SAGALOSSOS

After a restful sleep at the Barida, we woke to a light drizzle, cool winds and grey skies.  We were heading high into the Taurus mountains to see SAGALOSSOS, an archaeological site anchored by the village of  Ağlasun. Nabil, who prefers to vacation shirtless, was ill-prepared for the cold snap, so we headed to the local mall to buy  sweatshirts and long sleeve T-shirts.

Cozy in our newly acquired winter wear, we headed southwest, climbing higher and higher with each passing kilometer on the well marked highway.  We turned off at Ağlasun, rejoicing at having found our destınatıon with ease.

We celebrated too soon. From the base of the village to the entrance of SAGALOSSOS, we had to navigate several miles of switchbacks as the narrow road climbed steadily up and up and up to a height of ~5000 feet.  It was a white knuckle drive. Again, no markers, no guard rails, no center line and free-for-all driving regulations! A two tiered tour bus came barreling down the mountain and nearly slammed into us on a blind curve at the hemline of a steep gorge.  Nabil's lightening quick response saved us once again.  I have to applaud his driving skills.  Equally skilled at assertive and defensive maneuvers, he is well suited to drive among the crazies here.   As they say "it takes one to know one."

The entrance to the site was crude and a jumble of mega-tour busses, construction equipment and cars vied for parking space amid the potholes and rubble.  It was damp and chilly and we were grateful that we had the foresight to purchase warm clothes.  Many of people from the tour buses were shivering in their shorts and sandals and I could not have imagined myself in their shoes..literally!

The city of dreams sat on the crest of a mountain with magnificent views.  Extensive research and reconstruction was in progress.  The most impressive structure was the Nymphaeum, a fountain constructed in honor of Alexander the Great.  And it was here, that despite the wind and rain, Nabil stripped down once again, to strike a pose amid the statues of the gods and heroes of Sagalossos.  The man refuses to keep his  clothes on!  When he starts taking off his pants it will time to come home.

The artistry of the buildings and the scope of the city were mind boggling, especially considering the challenge of the ascent. The views were inspiring. The terrain difficult and the city built on terraces that climbed even further up the hill. It was an arduous hike through the ruins.

Over the next few days, we were to visit six more sites. Each  was uniquely situated, but there were common elements..wide streets featuring statues of prominent and famous citizens, public bath complexes of elaborate design with cold, warm and hot bathing facilities, theaters for entertainment and sporting functions, market places decorated with elaborate fountains, grand public buildings and private housing for both the gentry and commoners. Pillars, plaques and elevated statuary.  Cisterns and aqueducts.

How did they haul the materials needed to create these masterworks?  How could crude tools and equipment carved out such beauty?  How many people were required to erect such commanding buildings?  How did they conduct trade with other cities, without benefit of modern transportation? At some point in time, most of these cities were abandoned.  Many have been abandoned for more than a thousand years, some for hundreds.  Where did their citizens disperse? Why didn't they rebuild these cities?  At what point did people say, "no more?"


At every stop, these questions haunt us.  Is there a scenario when we too might choose to walk away? Could a hurricane like Sandy  break the spirit of whole cities.  What kind of disaster or "perfect storm"  would it really  take to force us to simply walk away and never return?