In the ancient city of Laodicea, located in Denizli in southwestern Türkiye and included in UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List, a 2,050-year-old council building was uncovered during this year’s excavations.
With excavation and restoration work ongoing for 22 years in the ancient city, whose history dates back to 5,500 B.C., frescoed travertine blocks, a 3-meter-long statue of the Roman Emperor Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, the Traian Fountain, a statue of a priest’s head and the Scylla group statues have been found.
This year, excavations in the city focused on the council building. Through the work, the building, considered the “administrative heart” of the city, was brought to light.
Professor Celal Şimşek, head of the excavation team, told an Anadolu Agency (AA) reporter that Laodicea was one of Anatolia’s largest metropolises.
Şimşek explained that ancient sources indicate the city had a central role in judicial affairs. “We already know it was an administrative center overseeing seven to 10 cities. When we started excavations in the council building, we saw that the surrounding walls had a pentagonal shape and with the front included, it was hexagonal. We are encountering such an architectural style for the first time,” he said.
He stated that the upper and lower seating steps were uncovered, with the entire lower seating section intact. The names of the council president and members were found inscribed on these seating steps, allowing them to identify the council members who served at that time.
Şimşek noted that the council members consisted of elders, youth and common people, and there were 17 rows of seating in total – eight in the lower section and nine in the upper section.
“We know the building was constructed during the reign of Emperor Augustus, around the mid-first century B.C. The council building was used until the city was relocated in the A.D. seventh century. Considering the size of the seating steps, we estimate there were approximately 600-800 members. However, after Laodicea became the capital of the Phrygia region, it also became a judicial center,” he added.
Regarding a statue found during the excavations in a seated position, Şimşek said they believe it represented the administrator, chief judge and leader of that era.
“This statue dates back to the A.D. second century. However, the head placed on it is dated to the A.D. 400s. This means that as the judicial system continued, the person here served as the chief judge and over time the portraits of changing presidents and judges were redone and placed here. In this respect, this site is unique. The building was in use from the Augustus period until the seventh century. Emperor Hadrian visited here in A.D. 129. Following his visit, extensive renovations were made, as the architectural blocks indicate,” he explained.
Şimşek said the excavations in the council building are nearing completion and concluded:
“We are talking about a structure that is 2,050 years old. If you consider it was used continuously until the seventh century, it served as a very important building in Laodicea for around 750 years for administration, governance and judicial purposes. We believe there was a political agora right in front of it. Archive halls were located on both sides of the council building. South of the agora lies the South Bath Complex, one of Anatolia’s largest bath complexes, and next to it is Anatolia’s largest stadium. This area was especially important during the imperial period, as it can be described as the ‘administrative heart’ of Laodicea.”
