BELKIS / ZEUGMA ANCIENT CITY
Belkıs/Zeugma, with its current location, is in the Nizip district of Gaziantep Province. It is an ancient city built on seven hills in the east, on the shores of the Birecik Dam Lake, near the new Belkıs village. It is located on a land of approximately 21 decares.
Zeugma was mentioned by Strabo, Pliny and many ancient writers. Seleucus Nicator I, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, BC. In 300 BC, in this place where Alexander crossed the Euphrates, he founded the ancient city with the name Selevkeia ad Euphrates (Seleukeia of the Euphrates), combining the name of the Euphrates with his own name. He founded a second city opposite this city, named after his wife Apameia, and connected these twin cities with a bridge. After Kommagane king Mitridates I. Kallinikos married Leodike, the daughter of the Seleucid king, the city was given to the Kommagane kingdom as a dowry. Leodike's son, Antiochus I, had the statues built on Mount Nemrut with the income of this city. The city, which was one of the four major cities of Commagene for about 40 years, BC. In 64, it was annexed to the Roman Empire and its name was changed to "Zeugma", meaning passage and bridge.
The city experienced its richest period during the Roman period. In 256 AD, Sassanid king Shapur I captured Zeugma and destroyed it, and then the city was devastated by an earthquake. After this date, Zeugma could never recover and reach its former glory. Zeugma came under Byzantine rule in the 5th and 6th centuries. It was abandoned in the 7th century as a result of Arab raids. Later, 9-12. It continued its existence as an Islamic settlement between the centuries. In the 17th century, the village of Belkis was founded next to it.
The historical silk road extending from Antakya to China passed through Zeugma. In addition, the ancient roads coming from Dülük from the West, Antakya, Aleppo and Palmira from the South, and Edessa from the East also converged in Belkıs/Zeugma. Silk, spices and precious stones brought from the Far East passed through Zeugma customs and were marketed to merchants in the Zeugma agora (Marketplace). 100,000 items found in the archives and breaking world records. Over (one hundred thousand) seal impressions prove the importance of the city of Zeugma in communication and trade. Seal impressions were used to seal letters, notary documents, money bags and customs bales, etc.
Zeugma was the center of trade in this region. This city had a strategic location as it was one of the last cities on the eastern border of Rome. For this reason, first a military unit called the "Sikitia (Scythian) Legion" consisting of Anatolian soldiers, and later the "IV Legion" consisting of 6 thousand soldiers were deployed here. The city of Zeugma has become very rich due to the intensity of trade and the contribution of the military legion to the economy. With this wealth, many villas were built on "terraces overlooking the Euphrates".
In Zeugma, with small elevations and slopes from the banks of the Euphrates. On the rising acropolis hill, there was the temple of Tykhe, the protector of the merchants and the city. This eagle-looking hill, overlooking the surrounding plains, also reflected the size and magnificence of Zeugma. This temple was depicted on the coins minted by Zeugma itself. Under ground in the north of the city; Official buildings such as agora, adion and baths are in the west; theatre, military camp, northwest; There are workshops and terraces with villas to the east. The necropolis area surrounds the city from the south and west in a half-moon shape, both ends of which end with the Euphrates River.
The water of the city of Zeugma, the city's . from the mountains in the west. in height . It was brought through wide water channels and distributed within the city via canals, pipes and similar secondary waterways. Each house had two cisterns. The water used is connected to the gallery-shaped wastewater channels through discharge channels. As a result, Zeugma has a perfect water network and infrastructure system. houses; It has rooms located around the columned courtyards in the middle. The rooms received their light from this courtyard through large windows with iron railings and glass. The floors of the houses are decorated with mosaics, the walls are decorated with frescoes, and the rooms are equipped with furniture, statues and other figurines. The mosaic master from Zeugma made mosaics by cutting the river stones he collected from the Euphrates River into cubic shapes (tessera) in 8-10 mm sizes. If he could not find stones with colors such as light blue, light and dark green and orange in nature, he obtained these colors with glass tesserae.
At the same time, it was determined that mosaic masters came to Zeugma from other cities such as Samsat and worked. For example, two mosaics by the master Zosimos of Samsat, titled The Birth of Venus and The Banquet Table, were discovered. Subjects selected from mythological and theater scenes are depicted in the mosaics. The unearthed mosaics belong to the 2nd and 3rd centuries, when the Roman Empire was at its richest and its art reached its peak. Goddess, human, animal and geometric images were used in the wall paintings. The colors are vibrant as if they were made yesterday. In addition, the art of sculpture is also highly developed. So much so that Zeugma's unique school of sculpture was formed. Statues were made of bronze, limestone and marble, and sarcophagi were made of hard limestone. Grave stelae with reliefs of eagles for men and wool baskets for women were also carved. Masters from Zeugma are also very successful in ring stone carving (gem, cameo). In ancient times, every wealthy person had a ring seal. His seal contained the picture of his favorite god, goddess, animal or person. These figures are about 3-7mm. size and is worth considering for that period when the lens had not yet been discovered.
