The Augustus Temple of Ankara
This temple is supposed to have been built on an earlier temple dedicated in honor of
Kybele and Men between 25-20 BC. The Marble Temple measuring 36x54,82 meters used to stand
on a pediment of several steps about 2 meter high. It is facing to the west planned in
pseudodipteros with 8 ionic pillars on the short side and 15 on the long. Internal
complexes (Naos) consisted of three parts with two corinthian pillars at the pear
section (Antea) and four more in the antea on the gateway (Pronaos).
This temple is of great importance with the inscriptions referring to the deeds of
Augustus. The inscriptions related to the same deeds written in latin are found on Pisidia Antiochia in Yalvaç while the Greek version was found
on Phrygian Apollonin in Uluborlu. The inscriptions on this temple are the best preserved
bilingual texts quoted from the ruler' speeches. The speeches delivered by Augustus
himself are known as index rerum gestarum and
have been inscripted bilingually; in Greek and Latin on the walls known to be Monumentum
Ankyranum the inscriptions in latin appear on he internal surface of the Pronaos
while the Greek versions take place on the southwest external surface of the Naos just
after the disappearance of the rulet in the early christian era, the temple has been
changed into a basilica and three windows have been annexed on the south wall of the cella
with a cryptos beyond the Naos. In ensuing years. When Ankara was conquered by
the Seljuks in the 12nd Century A.D. Mosque called Hacı Bayram was built nearby
the northwest complex of the temple. The Cella, pronaos and the Temple have survived
though the north west wall of the Cella was destroyed in 1834.
The first systematical studies have been carried out by Ch. Texier, G. Perrot, M.
Schede, D. Krencker and the complementary excavations were carried on by Dr. Hamit Z.
Koşay in 1930. |
