Allianoi @ Travel Turkey

One particularity of Allianoi is its being a very recent discovery. It had been mentioned once by the 2nd century orator and medicinal writer Aelius Aristides's Hieroi Logoi (Sacred Tales) (III.1), one of the key sources for our knowledge on the science of healing as it was understood at that time. No other writer of antiquity nor any epigraphic finding refer to Allianoi.

During the excavations conducted in the forest to the west of Allianoi, a vessel of the type known as Yortan (dating from the Early Bronze Age II) was found. On the hills of Çakmak Tepe (Flint Hill) a high quantity of flint stones were found during surveys. Additionally, two stone axes were unearthed from an earth fill. These findings suggest some form of prehistoric settlement at or near Allianoi.

Because of the hot springs, there must have been a thermal bath complex in this period as well, but probably at a smaller scale than the Roman site. No architectural material was found in Allianoi belonging to this period and only a few archaeological and numismatic clues.

In the Roman Imperial Period (2nd century A.D.), consistent with the erection of a multitude of urban centers in Anatolia and also with the famous Asklepion of nearby Pergamon, the number of public works constructed in Allianoi increased. Many of the edifices encountered at the site today date from this period.

Allianoi was still densely populated during the Byzantine period. Nevertheless, as was the case with neighboring Pergamon, the socio-economic fabric of the urban settlement had frayed. Some architectural elements of the Roman Period were re-used by the Byzantine settlers. Utilizing the paved streets of the stoas and streets of the Roman period, succeeding Byzantine populations constructed simpler dwellings. The most important buildings of Allianoi, namely the thermal baths and the nympheum, remained in use for a long time, with some minor alterations.

The site was known as Paşa Ilıcası (The Thermal Baths of the Pasha) in the Ottoman Period. While noted in the historical documentation of the vilayet (province) of Aydın, it does not seem to have been used on an extensive scale.

The bath complex was partially cleaned of accumulated silt in the beginning of the 20th century. Despite continuous flooding, the hot springs section was in use in the 1950s. In 1992, the Roman Bridge that was also still in use was reconstructed with some distortions, disregarding the interests of conservationists. Also, in 1992, some rather shabby reconstruction work had been done in Allianoi itself, as a modern building was constructed over the historical remains. The complex was put out of use after heavy flooding in February 1998. Some of the site have been used as farmland. These recent elements have been removed in 2003 by the excavation team and the major parts of the Bath Complex beneath them started to come to light.

http://www.allianoi.org/