The ancient Greek city of Magarsos, which was unearthed during archaeological works in the southern Turkish province of Adana, will shed light on history once excavations are completed.
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| DHA photo |
Located by the seaside in the Karataş district, 49 kilometers away from the city center, the city is named after the Magarsia sisters of the Temple of Athens, where the Macedonian King Alexander the Great sacrificed an animal before going to war with the Persian King Darius.
The seaview ancient theater, which is 150 meters in height and 30 meters in width, is estimated to have a capacity of 4,000 people and will serve culture and art events when the work is completed after 2,500 years.
The ancient city of Magarsos dates back to the fifth and fourth centuries BC. The name of the city is known as Mallus on coins and in official documents from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras.
According to the ancient writer Strabon, the city was founded by Mopsos and Amphilochos, who came to the region after the Trojan War.
Sometime later, a struggle for power started between Amphilochos and Mopsos, but the two died during this struggle. Their bodies were buried in two different places in the city.
The temple of Athena Magarsia in the ancient city of Magarsos was one of the most important prophecy centers in the Mediterranean in the Hellenistic era.
Ancient geographer Arianos, who lived 1,800 years ago, documents that when Alexander the Great came to the region, he first visited the Temple of Athena Magarsia, which is located 200 meters away from the ancient theater, and then moved to Mallus.
Source: Hurriyet Daily News [June 06, 2018]
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