This presentation focuses on the interconnected castles and towers in the mountainous regions of Cilicia (modern-day area between Alanya and İskenderun), particularly known as the “Olbaian Territory,” and the rock reliefs depicting those who built them. These elements are examined alongside the historical developments of their time, taking us from the late 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD.

The archaeological data, such as structures, reliefs, and inscriptions found in the Olbian Territory of Cilicia, located between the Kalykadnos (Göksu / Silifke) River in the west and the Lamos (Limonlu / Erdemli) River in the east, begins with King Seleucus I Nicator, one of the successors of Alexander the Great. Seleucus I founded the city of Seleucia (Silifke) on the banks of the Kalykadnos River by relocating the local population (296 / 281 BC). However, close contact with the local people was primarily established after the reign of King Antiochus III (223-187 BC), when the Seleucids lost a war against the Romans, who sought to weaken their power in Asia Minor. Following the Treaty of Apamea in 188 BC, the Seleucids were forced to retreat behind the Taurus Mountains. This made it imperative for them to maintain control over the strategically significant region of Cilicia, which heightened its importance. The Seleucids realized that collaboration with the local population living in the mountains, particularly in the Olbian Territory, was essential for their survival. Thus, local soldiers and rulers, who held the title of “priest-king,” began to operate from the Zeus Olbios Temple (Diocaesarea / Uzuncaburç) in a theocratic dynastic system.

However, with Roman emperors Augustus and, particularly, Tiberius, a new era -the “Roman Period”- began across almost all of the Mediterranean world. Emperor Tiberius (AD 14-37), as part of the restructuring of Asia Minor, ended the rule of local priest-kings, and the region was governed by high priests appointed by Rome. The last evidence of the “Olba Priest-King Dynasty” is found on coins minted by Aias in AD 17.

In this presentation, the archaeological traces of the Seleucids once constructed as a result of their collaboration with the local population in Cilicia’s Olbian Territory, which served as the Seleucids’ most important western border, will be discussed.

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