This week, we will be heading to the mountainous outskirts of the Aegean province of Manisa in Turkey and visiting the ancient city of Aigai, one of the dozen ancient cities established in western Anatolia
I stumbled upon Aigai by pure luck. I had come to the northwestern coastal town of Ayvalık to run some errands and, on my way back to Ankara, I decided to take a look at Google Maps and see if there was anywhere I had not been before, somewhere I could pay a quick visit to.
Although I had to take a diversion, which added a good two hours to my overall trip, seeing Aigai was worth it. To get to Aigai, I drove along isolated mountain roads and passed through hillside villages for about an hour. It was a very relaxing road trip accompanied by serene nature and picturesque views.
This ancient settlement is located on the hillside of the Aegean industrial town of Aliağa, right on the provincial border of Izmir and Manisa. It sits high atop Mount Gün, which is a part of the mountain chain of Yunt. The ancient city, whose name comes from the Greek word "aíga" (goat), is often referred to as "the city of goats", which is not surprising considering its high altitude and rocky lands. The people of Aigai used coins with goats minted on them and regularly engaged in the trade of goods produced from goat hair, bones and skin.
Aigai is one of the less-spoiled ancient sites in western Turkey where you are unlikely to run into large crowds of tourists. The remote location makes it harder to access the city, which makes it a great pick during a pandemic to avoid running into others.
A quick review of Aigai’s history
Aigai, also known as Aigaiai or Nemrutkale, is thought to have been founded in the seventh century B.C., in the ancient region of Aeolis, which comprises the land that stretches between the modern district of Ayvacık in Çanakkale and downtown Izmir. It was a member of the Aeolian dodecapolis, a confederation of 12 cities.
The city reached its golden age during the reign of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty that ruled the land from three to two B.C. During the years that it was a fully-occupied settlement, Aigai was an important center for commerce and politics. The city was also home to a complex system of water canals that helped protect its people from floods and conserve rainwater.
On account of a severe earthquake in 17 B.C., which caused irreversible damage to the Aegean coast as well as Aigai, the city was rebuilt in subsequent decades. Aigai was deserted in the third century A.D. and remained unoccupied for about a millennium. The findings unearthed in the region date back to the Eastern Roman period and support the idea that the city was resettled by the Byzantines and used as a small settlement for a Christian congregation.