Laodicea

Heading west, I visited the ancient city of Laodicea. Built on top of a large flattened hill and overlooking a wide green valley, Laodicea was built around 1BC. When I arrived there were only two other tourists walking around the ruins, which was uniquely strange.

With a main road running roughly east to west, and several roads running north to south with lots of small alleyways and houses. The main roads were covered in stone slabs with a main sewer running under each road. It had a main square with a large temple attached to it, as well as a large amphitheatre dug into the nearby hillside. At the edge of the city was a large and ornate fountain where everyone could draw water. As well as commerce, it was also a place of learning, especially medicine and people would come here to learn to be a doctor.

A Christian basilica was built around 1AD, and it must have been huge, with a stepped roof and large windows. Again, this city met its demise in 610AD, and although it carried on for a few more years, eventually it was deserted.