Located in Selçikler Village of Sivaslı district of Uşak, the ancient city was founded by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 20 BC under the name Sebaste. The city, which was one of the 12 important cities during the Roman Period, lived its most glorious periods during the Byzantine Period. Excavations carried out in the city between 1966 and 1978 uncovered churches from the Byzantine Period and surface surveys show that there has been uninterrupted settlement from the Early Chalcolithic Period to the present day. In addition, it was determined that Sebaste was located in a central position connecting Akmonia and the northern trade route with Eumeneia and the southern trade route and that cults such as Apollo, Artemis and Dionysus were present. During the surveys conducted in the region, various glass artifacts such as window glasses, bowls and oil lamps were found.
Sebaste Ancient City (Türkiye Culture Portal)
History
The origins of the ancient city of Sebaste are quite ancient. Researches conducted in the region show the existence of an uninterrupted settlement since the Early Chalcolithic Period. The most significant foundation of the city was realized by the Roman Emperor Augustus in 20 BC under the name "Sebaste". Sebaste was one of the twelve important cities of Anatolia during the Roman Period and played a key role in the political and commercial life of the region.
The city, which was located within the geographical region known as Phrygia during the Hellenistic and Roman Periods, became a part of the Phrygia Pacatiana province with the changes in the administrative structure after 360 AD. The city experienced its most brilliant and glorious times, especially during the Byzantine Period. It became an important episcopal center for the surrounding cities in the 9th century AD.
Archaeological Studies
Although the discovery of the ancient city of Sebaste was a fortuitous event, the ancient potential of the region was already anticipated by European researchers before excavations began. The first systematic archaeological excavations were carried out between 1966 and 1978. As a result of these excavations, two church structures, a large and a small one belonging to the Byzantine Period, were unearthed. In addition to the main settlement area, short-term excavations were carried out in the tumuli and mounds around the city.
Considering the archaeological importance and potential of the city, surveys have been initiated in the region since 2016 and these studies continue. These modern surveys, together with previous excavations, make important contributions to the efforts to understand the historical and cultural fabric of the city.
Religious and Cultural Structure
The religious and cultural structure of Sebaste Ancient City showed diversity in different historical periods. In the ancient period, the presence of cults belonging to the common belief systems of the period was identified in the city. According to the available data, cults dedicated to important gods such as Apollo, Artemis and Dionysus were active in Sebaste. These cults had a wide distribution in ancient Anatolia and the Mediterranean basin and were a part of the religious life of the city during the pagan period.
By the Byzantine period, Sebaste's religious identity underwent a significant transformation. In the 9th century AD, the city became an important episcopal center for the surrounding cities and played a key role in the spread of Christianity in the region. The archaeological excavations unearthed two churches, a large and a small one, reveal the religious architecture of this period and the pre-Christian importance of the city. From a cultural point of view, the fact that the city was referred to with titles such as “polis” (city), ‘strategos’ (military governor) and “agoranomos” (market manager) shows that Sebaste was not only a religious but also an important administrative and social center. The city's location within the cultural interactions of the Phrygia region also provides clues about its general cultural structure.
