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Ancient City

Hierapolis

hy-uh-RAP-uh-liss · Modern Pamukkale, Denizli Province, Turkey · 37.9250° N, 29.1258° E

Hierapolis was a Hellenistic-Roman city in Phrygia near Colossae and Laodicea, part of the cluster of Lycus Valley churches named in Colossians 4:13. By tradition the Apostle Philip was martyred here in the late 1st century AD.

Archaeology

Italian missions have excavated Hierapolis since 1957, uncovering the theater, baths, agora, and a vast necropolis of roughly 1,200 tombs. A large 5th-century octagonal martyrium honoring Philip stands northeast of the city walls; a 2011 proposal for Philip's actual tomb nearby remains debated and unconfirmed rather than certain.

The white travertine terraces of Pamukkale beneath the ruins of ancient Hierapolis
The white travertine terraces of Pamukkale beneath the ruins of ancient Hierapolis — source & licence
Tombs and sarcophagi in the necropolis of Hierapolis, one of the best-preserved ancient cemeteries in Turkey
Tombs and sarcophagi in the necropolis of Hierapolis, one of the best-preserved ancient cemeteries in Turkey — source & licence

On a modern map

Hierapolis today

Further reading

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