İZMİR/SMYRNA DEĞİRMENTEPE TAPINAĞI

Abstract

Intensive building activities and unplanned urban growth that gained pace by the 20th century has almost totally devastated what had remained of ancient Smyrna, once reputed as the pearly of Roman province of Asia. Likewise, the temenos of the monumental temple, once located at the Degirmentepe district of Izmir was no exception to this destruction. As late as 19th century the location of the temple was marked by the remains of its foundations and scattered fragments of marble; now they are replaced by modern tall apartment buildings. Accordingly, the present paper is based on the assessment of ancient literary sources, descriptions ofancient travelers and archaeological comparisons. There is no certainty as to whom the temple, conveniently named as the Degirmentepe temple was dedicated to; while some claimed that it was dedicated to Asklepios, others suggested ZeusAkraios or Hadrianus. The paper considers that the temple was initially dedicated to Zeus Akraios, and that later, when the city gained the second title of neokoros was transferred to belong to the cult of Hadrian. The paper will also concern in bringing together all available information to discern the architectural features and the layout of its plan.