Olba Kingdom was an ancient kingdom in south
Anatolia. It was a
vassal of the
Seleucid Empire and
.
Geography
The kingdom was a small state situated in
Cilicia Trachea (present
Mersin Province,
Turkey). It was bounded by the
Toros Mountains to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the
Lamos River to the east and the river
Calycadnus (Göksu) to the west.
[ World Archaeology page] Archaeologists today refer to this area as
Olba Territorium. Its capital was on a plateau named Uğuralanı, a settlement to the northeast of Uzuncaburç (Diokaisareia).
History
Its kings were also priests and the kingdom was an example of "temple state".
[Seton LLoyd: Ancient Turkey, translated by Ender Varinlioğlu, pg 219] Although a minor political power it was a prosperous state. The origin of its wealth was olive oil and grapes.
It flourished during the Hellenistic Age. During the time of severe Cilician pirates, it lost its ports and its economy suffered. Ksenophanes was one of the pirates. After he was killed, his daughter Aba (who was raised as a priestess) married the king and became the de facto ruler of Olba state between 43 BC to 39 BC. Aba paid obeisance to Cleopatra of Ancient Egypt and Marcus Antonius of the Roman Republic. Olba once again flourished under Roman rule.[ Şahin Özkan's essay in Yumuktepe page ] However, after Cappadocian king Archelaus was appointed as the governor of Cilicia in 25 BC, Olba lost its semi-independence and thereafter was incorporated into the Isauria province of the Roman Empire.
Archaeology of Olba
Below is the list of archaeological remains in Olba Territorium (including later additions)
==Gallery==
