Aperlae
Ἄπερλαι | |
 Sarcophagus in Aperlai | |
  Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Antalya Province, Turkey |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°09′34″N 29°46′56″E / 36.15944°N 29.78222°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| Part of | Lycia |
Aperlae or Aperlai (
The harsh local terrain made agriculture difficult, but like other towns along the coast, it thrived on the production of
Location and name
The town's position is fixed by the
Geography
Aperlae is situated near a bay but in a storm the bay offered little protection for ships. The city lies between the mountains and the coast where there were no reliable sources of fresh water and numerous cisterns around the town indicate a reliance on rain water.
A striking feature of the Aperlae site was the vast amount of Murex snail shells. In two parts of town they were dumped covering altogether 1,600 m2 (at an unknown depth until the Turkish government allows archeologists to dig). They were used in the mortar and concrete of the buildings of the city, and they were found in large quantities dumped in the sea.
History
Aperlae was founded sometime between the late 4th and early 3rd century BC and sustained a long lifespan of about 1,300 years until the end of the 7th century AD. Aperlae was at the head of a
With the start of the Muslim conquests, security of the coast failed and Aperlae was abandoned due to the threat of pirate raids and Arab corsairs. Though with the evidence of some late repairs on a church suggest that there was possibly a small settlement of squatters or stragglers after it was left, Aperlae was never rebuilt and resettled.
Economy
The economy was built around the production of
Though there was a rudimentary harbour with a jetty but not a breakwater, it is evident from the opulence presented by the city that there were more than enough resources to make one if they wanted. The city boasted four churches, a great number of tombstones and good fortifications which indicate an affluence of that time.
Ecclesiastical history
Since it was in the
Titular see
No longer a residential bishopric, Aperlae is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see,[3] as the diocese was nominally restored in 1933, the curiate Italian name version being Aperle.
It is vacant since decades, having had only the following incumbents, both of the lowest (episcopal) rank :
- Ferdinando Baldelli (1959.07.22 – 1963.07.20), President of Caritas Internationalis (1951 – 1962)
- Felicissimus Alphonse Raeymaeckers, Coadjutor Bishopof Lahore (1966 – 1967.03.12), later succeeding as Bishop (12 March 1967 Succeeded - 10 July 1975 Resigned)
References
- ^ The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, APERLAI
- ^ Heinrich Gelzer, Ungedruckte und ungenügend veröffentlichte Texte der Notitiae episcopatuum, in: Abhandlungen der philosophisch-historische classe der bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1901, p. 539, nº 258.
- ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 835
Works cited
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Aperlae". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.- Carter, R.S.. "The Submerged Seaport of Aperlae." International Journal of Nautical Archeology 7(1978): 177-85. Print.
- Hohlfelder, Robert L.; Vann, Robert L. "Cabotage at Aperlae in Ancient Lycia." International Journal of Nautical Archeology 29(2000): 126-135. Print.
- Hohlfelder, Robert L.; Vann, Robert L. "Uncovering the Maritime Secrets of Aperlae, a Coastal Settlement of Ancient Lycia." Near Eastern Archeology 61(1998): 26-37. Print.
External links
- GigaCatholic with titular incumbent biography links
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), APERLAE
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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