ANTIQUE AREAS

  Archeologists and historians inform that many civilizations have lived in this area. One of the best known today is the Kyzikos Kingdom which belongs the Early Roman Era and the Daskyleion province belonging to Persian Era. Excavations are currently in progress

KYZIKOS

  This antique city had existed in South Marmara Sea on the isthmus connecting Kapýdað to the land around B.C. 2000. It was first founded by Dolions coming from Tessalia and than after being occupied by King Kyzikos, got his name. The period between B.C. 500 and B.C. 363 are considered to be the unfortunate period of Kyzikos. It was occupied by Persians, and Pisidians ruled over them for a period until it was conquered by Alexander Empire until its division and was icluded to Byzantium Empire after then. Later in 1339 it was gone under the Ottoman Empire after a period of Seljuk reign.

DASKYLEION

  Daskyleion was located in 30 km South of Bandýrma, close to the Bird Paradise and was named after the king of Lydia “Daskylos”. It is very important city in world history. The king was sent to exile from Sardis because of dynasty conflicts and lived here for years. In 1952, after Kurt Biggel’s surface studies and analyses on antique texts, the location named “Hisartepe” was specified.

  Hisartepe which is within Ergili village is the current name for Daskyleion. During the Excavations in 1954-1960 by Prof. Dr. Ekrem Akurgal who is considered to be the father of Turkish archeology, exposed a big Persian Province in the location. Excavations are being carried out by Prof. Dr. Tomris Bakýr from Aegean University Faculty of Letters Classical Archaelogy Department since 1988.

  Frigians, Lydians, Persians lived in the area including Alexander the Great’s Helenistic period and Byzantian period. The first civilization was Frigia which covered all 7th century B.C. Antique sources specify a city of Frigia called “Afneon”. They lived here from the end of 8th century B.C. until the beginning of the 7th century B.C.

  The Lydian civilization in Daskyleion took place between 7th century and mid 6th century. Later, Lydians and Persians lived in the region under Persian reign from 6th century and 4th century B.C. which was followed by the Macedonian Alexander the Great’s reign. Then, from 321 B.C. to Roman era, “Hellenistic” period took place.