About Olba
Overlooking the Şeytanderesi valley, Olba was a religious and political centre of Rough Cilicia, with a monumental aqueduct and rock-cut tombs. Its relationship with nearby Diokaisareia reveals the landscape of a region once governed by priestly rulers.
History
Olba was the administrative centre of the priestly dynasty of Zeus Olbios in Hellenistic times. Routes connecting mountains with the coast and agricultural resources supported its power. Under Rome, civic infrastructure, waterworks and cemeteries expanded, while Diokaisareia acquired a separate urban identity. Churches, farms and workshops show continued occupation in late antiquity. Research focuses on the relationship between the centre and its rural settlements.
Highlights and principal structures
- Olba aqueduct
- Acropolis
- Şeytanderesi valley
- Rock-cut tombs
- Ancient roads
- Basilica and rural settlements
Historical period
Hellenistic–Roman