Larissa, Turkey
Encyclopedia
Larissa is an ancient city in western Anatolia
, Turkey
. It is in the immediate vicinity of Menemen
, in the district of İzmir
province. The ruins of the city are on a hill top next to today's Buruncuk village. The main road to Çanakkale
from İzmir skirts the same hill, making a considerable curve to the northwest. It must also be emphasized that Larissa is very close to the River Gediz, which formed a fertile plain
on its own delta, with the alluvial soil carried from the Anatolian inland.
The first nucleus of Larissa formed during the third millennium BC. The city survived all through the Persian and Hellenistic
periods, though it was largely destroyed during the Peloponnesian War
in 405 BC. Larissa was rebuilt after the War but was annihilated by the Galatia
ns (Celt
s) in 279 BC.
The first excavations in Larissa were initiated in 1902 by Swedish and German archeologists
. The findings were taken to Stockholm
and to İstanbul
archeological museum
s.
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. It is in the immediate vicinity of Menemen
Menemen
Menemen is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey as well as the district's central town. The district extends on a fertile plain formed by the alluvial soil carried by the Gediz River...
, in the district of İzmir
Izmir Province
İzmir Province is a province of Turkey in western Anatolia on the Aegean coast, whose capital is the city of İzmir. On the west it is surrounded by the Aegean sea, and it encloses the Gulf of İzmir. Its area is 11,973 km.2, population 3.948.848 . The population was 3,370,866 in 2000...
province. The ruins of the city are on a hill top next to today's Buruncuk village. The main road to Çanakkale
Çanakkale
Çanakkale is a town and seaport in Turkey, in Çanakkale Province, on the southern coast of the Dardanelles at their narrowest point. The population of the town is 106,116 . The mayor is Ülgür Gökhan ....
from İzmir skirts the same hill, making a considerable curve to the northwest. It must also be emphasized that Larissa is very close to the River Gediz, which formed a fertile plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
on its own delta, with the alluvial soil carried from the Anatolian inland.
The first nucleus of Larissa formed during the third millennium BC. The city survived all through the Persian and Hellenistic
Hellenistic civilization
Hellenistic civilization represents the zenith of Greek influence in the ancient world from 323 BCE to about 146 BCE...
periods, though it was largely destroyed during the Peloponnesian War
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
in 405 BC. Larissa was rebuilt after the War but was annihilated by the Galatia
Galatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
ns (Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
s) in 279 BC.
The first excavations in Larissa were initiated in 1902 by Swedish and German archeologists
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
. The findings were taken to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and to İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
archeological museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s.