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kerkenes
dag - yozgat
the median city of pteria
In
the early 6th Century BC the Medes extended their empire from Iran
into northern Anatolia. Iranian civilisation came into sustained
cultural contact with Central and West Anatolian powers of Lydia
to the west, the Kingdom of Cilicia to the south and the Greek colonies
in Pontus. Protection and administration of the Mede's western empire
required a strong and substantial base from which imperial power
could be exercised. To meet these needs a great new city was founded
on the Kerkenes Dag, a low granite mountain on the northern edge
of the Cappadocian plain. A mighty wall, 7km in length and pierced
by 7 strongly fortified gates, protected a thriving city containing
a palatial complex and other public buildings, centrally planned
urban blocks enclosing elite residential units and more humble structures.
Since 1993 an international team has spent each summer mapping surface
and subsurface remains of this extraordinary city with the most
advanced techniques available.
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