Konuralp | |
 Stone fragments at Prusias ad Hypium ruins. | |
  Prusias ad Hypium Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Düzce Province |
| Coordinates | 40°54′22″N31°08′53″E / 40.90611°N 31.14806°E /40.90611; 31.14806 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Periods | Hellenistic,Roman,Byzantine,Ottoman |
| Site notes | |
| Public access | Limited |
Prusias ad Hypium (Ancient Greek:Προῦσα πρὸς τῷ Ὑππίῳ ποταμῷ)[1] was a city inancient Bithynia, and afterwards in the lateRoman province ofHonorias. In the 4th century it became abishopric that was asuffragan ofClaudiopolis in Honoriade. Before its conquest by KingPrusias I of Bithynia, it was namedCierus orKieros (Ancient Greek:Κίερος) and belonged to theHeraclea Pontica.[2]Photius writes that it was called Kieros, after the river which flows by it.[3]
The site is near Konuralp,[4][5] 8 km (5.0 mi) north ofDüzce on the road toAkçakoca, in northwestern Turkey.[6][7]
The settlement, initially named "Hypios", was later renamed "Kieros".[7] According toAncient Greek historical writerMemnon of Heraclea (c. 1st century), KingPrusias I of Bithynia (r. 228 – 182 BC) captured the town of Kieros from theHeracleans,[8] united it to his dominions, and changed its name to "Prusias".[7][9]Pliny[10] andPtolemy[1] merely mention it, one placing it at the foot of Mt. Hypius, the other east of the riverHypius. It was an important city on the road betweenNicomedia (modernİzmit) atPropontis andAmastris (Amasra) atEuxine in thePontus region.[6]
In about 74 BC, control of the region, and so of the city, was taken by theRoman Empire. From then on, the city was called "Prusias ad Hypium".[7] The city grew from four to twelvephylai during the Roman period until the 2nd century. ThreeRoman emperors,Hadrian (r. 117–138),Caracalla (r. 198–217), andElagabalus (r. 218–222), visited the city in northwesternAsia Minor.[6][7] Already after the reign ofVespasian (r. 69–79), the city became autonomous in internal affairs and minted its own coins, though it remained dependent to Rome in foreign policy. In the beginning of the 5th century, the city became part of the newly established lateRoman province ofHonorias, and after 451 AD, it lost its wealth towards the end of theByzantine period.[7]
In 1323, the city was conquered from theByzantine Empire byOsman Ghazi (r. c. 1299 – 1323/4), the founder of theOttoman Empire. Osman Ghazi handed over the city's control to hiscommanderKonur Alp Bey.[11][12] In the Ottoman period, the city center was abandoned, and the settlement was called "Üskübü" from σκοπή (skopi) meaning "watchtower". During the Ottoman period, Islamic culture became prevalent.[7]
With the beginning of theRepublican era (after 1923), the town's name was changed to "Konuralp". The name "Üskübü" is still used among the inhabitants.[7]
In the 19th century, travellers passing by the city discovered archaeological fragments. There are official letters preserved in theOttoman Archives indicating archaeological findings. The transport of a marble sculpture to theIstanbul Archaeology Museums in 1893–94 is mentioned in documents. Documents dated 1903 and 1909 relate to regulations for reuse and to secure archaeological findings until their delivery to the government, respectively.[7]
Scientific archaeological excavations were conducted by the archaeology department ofDüzce University under the patronage of theKonuralp Museum and supported by the Municipality ofDüzce.[8][11][12]
A plan of the city is not known. The archaeological remains and finds suggest that the settlement had aHellenisticpolis character. Main remains are part of the ramparts, a rampart gate, open-air theatre, aqueduct, and a Roman bridge. Some remnants of the ancient city are under the buildings of the modern settlement of vernacular architecture.[7]
According to inscriptions found at the site, agymnasium and anagora existed in the ancient city. Their location and plan remain unknown. An inscription states that people contributed money to the construction and repair works of the agora. Another public building in the city, of which the location is not known, is the Domitius bathhouse, mentioned on the honor inscription erected for the son of M. Iulius Cabinius Sacerdos of Prusias.[12] A colonnaded street runs southwest from the Roman bridge. Architectural fragments such asentablatures, arches,pediments, pavements, anddrains are found on the site. A bath and aqueduct are from the earlyOttoman period.[6]
In 2020, archaeologists discovered aMedusa head dating back to the 1st or 2nd century AD.[13]In 2023, archaeologists found the head ofAlexander the Great's statue.[14]
The ramparts of the city were built suitable to the topography of the terrain.[7] The western city walls are 4.70 m (15.4 ft) high at a length of 118 m (387 ft). The city walls were built during the Hellenistic and Roman periods inashlar. Some cut stones were reused inaltar and other architectural elements during the repairs in the Byzantine Empire. At the western end of the walls, there is an entrance built with reused block stones.[15] 200 m (660 ft) of the Byzantine city walls are still standing. These walls start right across the ancient bridge located at the edge of the road toAkçakoca, and run as far as Hamam Street. Some of the walls remaining in the gardens of the houses form the foundations of the garden walls. There are also walls dating back to theOttoman period on the high parts of the slope where the city was founded.[12]