The first excavation in Belkıs-Zeugma was carried out in 1987 by the Gaziantep Museum Directorate in the southern necropolis, following a notice of illegal excavation. Here, statues belonging to the grave owners were found lined up on the front terrace of the room-shaped family rock tomb. Another excavation was carried out in 1992, again as a result of a tip-off, and a floor mosaic and villa depicting the wedding of Dionysus, the god of wine, and his wife Ariadne were unearthed. This area was turned into a viewing area and arranged as a small museum. Visitors who came to Zeugma for 7 years watched this mosaic with admiration, and the greatness of the city of Zeugma has been visually presented to visitors ever since. On June 15, 1998, a large part of this mosaic was stolen.
A call was made to all universities to carry out rescue excavations in Zeugma due to the construction of the Birecik Dam. In 1993, the University of Western Australia and in 1995, the University of Nantes responded to this call and excavations started with the participation of the Gaziantep Museum. However, it has been determined in these excavations that not much can be saved by excavating for one or two months a year in the areas where rescue excavations will be carried out.
With the support of the Gaziantep Governorship, with the financial contributions of the Special Provincial Administration, SANKO Holding and Birecik Dam consortium, and under the responsibility of the Gaziantep Museum, rescue excavations were accelerated under the leadership of Archaeologist Mehmet ÖNAL, and work was carried out in the A-region without a break in 1999 and 2000. During these studies, the villas of Poseidon and Euphrates were brought to light. Mosaics were located on the floor of the shallow pools, fountains and rooms of these villas. The subjects are Akhileus, the birth of Venus, Dionysus-Telete, Muses, Euphrates gods, Galatia, Dionysus-Ariadne, Satyros Antiope, etc. It consists of theatrical, mythological scenes and geometric patterns. Figural, vegetal and geometric wall paintings made in fresco and stucco techniques have been unearthed. In addition to many coins, bronze and terracotta figurines, oil lamps and pots were found. Moreover; The famous bronze statue of Mars, the God of War, lying on his back is one of these finds. After drawings and documentation of all the mosaics, frescoes, architectural pieces and similar finds found in these rescue excavations carried out while the water was rising, they were saved from being submerged and transported to the Gaziantep Museum.
When Zeugma A-region was flooded, rescue excavations were started in B- region in July 2000, with the permission of the Ministry of Culture, under the organization of GAPİdaresi (Southeastern Anatolia Project), with the financial contributions of PHI (Packard Humanities Institutes), and with a multinational archaeological team under the umbrella of Oxford Unit and Gaziantep Museum. In these studies, new information was obtained about the houses, church, archives and stoa of the city of Zeugma. The banquet table, the abduction of Europa and Eros mosaics and frescoes were unearthed. Antiochus stele, figurines, coins, bronze cauldrons and pots were found.
The Italian CCA restoration team took part in these works. Rescue excavations were terminated on October 4, 2000, as the waters of Birecik dam lake reached the B region. As of the latest situation, approximately 1/4 of Zeugma is submerged under the waters of the Birecik Dam lake.
The art masterpieces unearthed as a result of rescue excavations have shown the whole world that Zeugma is an important art center. In the large part of Zeugma that is not under water, there are villas, theatre, colonnaded streets, baths, agora and temples. It sleeps under the ground.
Gaziantep Governor M.Lutfullah BİLGİN started excavations for restoration purposes by digging in Zeugma in 2003. During the excavations carried out under the responsibility of Archaeologist Mehmet ÖNAL under the chairmanship of the Gaziantep Museum Directorate, the excavation of the Villa of Dionysus was completed and it was made ready for restoration. Additionally, the Danae villa was partially uncovered next to the Dionysus villa to the west. A unique mosaic, the floor mosaic themed "Danae and Diktys", was unearthed in this villa. In 2004, the excavation of the courtyard of this house (Perystil) was completed. The restoration projects of the mentioned villas are continuing. As a result of the restoration of these two villas, the beginning of the Zeugma open-air museum will be made. Visitors to Zeugma will be able to see the Zeugma mosaics in their original locations in the villas.
In addition, in 2004, C.Abadie-Reynal from Nancy University, France, started excavations with the participation of Gaziantep Museum and Zeugma Theater and partially uncovered 6 rows of seats (caveas) belonging to the theater. These excavations will change the fortunes of the region as well as the city of Zeugma.
Since the excavations in Zeugma will continue for hundreds of years, the Zeugma excavation directorate has been Ankara University, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography, Department of Archeology lecturer Assoc. Prof. since 2005. Dr. It was given to Kutalmış GÖRKAY.
The art masterpieces unearthed as a result of rescue excavations have shown the whole world that Zeugma is an important art center. In the large part of Zeugma that is not under water, villas, theatre, streets with columns, baths, agora and temple are 3-4m. They are underground and waiting for the day when they will be brought to light. The open-air and archaeological site museum that will be formed as a result of the excavations to be carried out in these areas in the coming years will enable the works of the city of Zeugma to be seen on site.
Source: Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism