Gephyra (Nov 2023)
Reflections on the Cyclopean Walls of Ilıcatepe in Kuşadası
Abstract
Ilıcatepe, located right on the edge of the Kuşadası-Davutlar modern highway, covers an area of 540x315 meters and consists of limestone bedrock with a height of about 50 meters, and is surrounded by a wall built with Cyclopic stonework, which is understood to have been cut from its own bedrock. This masonry, which is not very common to see in Western Anatolia, attracted the attention of researchers who came to the hill, and some researchers suggested that the wall may belong to the 2nd millennium BC. The strategic importance of this hill, which is located on the slope of Mykale, which is considered by many researchers as Arinnanda, and 4 km away from Kadıkalesi, cannot be ignored. Although the walls built with monumental stones in Western Anatolia are generally approached with suspicion, considering the findings in the researches made in Caria in recent years, similar masonry known to exist in mainland Greece, Crete, Aegean Islands and Central Anatolia can be found in Western Anatolia. It is very natural to come across. Although the walls built with monumental stones in the Archaic Period are known in Western Anatolia, the juxtaposition of the stones, the filling of the gaps between the stones, and the differences in the type and material of the masonry tools used help in the dating of the walls. Historical events in the immediate vicinity of Ilıcatepe increase the strategic importance of the hill. The expedition organised by the Hittite king Murshili II (1322-1298 BC) against the Arzawa Country in Western Anatolia is very important in terms of our knowledge of the geography of the region. In the third year of his reign after becoming the Hittite king, Murshili II marched on Arzawa on the pretext of the non-return of the Hattian refugees who fled from the Hittite lands to the Arzawa Kingdom. At that time, Uhhaziti was at the head of the Arzawa Kingdom. The route of Murshili II during the said campaign started from the land of Hatti and ended in the country of Arzawa and the Aegean coast. The Hittite army under the command of Murshili II followed certain routes and arrived at its final destination, Mount Arinnanda. Based on the king's account of this campaign, it is understood that some of the Arzawans fled to the Aegean islands before the Hittite army arrived. The records indicate that those who did not flee to the Aegean islands ascended Mount Arinnanda, took refuge in Puranda, which is understood to be a fortified centre, and prepared for war there. The passages in which Murshili II describes his struggle with those who fled to Mount Arinnanda are quite remarkable.
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