Sulusaray | |
|---|---|
  Sulusaray Location in Turkey | |
| Coordinates:40°00′N36°06′E / 40.000°N 36.100°E /40.000; 36.100 | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Tokat |
| District | Sulusaray |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Necmettin Coruk (AKP) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 4,383 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
| Area code | 0356 |
| Website | www |
Sulusaray orÇiftlik, in Antiquity and the early Middle Ages known asSebastopolis (Greek:Σεβαστούπολις) orHeracleopolis (Ἡρακλειούπολις), is a town inTokat Province in theBlack Sea region ofTurkey. It is the seat ofSulusaray District.[2] Its population is 4,383 (2022).[1] Sulusaray is about 68 km from the center ofTokat, and about 30 km fromArtova town. The site is situated on a plain surrounded by mountains and theÇekerek river runs near it. The mayor is Necmettin Coruk (AKP).
The wordSebastopolis comes from GreekSebastos, the Greek equivalent of theLatinAugustus, whilepolis means "city". In some sources the city was named asHeracleopolis (meaning "the city ofHeracles", a Greek deity symbolizing power and strength).[3]
The date of foundation of this ancient city is still unknown, findings from the site indicate that Sebastopolis has been continuously inhabited from 3,000 BCE to the present day.[4] Some sources say that it was first established in the first century during the reign ofRoman emperorTrajan, and that the city was separated from the districts ofPontus Galaticus/Polemoniacus and was included in theprovince of Cappadocia. Anepitaph inscription about this survives. The epitaph was written as a monument for Arrian, the Governor of the region of Cappadocia. InPtolemy's time, it was a town inPontus Cappadocicus (Ptol. v. 6. § 7), which, according to theAntonine Itinerary (p. 205), was situated on a route leading fromTavium toSebastia (modern Sivas), and was connected by a road withCaesarea (p. 214).Pliny (vi. 3) places it in the district ofColopene, and agrees with other authorities in describing it as a small town. (Hierocl. p. 703)
Architectural pieces recovered during the diggings organized by the Directorate of theTokat Museum in 1987 showed that the city was an important settlement during the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. The artefacts recovered at theComana Pontica (OldTokat) are very similar to those recovered from the city of Sebastopolis, probably these two ancient cities had a close relationship in the past.
Sebastopolis is at the crossroads of east to west route and south and central to north route. This shows the importance of the city during theRoman andByzantine periods.
The ancient city was surrounded by a city wall made of small, neatly cut stones put together without using mortar. A circular shape temple was discovered at the northeast side of the city, it was made of marble floor. The baths are situated at the eastern part of the Sebastopolis, where the water needed was recovered from the thermal spring located about 3 kilometers to the southwest. Many statues and statuettes, friezes, columns, gravesteles and epitaphs have been found during excavations.
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