OT: The Izmir Agora: Garbage Dump Turning Into a Shining Star

[Guest guest]

The Agora: Garbage Dump Turning Into a Shining Star

 

" If we can find this church, Izmir will become a faith tourism

destination for Christians, " says Izmir Museum Director Taslialan.

 

(Butch's Note: There are around 30 locations now in Turkey that draw

many folks on Faith Tours. Izmir (ancient Smyrna) is the world's oldest

continuously occupied city .. it was ancient when it was destroyed by an

earthquake and partially rebuilt by Alexander the Great beginning in the

year 333 B.C.)

 

The Agora, located in the heart of Izmir, Turkey and serving as the

marketplace of ancient Smyrna, had tragically turned into a rubbish heap

and a place where drunks slept and hung out, but today the Agora is

preparing to become one of the world's cultural centers by means of

projects funded by the Greater Izmir Municipality and the Ministry of

Culture and Tourism.

 

The excavation of the Agora began with Rudolf Naumann, Professor F.

Miltner and Selahattin Kantar between 1932-1941, continued by a

succession of archaeologists until the present day. One of the

excavators who exerted tremendous efforts was Yusuf Gul, who has fought

against bureaucratic red tape to carry out excavations for about 15

years.

 

The Agora excavation, directed by Izmir Museum Manager Mehmet Taslialan

for the last two years, is being conducted all year round despite the

fact that archeological digs normally are done only during the summer.

Taslialan said the Agora was one of a few excavations in the world that

is carried out for the entire year.

 

Noting that they were excavating with a team of 50 archeologists,

Taslialan said they wanted to make Izmir a city of history like Athens

and Rome by unearthing the entire Agora. " The Agora is a place hosting

the world's largest basilica and market. If we find the entire Agora,

Izmir will be a city of history like Athens and Rome. At the moment, 50

archeologists from various countries are working to excavate the Agora. "

 

A number of 2000-year-old inscriptions discovered in the historical

Agora, the largest of its kind in the world and established 333 B.C. by

Alexander the Great on the slopes of Mt. Pagos, are being transported to

the newly opened Archaeological Museum in Kulturpark.

 

Pointing out that the inscriptions indicated the existence of a church,

Taslialan said: " If we can find this church, Izmir will become a faith

tourism destination for Christians. We are working hard to locate it. "

 

Taslialan also said gladiators had fought in the Agora. " According to

images we have discovered, we can tell that the Agora was a magnificent

place. All these images are giving us detailed information about life

2,000 years ago. Thanks to them, we learned that there were gladiator

games in the Agora. We are preparing to publish a book of these images. "

 

Layout of the Agora

 

The Agora contains four sections -- western, northern, eastern and

southern -- as well as a fountain. The fountain is an exotic structure

and is still in use. It is in the northern section of the arched

basement floor of the western structure. The water comes from a cistern

under the houses by means of old pipes.

 

The ground floor was composed of arched galleries that supported the

large structure. The Agora itself was built over this, and the section

with columns standing on top was the second floor. There were 28 shops

facing north on the ground floor, and the entrance to the shops was from

the town's main street, which was next to the Agora. Goods were brought

overland and overseas to the ground floor and were sold there, the

transactions for which provided entertainment for the residents and

merchants. The second floor was composed of galleries along three rows

of columns. The basilica section was a meeting room, where affairs of

state were conducted. Here the ruling class of the town met and made

decisions about the town's administration.