Lagina
Encyclopedia
Lagina is an ancient cult site of important archaeological and touristic value dating from the Carian period and extended under the Seleucid
kings that is situated in southwestern Turkey
(adjacent to Turgut, a municipality in the Muğla Province
) and which is famous for its Hekate Sanctuary. The site is situated at 9 kilometers distance from the Yatağan-Milas
highway, served by an asphalt road bifurcating shortly after the Yatağan Power Plant when coming from Yatağan.
The small town of Turgut itself was until recently named Leyne, a name that is still used among the locals and in the region, thus echoing its name in antiquity.
Recent studies have shown that the site had been inhabited and/or employed in an unintterupted manner during a time span stretching back to the Bronze Age
. Seleucid
kings conducted a considerable reconstruction effort in the sacred ground of Lagina and transformed it into a foremost religious center of its time, with the nearby (at a distance of 11 kilometers) site of Stratonikeia
becoming the administrative center. The two sites (Lagina and Stratonkeia) were connected to each other in antiquity by a holy path.
The archaeological research conducted in Lagina is historically significant in that it was the first to have been done by a Turkish
scientific team, under the direction of Osman Hamdi Bey
and Halit Ethem Bey. In 1993, excavation and restoration work was resumed under the guidance of Muğla Museum, by an international team advised by Professor Ahmet Tırpan.
The friezes of the Hekate Sanctuary are currently being displayed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. Four different themes are depicted in these friezes. These are, on the eastern frieze, scenes from the life of Zeus
; on the western frieze, a battle between gods and giants
; on the southern frieze, a gathering of Carian gods; and on the northern frieze, a battle of Amazons
.
Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
kings that is situated in southwestern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(adjacent to Turgut, a municipality in the Muğla Province
Mugla Province
Muğla Province is a province of Turkey, at the country's south-western corner, on the Aegean Sea. Its seat is Muğla, about inland, while some of Turkey's largest holiday resorts, such as Bodrum, Ölüdeniz, Marmaris and Fethiye, are on the coast in Muğla....
) and which is famous for its Hekate Sanctuary. The site is situated at 9 kilometers distance from the Yatağan-Milas
Milas
Milas is an ancient city and the seat of the district of the same name in Muğla Province in southwestern Turkey. The city commands a region with an active economy, and the region is very rich in history and its remains, the whole territory of Milas district containing a remarkable twenty-seven...
highway, served by an asphalt road bifurcating shortly after the Yatağan Power Plant when coming from Yatağan.
The small town of Turgut itself was until recently named Leyne, a name that is still used among the locals and in the region, thus echoing its name in antiquity.
Recent studies have shown that the site had been inhabited and/or employed in an unintterupted manner during a time span stretching back to the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. Seleucid
Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
kings conducted a considerable reconstruction effort in the sacred ground of Lagina and transformed it into a foremost religious center of its time, with the nearby (at a distance of 11 kilometers) site of Stratonikeia
Stratonikeia
-References:* from the Catholic Encyclopedia *Richard Stillwell, William L. MacDonald, Marian Holland McAllister ; , , Princeton, *Smith, William ; Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, , London,...
becoming the administrative center. The two sites (Lagina and Stratonkeia) were connected to each other in antiquity by a holy path.
The archaeological research conducted in Lagina is historically significant in that it was the first to have been done by a Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
scientific team, under the direction of Osman Hamdi Bey
Osman Hamdi Bey
Osman Hamdi Bey was an Ottoman statesman, intellectual, art expert and also a prominent and pioneering Turkish painter. He was also an accomplished archaeologist, and is considered as the pioneer of the museum curator's profession in Turkey...
and Halit Ethem Bey. In 1993, excavation and restoration work was resumed under the guidance of Muğla Museum, by an international team advised by Professor Ahmet Tırpan.
The friezes of the Hekate Sanctuary are currently being displayed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums. Four different themes are depicted in these friezes. These are, on the eastern frieze, scenes from the life of Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
; on the western frieze, a battle between gods and giants
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
; on the southern frieze, a gathering of Carian gods; and on the northern frieze, a battle of Amazons
Amazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
.