Excavation, restoration and conservation work proceed with nice care within the historical metropolis of Heraclea, a southwestern metropolis in Türkiye, which attracts hundreds of vacationers from across the globe.
To protect the pure and historic beauties of Muğla and go them on to future generations, work continues with nice care in historical cities and ruins with the help of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Muğla Governorship and the Investment Monitoring Coordination Presidency (YIKOB).
The historical metropolis of Heraclea on the shores of Lake Bafa, one of many uncommon locations the place cultural property are intertwined with pure magnificence, has attracted the eye of the entire world in recent times and has turn into one of many important facilities of nature and cultural tourism.
After the go to of Muğla Governor Orhan Tavlı to the Milas Kapıkırı area in 2021, excavation and conservation work for the safety of the traditional metropolis of Heraclea began. The works, which began as a rescue excavation, have been transferred to the standing of a 12-month excavation inside one 12 months with the presidential decree.
Under this challenge, important archaeological information and findings have been found within the historical metropolis of Heraclea, the Endymion Sanctuary and the Lake Castle. Among the gadgets have been artifacts relationship to the Menteşe Principality and early Ottoman interval. The researchers have been additionally capable of decide that the fort was used till the center of the fifteenth century.
Heraclea City
The historical metropolis of Heraclea, situated throughout the borders of the Kapıkırı quarter of the Milas district, was a Carian metropolis based within the late Classical-early Hellenistic interval. Located on the southwestern outskirts of Latmos Mountain and the northeastern coast of Bafa Lake, it is among the few locations on the planet that may be described as a “sea of rocks” with its extraordinary geological formations, thought of sacred within the historical interval when Heraclea was based. Bafa Lake was as soon as a gulf and became a lake with the alluvium carried by the Menderes River.
Heraclea has been exceptionally properly conserved. The web site is a typical Hellenistic city, with a rectilinear road grid dividing residential zones, public squares and shrines, the entire parts and areas that outline Greek urbanism. Heraclea is a outstanding marvel located in a powerful surroundings as a one-of-a-kind and sizable open-air museum.
More public buildings from numerous occasions could be seen within the historical metropolis space, together with the ruins of the theater, Roman baths, a spring home and a gymnasium (an athletic coaching floor surrounded by porticoes).
Somewhat additional south, a outstanding edifice with a curving again wall and a columned porch is taken into account the sanctuary of Endymion, the shepherd demigod who was presupposed to originate from the realm.
Endymion, the parable
It is claimed that Endymion is a younger and good-looking shepherd dwelling on Mount Latmos who has been thought of sacred since prehistoric occasions. According to the traditional fable, Endymion used to graze his herds on Latmos Mountain, with its slopes surrounded by lush inexperienced grass and aromatic flowers, cheer up nature with the melodies pouring from his pipe. In the night, he would go to relaxation in his cave by Lake Bafa. No one might see Endymion in these desolate mountains besides the moon goddess Selene.
The shepherd Endymion fell in love with this magnificence, watching Selene rising towards the sky from the glowing waters of Lake Bafa and enveloping Latmos Mountain with its lights each night. Selene additionally fell in love with this good-looking younger man. It is claimed that since that day, Selene, the goddess of the moon, has touched Latmos Mountain with love and made Bafa Lake shine like a silver tray with its radiance. For this cause, it’s rumored that Heraclea is among the most stunning locations on earth the place the moonlight displays.
