Colossae Ancient City

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Schnelle Fakten: Wool production made this city immensely wealthy in antiquity, with local sheep prized for their deep purple-black fleece. A massive earthquake leveled the city in the 7th century, leaving its ruins buried under 10 meters of alluvial silt.

Highlights: Unlike its flashier neighbors Hierapolis and Laodicea, this site remains almost entirely unexcavated, meaning the entire Roman city lies sleeping beneath farmer's fields. Walking across the grassy mound, you can literally feel the contours of streets and buildings just below your feet, untouched by archaeologists for over 1,300 years.

Insidertipps

• Wear sturdy walking shoes, the uneven terrain of the unexcavated tell (mound) is covered with loose stones and animal burrows.
• Visit after rain when the wet earth reveals pottery shards and tile fragments pushed to the surface, but never remove any artifacts.
• Stop at the Denizli Archaeology Museum afterward to see the few artifacts recovered from here, including coins and inscriptions.
• Bring binoculars to spot the faint outlines of the ancient theater and city walls visible in the contours of the wheat fields.

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