Coins from the time ofRoman emperorGallienus (r. 253–268) depict the main gate of the city with two towers. This gate is not extant.[12][7] The "Horse Gate", which stands today within the settlement of Konuralp,[7] and its extension ramparts are monuments of first grade. The city walls were repaired in different periods with reused inscribed materials. The gatelintel is made of local limestone material. It is a reused grave stele with an ancient Greek inscription dedicated to the mother of a Prusiasan and features a horse relief.[15][7] The city wall extending in a southeast direction from the gate is connected to a square-plan tower.[12] There is a small gate, formed by reused inscribed stone blocks, on the southern walls.[7]
Thetheatre, which is locally called "The Forty Stairs", was built in the city center during theHellenistic period (300–30 BC) and was expanded in theRoman period (30 BC-300 AD).[15] The theatre, with the dimensions of 100 m × 74 m (328 ft × 243 ft), covers an area of 5,978 m2 (64,350 sq ft).[12] Thecavea stands on the hillside and is oriented southward.[7] It had a capacity of 10,000 spectators with 36 seating rows in three caveas separated by aisles;[12] only 17 rows in the lower section and 15 rows in the upper section are preserved today. The sides of the seating rows at the radial aisles are decorated withAlchemilla figures.[16]
The scaenae, the theatre stage, has a rectangular plan.[7] Two arched windows and an arched door of thescaenae frons as well as theparodoi stand firmly on the exterior of the stage.[6][12] The theatre is dated to the period between Hellenistic and Roman since the entrance on the stage is not common inancient Greek theatre architecture. The cavea was constructed in the 1st century, and the scaenae was added in 190 AD.[7]
In 2023, archaeologists have found at the theater a statue ofMedusa, a statue ofApollo, the head of a statue ofAlexander the Great and in a room located at the top of the theater a mosaic, which they called it the "Lion Mosaic".[17]
A 74 BC-built 10 m (33 ft)-long three-arched bridge is located outside the city walls in the west, crossing the river Hypius (modern-day "Melen" is one of the oldest intact bridges in Turkey built by the Roman Empire).[6][7][12] The total length of the "Roman bridge" is 30.25 m (99.2 ft). It is 4.80 m (15.7 ft) wide and 3.17 m (10.4 ft) high. It is made of white marble blocks without using any mortar. The original length of the bridge was 39.20 m (128.6 ft).[15] The restoration of the bridge, after a flood ruined itspavement, was completed in 2019.[6][18]
A colonnaded street running between the city and the Roman bridge was discovered in 1974 during construction works for an irrigation canal in the southern section of the Düzce-Akçakoca highway D-655. Some architectural elements, such as thearchitrave, column fragments, vaulted blocks, and arches are deposited in theKonuralp Museum.[7]
This is anaqueduct located at the nearby Kemerkasım village. In the beginning of the 2nd century AD, P. Domitius Iulianus helped out financially to bring water to the city, and in the 3rd century a nobleman, Gavinius Sacerdos, financially supported the water system.[12] Eleven retaining legs from the old water system of the city, the Kemerkasım Aqueduct, have survived to the present day. The aqueduct was made of rubble stone.[15]
The necropolis of the ancient city, a large, designed cemetery ofRoman period with elaborate tomb monuments, is located on three hills in the Şehit Hüseyin Kıl neighborhood of Konuralp. It covers an area of 173,697 m2 (1,869,660 sq ft). Artifacts found at this site, such as a garlanded sarcophagus, a Roman period statue, steles, block stones, and earthenware pieces, are exhibited in the Konuralp Museum.[12]
The nearbyKonuralp Museum was established in 2003 to preserve the cultural heritage of the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium. It contains a total of 6,237 artifacts including 1,848 archaeological, 491 ethnographic, and 3,898 coins.[15]
A statue ofTyche, the presidingtutelary deity, who governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, was uncovered in 1931. The original statue, dated to 4th century AD, is exhibited after restoration in the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, and a copy of it is in the Konuralp Museum.[6][12]
A floor mosaic depictingOrpheus, a legendary musician, poet, andprophet inancient Greek religion, with the Seasons was unearthed in the south of the ancient city in 1998.[6][12] After restoration works, it was placed in the museum.[12]
In 2016, another floor mosaic was unearthed inside a villa ruin, dated back to the Roman period of 300–400 AD, at Aynalı village about 3 km (1.9 mi) from the ancient city.[19] It depictsAchilles, a hero of theTrojan War, and his motherThetis.[6][12]
A large garlandedsarcophagus was found in thenecropolis situated in the hill west of Konuralp in 1937. The long sides of the sarcophagus are decorated with reliefs of garlandedbucrania. Its lower part features reliefs of several animals like pigs, lions, eagles, and fishing birds.[12]
The city became a bishopric in the 4th century. Bishop Georgios attended theFirst Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and Bishop Olympios took part at theCouncil of Chalcedon (451 AD).[6]
Several of its bishops are known:[20]
It is not known when this bishopric disappeared; it still existed in the tenth century.[21] No longer the seat of a residential bishop, it remains atitular see of theRoman Catholic Church.[22]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Prusa".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Prusias ad Hypium".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. The entry cites: Media related toPrusias ad Hypium at Wikimedia Commons| Geographic | |
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