27 km by the D550 route. The turn-off to Stratonicea from the main road is clearly sign-posted.
