About Kolophon
Near Değirmendere, inland Kolophon formed a strong Ionian network with the port of Notion and sanctuary of Klaros. Though less monumental on the surface than Ephesus or Miletus, its walls and terraces preserve a city praised in ancient sources for cavalry, poets and resin.
History
Kolophon emerged as a leading Ionian centre early in the first millennium BCE. Its wealth depended on agricultural land, cavalry and maritime trade through Notion. Lydian and Persian pressure in the seventh and sixth centuries BCE prompted population movements. Lysimachus's regional reorganisations reduced its importance in Hellenistic times. Nevertheless, its local identity and religious ties to Apollo's oracle at Klaros continued under Rome. Research considers the old city together with its cemeteries and production areas.
Highlights and principal structures
- Acropolis and defences
- Settlement terraces
- City walls
- Necropolis areas
- Roads to Notion
- Surroundings of Klaros sanctuary
Historical period
Archaic–Hellenistic