About Gordion
Near Polatlı, Gordion was the capital of Phrygia and a setting for legends of Midas. Its citadel gate, megaron buildings and surrounding tumuli preserve remarkable evidence of elite architecture and woodworking in Iron Age Anatolia.
History
The area was settled from the Bronze Age, and Gordion expanded as the Phrygian capital in the ninth and eighth centuries BCE. A major fire around 800 BCE destroyed citadel buildings while preserving their contents. The wooden chamber and rich banqueting equipment of Tumulus MM are key evidence for Phrygian elite culture. Settlement continued through Persian, Hellenistic and Roman times. The story of Alexander cutting the Gordian knot added to the city's fame. Gordion entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.
Highlights and principal structures
- Phrygian citadel
- Monumental gate
- Megaron buildings
- Tumulus MM
- Other Phrygian tumuli
- Hellenistic and Roman settlements
Historical period
Bronze Age–Phrygian–Roman