Faces Of Juliopolis
03.01.2022 / Exhibition

The "Faces of Juliopolis" exhibition will be on display between January 3 and January 7 collaboration with the Juliopolis Project. The exhibition gives information about the Ancient City of Juliopolis, which was unearthed thanks to the rescue excavations carried out by the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, using contemporary methods based on digital archaeology and anthropology. Curated by Ali Metin Büyükkarakaya, from Hacettepe University Department of Anthropology and Evren Sertalp, from Hacettepe University Department of Radio, TV, and Cinema, the "Faces of Juliopolis" exhibition opens its doors with the support of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the US Embassy, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Koç University VEKAM, Hacettepe University, Nallıhan Municipality, Mediterranean Cultural Heritage Research Association, and Accademia Jaufre Rudel di studi medievali.

Juliopolis Ancient City is located in Çayırhan (Nallıhan) on the Historical Silk Road, approximately 122 km northwest Ankara. It is near the villages of Çayırhan, Sarılar, and Yardibi, which were flooded during the construction of the Sarıyar Dam in 1956. The above-water part of the ancient city is mostly burial grounds and is located on the northeastern shore of the reservoir.

Since 2009, the salvage excavations carried out by the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations have unearthed more than 750 graves in the necropolis areas of approximately 100 hectares, called East and West. At the same time, the defense wall of the city and a church structure belonging to the early Byzantine period were unearthed in the eastern necropolis area. Studies show that the foundation of the city dates to the Hellenistic period, that it lived its most glorious times in the Roman period, and that it continued to develop without losing importance, especially in the Byzantine period. The ancient city was located near the Skopas River (Aladağ Stream) along the route known as the Pilgrim Road. Extending from Constantinople to Ancyra and even to the Levant, this route was used for pilgrimage and military expeditions.

The Faces of Juliopolis Exhibition is a public archaeology event based on information produced by the Juliopolis Project, which prioritizes digital elements and aims to raise awareness of cultural heritage. Accompanied by rich visuals, the exhibition conveys information on the Ancient City of Juliopolis. It intends to bring people face-to-face with the people who lived in the city through holograms prepared using anthropological techniques. At the same time, it displays three-dimensional models and animations about the practices related to death in the cemetery, together with the information on the beliefs and social lives of the people of Juliopolis.