Abandoned: 14^th century A.D.

Location: Southwestern Anatolia

Periods: Roman Republican to High Medieval

Material: Marble, travertine, calcite alabaster, and polychromatic breccia

Hierapolis is the ancient Greek Holy City, surrounded by the unreal landscape of Pamukkale in southwestern Anatolia. It is referred to as Holy City in archaeological terms due to the abundance of religious buildings and temples discovered there. Situated about 20 km north of Denizli, the ancient city is said to be located near several historic areas including Laodicea and Tripolis which was in Kario’s Border. The name Hierapolis is given to the city because of its Mother goddess Cult.

Although the information about Hierapolis is still unclear, it is known in history that the city was founded in 190 BC by the king of Pergamum, Eumenes II. The name of the city was inspired by the Amazon’s Queen Hiera, the wife of Telephos, the founder of Pergamum.

However, Hierapolis was struck with an earthquake and was destroyed in 60 A.D. during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. Following this event, the city was reconstructed but unfortunately lost its Hellenistic Style and became a typical Roman City. It became a commercial and religious centre and gained importance due to its position. In the 12th century A.D., the Turks conquered Hierapolis. Eventually, it became a Christian city when a church was founded there through the guidance of Apostle Paul while he resided at Ephesus. This is mentioned in the New Testament, according to Colossian 4:13.

Some of the well-known ruins of this ancient Holy City include the South Byzantine Gate, Building with Triron Fountain, Ionic House, Latrina, Apollon Temple, Middle Age Fortress, City Walls, Theatre, St. Philip’s Martyrium, Churches and the Great Bath Complex.

The primary building materials that are used in the monuments are marble, travertine, calcite alabaster and polychromatic breccia. White, white-veined and grey marble has been used widely throughout the city. This can be seen in the walls of the Middle Age Fortress where blocks of marble were used that contained inscriptions. It is suspected that the inner walls of the Great Bath Complex were also covered with marble through the markings that the stone has left behind.

Similarly, many monumental structures present show signs or remains of marble and other building materials that were commonly used for construction at the time. These stones were widely available in the areas surrounding the city, where they were quarried in excessive quantities.

Diese ist eine spätantike Zisterne mitten im Zentrum von Istanbul, mehr oder weniger schräg gegenüber der Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia). Sie ist die größte antiker Zisternen in Istanbul. Beauftragt wurde sie vermutlich noch von Kaiser Konstantin, in ihrer heute bekannten beeindruckenden Form erbaut wurde sie jedoch erst unter Kaiser Justinian zwischen 532 und 542. Sie mißt etwa 138 x 65 Meter und diente (wie vom Namen erwartet) als Wasserspeicher für den Großen Palast. Über ihr befand sich eine Basilika, daher auch der sprechende Name der Zisterne.

Warum wir sie hier erwähnen: Das Dach wird von 336 Marmor (!) Säulen getragen. Diese verteilen sich auf 12 Reihen zu je 28 Säulen, wobei die Säulen knapp 5 Meter Abstand von einander haben und gute 9 Meter hoch sind. Der Großteil der Säulen ist korinthischer und ionischer Ordnung, wir finden aber auch einige dorische.

Man sieht natürlich, daß der Zahn der Zeit an den Säulen genagt hat (stand ja auch ziemlich lange unter Wasser…), dennoch ist es beeindruckend, wie lange hier der Marmor als tragendes Bauelement bereits standhält – und das, obwohl es sich in nicht unerheblichem Ausmaß um wiederverwendetes Baumaterial handelt: Viele Elemente wurden von anderen Stätten herangeschafft, ein gutes Beispiel für Nachhaltigkeit in der Antike!

Die Variationen sind vielfältig, so gibt es Afyon White mit dezenten Venierungen ebenso wie beispielsweise Afyon Violet, der eine wesentlich farbenfrohere Variante des Afyon ist. Sie zeichnet sich durch außergewöhnliche Muster aus, die teilweise Breccia ähneln. Es gibt allerdings auch solche, die dem Aussehen nach sogar mit Chryseos oder Rosa Aurora verwandt sein könnten, obwohl ihre geographische Herkunft völlig unterschiedlich ist.

