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Wonder of the Roman Architectural Engineering, Double City: Nysa – Hakan Öztaner



START

6 February 2020 – 17:30

END

6 February 2020 – 18:30

Wonder of the Roman Architectural Engineering, Double City:

NYSA

The ancient city of Nysa located in the Sultanhisar district of Aydın province. Nysa was founded in the Hellenistic period and lies to the north of Maiandros river, on the fertile basin created by the river, on the southern slope of the Mesogis mountain. The city is situated on the “Eastern Road” that was extensively used during the Roman Empire period and spans from the Asian provincial capital Ephesos and continues to Apameia, serving as the main transportation and commercial route between the Western Anatolian coastline and its hinterland.

Excavated buildings mainly date to the Roman Empire, late Roman and Byzantine periods. The Hellenistic period buildings that date to the foundation of the city lie beneath the Roman Empire and Byzantine period buildings. Trained in Nysa, Strabo, the geographer from Amaseia, defined the city in his Geographica as a double city on the slope of Mesogis divided by a gorge created by torrential stream. Undoubtedly, the most remarkable buildings that reflect the architectural and engineering character of the Roman Empire period, and which are built in harmony with the topography, are the stadion, a tunnel and three bridges that connect the two sides of the city.

Nysa’s urban planning is harmonious with its topography. In this respect, this paper aims to evaluate the relationship of the city’s urban planning with its architectural engineering using the buildings and street system unearthed during archaeological excavations.

Hakan Öztaner,

Ankara Üniversitesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü