The ancient city of Zeugma in Nizip

The ancient city of Zeugma in Nizip

HISTORY :
Alex the Great ;who is the Emporer of the Roman Empire has been built a bridge made by pontoon on the river Euphrates, for this meaning of " Zeugma " is bridge or crossing point . Later on one of the general of the Great Alexander who is Seleucos I.Nikator (B.C.312-281) has been founded Seleucos Empire . He founded a city on his wife name"APAMA" who was Parthians oriented . He named this city "Apemeia Euphrates" (Tilmusa village). This was on the east bank of the river Euphrates, on the west bank of the river he has founded an another city on has name that is called Seleukeia Euphrates (Belkiz village). Justinian built a wall about the city and strongly fortified it.
B.C. 1.st century Commagenian kingdom has been ruled the region, in B.C.162 years Seleucos empreror has been started fighting for his independence and got independence. Later on Zeugma became one of the four biggest city of the Commagenian and reached his higgest living levels of its life. Both cities were on the passing point, therefore from B.C.1.st century Zeugma name started using commonly.
When the region start ruling by Romans, IV. Iskit legions who were oriented anatolian soldiers has been placed in these cities, Zeugma has got more important. Centuries Zeugma has been host for Roman empreror's general's and their families. In here they had cause very high culturel life. Besides of soldiers, being on the silkroad has given more trading chance to cities.

A.D.250. centuries the region has been occupied by Sasani's and there were very big fire so the Zeugma has became an empty city. This is the information that we get from the antic digging works.

BORDERS:
The borders of the empreror is; Kilikya, Cappadocia, between North Syria regions. The city of Zeugma has been founded 6000 - 7000 acre. But %10 has been excavated out yet. From the akropol (in old Greek cities the monument that has builded up in high places and there is a palace and temples in it) to Euphrates banks that city was placed in its history had a war, a fire, a earthquake. The bridge made by pontoon was very busy, transport between Antakya (Antiokheia) and Urfa (Edassa) was been carrying on by this bridge. The city was been an important crossing place between Anatolia and Mezopotamia.

TO DAY :
The works that has been carrying on in Zeugma, many items has been found reflecting Helenistic, Roman, Bzytayne times. Has been found an archive of Roman time stamps(70,000 bulla). These stamps are very important reflecting theRoman history that take a place of todays official red stamps .By now the A section of the Zeugma and many things and four villas left under the water of the Birecik dam. One of the villas was belong to a reach Roman , in this villa's guest room on the floor was found very valuable mosaic that discribing Dionysos wedding ( who is god of the wine and grape ).

During rescue digging the items has been brought up to day light is demonstrating in the Gaziantep museum .Also some items will be displayed in the new Belkiz village as an open air museum .

SOURCES : B.Lewis,"The Middle East",London 1995
Hürriyet newspapar Archive
Meydan Larousse
J.N.Postgate,"The First Empires"Oxford 1977
Prepared by MEHMET AKIN
:Prepared by MUSTAFA ÇETIN
Ankara Tip Fakültesi 2.Sinif Ögrencisi

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