Afyon ist kein neuer Marmor, so schrieb schon Strabo über diesen Marmor, dessen Einsatzbereiche seit der Antike vielfältig sind: Wir finden ihn nicht nur im Außenbereich als Wandverkleidung oder Pflasterstein, sondern selbstverständlich auch im Inneren, wo sich naturgemäß mit den faszinierenden Mustern besondere Effekte ergeben, selbst für Skulpturen ist diese Marmorart bestens geeignet.

Für spezielle Noten und Akzente empfehlen wir vor allem die Violet Variante, die sich auch für Bookmatching eignet.

Turkish Travertine
Turkey has vast deposits of a broad spectrum of natural stones, travertine being one of the most popular deposits that are mined all over the country. Turkish travertine is widely admired and valued in the international markets, and the nation supplies some of the most significant quantities of travertine to the world.

Turkish travertine is quite similar to the travertine varieties extracted in Italy and Iran. Travertine has been mined in Turkey since antiquity and used widely in construction, building, decoration and other applications throughout its history. The majority of travertine quarries in Turkey are located in and around Denizli. Turkish travertine is available in several stunning shades and hues, including ivory, walnut, classic, light, medium, yellow, red/pink, silver as well as a dark chocolate colour known as noche.

Turkish travertine is extensively used in both indoor and outdoor applications, including driveway paving, alfresco areas, floor tiling, walls and roofing. Travertine from Turkey is cheaper than other natural stones such as granite, is very durable, and environmentally friendly. Turkey enjoys a soaring global demand for its travertine due to its high quality, affordability, vibrant colours and variety.

Italian Travertine
The largest reserves of travertine stone are found near Trivoli, Italy, which remains the world’s leading supplier of travertine to this day. As travertine is readily found in Italy near valleys, lakes and other water resources, it has served as a common building material throughout the history of the Roman Empire. Italy continued to be the principal supplier and exporter of travertine until the 1980s and held a natural monopoly in the global market.

Roman engineers used travertine extensively in their ambitious construction projects including Roman baths, amphitheatres and aqueducts. In modern times, travertine from Italy has been employed in thousands of construction projects. Italian travertine is known for its long-life, quality and aesthetic value. Travertine from Italy continues to be a prominent construction, décor and façade material, widely used in polished tiled walls, floors, countertops and backsplashes.

Italy is considered the most prestigious supplier of travertine stone, which is why it strictly regulates and controls its international supply. Unlike Turkish travertine, which is cheaper in price, the Italian travertine is a distinctly premium product which is available only in the ultra-luxury market worldwide.

Armenian Travertine
Armenian Travertine is available in a wide range of colours, designs and textures. Travertine in Armenia comes in an easy-grained variety that is formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate into natural carbon source. Armenian travertine is extensively used in building, construction, decorative and facing purposes as it tends to create an extraordinary beautiful multi-dimensional effect. Travertine from Armenia is also a reliable and aesthetically pleasing natural stone for facing, refurbishing and mesh backing. Armenian travertine is different from Italian and Turkish travertine based on its patterns, styles and shades.

Onyx is a distinctly hard stone by the origin. It is classified as a type of chalcedony, formed by the coming together of iron oxide, calcium carbonate, copper, magnesium carbonate and fluorine minerals. A variety of quartz cryptocrystalline, the Turkish onyx is a natural stone that has many layers appearing in different colours and hues. The colours of the layers also tend to vary quite a lot.

While onyx is often mistaken for marble, it is fundamentally different from marble in many respects. While onyx can be challenging to tell apart from marble due to a somewhat similar outward appearance, one clear distinction is that while marble is entirely transparent, the onyx natural stone is translucent, often a beautiful colour and texture of light brilliance. Onyx is also found in much deeper layers below the surface than marble and is therefore valued according to its colour.

The Turkish onyx is highly commended for its translucence, refinement and classic hues. The onyx found in Turkey is much appreciated for not only construction and building purposes, but also in architectural pursuits, sculptor and jewellery making. Onyx makes a unique and bold contribution to commercial and residential spaces, and its natural aura can be further accentuated by a combination of a honed finish and backlighting.