City of Labraunda
Anatolia, Turkey
After Delphi, this is the second time I cover a full city (more of a sanctuary). I really like this site and its special hipster Androns who mix up the orders before it was popular in the Hellenistic times and its cool terrace structure. There are some links in the bottom that I highly recommend for anyone looking for more info.
In ancient times the people living in south-western Anatolia were known as the Karians. They had their own language, Karian, which was an Indo-European language related to that of their neighbours in Lykia to the east. Their country Karia was bordered to the north by the river Maeander and in the east by the river Indos. From 546 BCE Karia formed part of the Persian empire, and was ruled by satraps appointed by the Great King at Persepolis in Persia. In the 4th century, Karia was ruled by satraps of a local dynasty. The first one was Hekatomnos (392-377 BCE). As rulers after him followed his five sons and daughters, one after the other. They are called the Hekatomnids, which means the descendants of Hekatomnos. After the oldest, Maussollos (The guy Mausoleums are named after who lived in 377-352), came his wife and sister Artemisia (352-351), then Idrieus (351-344), followed by Ada, who was also his sister and wife (344-341) and, after her, the youngest brother Pixodaros (341-336). Alexander the Great put Ada back in charge in 334 BCE.
The most important sanctuary in western Karia was Labraunda, especially in the 4th century BCE, since the Hekatomnids favoured it more than any other shrine in Karia. At that time the sanctuary of Labraunda does not seem to have belonged to any city. It was probably an independent shrine and a place for pilgrimage, ruled by its priests and belonging to the people of all surrounding villages.
Map (Links link to posts in my blog)
1. South Propylon 2. Doric Building 3. East Church 4. East Baths 5. East Propylon 6. Hypostyle structure 7. North wall of Propylon area 8. Andron B 9. Andron C 10. South Bath 11. Terrace House 12. Well-house & Well-house Terrace wall 13. East Stoa 14. Well-house Stoa 15. Spring House 16. Temple Terrace & North Stoa 17. Temple of Zeus 18. Oikoi Building 19. Andron A 20. Built Tomb of Idrieus 21. Open-air Cult area
Links:
AMAZING SITE
Walk through the modern site
3D of modern site
