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- Richard Chandler (1738-1810) was an English antiquarian comissioned by the Society of Dilettanti to tour and write an account of Asia Minor and Greece. This account details observations and descriptions of the events that took place on his journey across these countries. -
(pg. 303) "...Our men were alert in striking the tent, and loading our baggage ; and at nine in the morning we fled from Pambouk, under the conduct of our janizary. We forded the Maeander by a wooden bridge for foot passengers, with the water up to the bellies of our horses. We rode through a court before the house of the aga, with whom we had first treated, and saw there some marble fragments, probably removed from the adjacent ruins. The village is exceedingly mean and small.
Keeping up the plain to recover the road from Laodicea westward, we had on our left a narrow and deep water-course. The stream, at an over-shot mill, was turned from its channel, and permitted at intervals to run into the corn fields. The rills also from the mountain were conducted into lands recently ploughed, on which cranes were stalking to devour insects or reptiles distressed by the moisture. We hurried on, apprehensive of being pursued, until we were opposite the snowy summit, beneath which we had pitched our tent, going to Denisli. We found there a company of Turks, and alighted to dine near them under some trees, which grow by a fountain. These repasts were usually followed by sleep on a carpet in the shade.
The travellers, with whom our men conversed, informed them, that the Turcomans, encamped in the plain on the other side of the Maeander, had very lately plundered some caravans, and cut off the heads of the people who opposed them. We disliked this intelligence, and set out again after two hours, fearing we might be benighted among them. Leaving the road to Magnesia on the left hand, we came in half an hour to a crazy wooden bridge, over a rapid stream, falling, lower down, into the Maeander. This river had also a wooden bridge on piles, which we crossed; with one of stone, in view, higher up, consisting of a single arch. THe plain was here very wide and smooth, and covered with the black booths of the Turcomans. Our janizary appeared as one half frantic, if he saw any of the company straggling, or loitering on the way. We pushed briskly through, and then travelled westward in a green and pleasant recess of the mountain Messogis.
On entering the recess, we had on our right hand, at a distance, the ruins of Tripolis. Smith relates, that he saw there only huge stones, lying confusedly in heaps, besides vestiges of a theatre and of a castle. We could plainly discern the naked site of the former on the slope of Messogis, and beneath it masses of wall, remnants of the fortress. About half an hour to the west is a flourishing town or village. A stream of which we had a distinct view from the mountains the next morning, winds not far off in the plain, and has been mistaken by several travellers for the Maeander. Smith forded it near Tripolis, in his way to Pambouk, where he arrived about four hours after.
Tripolis is the place where St. Bartholomew taught, and St. Philip is said to have suffered martyrdom. It was afterwards the see of a bishop; John Ducas, the second emperor of Nice, had an interview there with the Turkish sultan in 1244. It was enlarged and fortified for a bulwark to cover Philadelphia. In 1306 it was in the possession of the Turks, who had besieged and taken it by stratagem ; and Alisuras made from it his incursions into the empire. It is not mentioned by Strabo ; but in the Antonine Itinerary is placed twelve miles from Hierapolis, and thirty-three from Philadelphia ; and, in Peutinger's Table, from Tralles fifteen.
We rode on by fine crops of barley, with a large water-course on our left hand ; and, after nine hours, arrived in the dusk of evening at Bullada, a Turkish town ; the houses numerous and scattered on slopes, with a bridge crossing the bed of a torrent, then dry. We were lodged in a new khan, mall, but unusually neat ; and from the windows, in the morning, had an extendve view over the plain. We could see part of the white cliff of Hierapolis. On inquiry, we found that we were now only a journey of about four days from Smyrna, going the direct road ; and were assured, that the plague raged there with uncommon fury.
(pg. 306) Our mode of living in this tour had been more rough than can well be described. We had endeavoured to avoid, as much as possible, communicating with the people of the country ; and had commonly pitched our tent by some well, brook, or fountain, near a village ; where we could purchase eggs, fowls, a lamb or kid, rice, fruits, wine, raki or white brandy, and the like necessaries ; with bread which was often gritty, and of the most ordinary kind. We had seldom pulled off our clothes at night ; sleeping sometimes with our boots and hats on, as by day ; a portmanteau or large stone serving instead of pillow or bolster. But one consideration had softened the sensations of fatigue, and sweetened all our hardships. It was the comfortable reflection, that we enjoyed our liberty, and were, as we conceived, at a distance from the plague; but now we were about to lose that satisfaction and at every stage to approach nearer to the seat of infestation.
We had agreed to visit Ala-shahir or Philadelphia ; and, setting out in the morning, ascended the mounntain, which is Messogis and turned to the north-west, through a cultivated tract, the way good to hills green with flowering shrubs, and in particular with labdanum. The air partook of their fragrancy, and dispensed to us the sweet odours of mount mount Tmolus. The manner of gathering the gum from the leaves, with the whip or instrument made use of, is described by Toumefort. After five hours we alighted, and dined beneath a tree by a well. We then entered a deep narrow track, and came in two hours more to a village, and pitched our tent on a dry spot ; with an old castle on the mountain on our left hand, and before us an extensive plain, in which the river Hermus runs.
This region, which is above, or to the east of Philadelphia, was called Catakekaumene, or the burned. By some it was reckoned in Mysia, by others in Maeonia, or Lydia. It was five hundred stadia, or sixty-two miles and a half, long, and four hundred stadia, or fifty miles, broad ; and anciently bare of trees, but covered with vines, which provided the wine called by its name, and esteemed not inferior to any in goodness. The surface of the plain, which is now turf, was then spread with ashes ; and the range of mountains was stony and black, as from a conflagration, which some, who fabled that Typho was destroyed there, supposed to have been occasioned by lightning; bat earth-born fire was concerned, instead of the giant and Jupiter. This was evident from three pits, which they called Physae, or the bellows distant from each other about forty stadia, or five miles, with rough hills above them, formed, it was believed, by cinders from their volcanoes. The wits of old, observing such places peculiarly fertile in vines, affirmed, alluding to the story of Semele, it was no fiction that Bacchus was begotten by fire.
The river Hermus, which divides this plain, begun near Dorylaeum, a city of Phrygia ; rising on the mountain Dindymus, which was sacred to Cybele, the mother of the gods. From this region it flowed into the Sardian, and received the Phrygius, which separated Phrygia from Caria ; and also many other streams from Mysia and Lydia, in its way to the sea.
In the morning we descended from the mountain, and winding toward the left, soon after met a cow laden with the dwelling, the goods, and chattels of a Turcoman family; a very grotesque and risible figure. A woman followed, trudging on foot, with a child at her back, her naked breasts hanging down before her. In half an hour we crossed a stream rising near, and running eastward ; and then passed by a spot where a number of the Turcomans were loading their camels, and busied in removing their booths, their wives, children, and cattle. The plain was cultivated. We entered the caravan road from Angora to Smyrna, when our course became west with mount Tmolus on our left hand ; and arrived in three hours and a half at Ala-shahir.
(pg. 309) Attalus Philadelphus, brother of Eumenes, was the founder of Philadelphia, which stood on a root of mount Tmolus, by the river Cogamus. The frequent earthquakes, which it experienced, were owing to its vicinity with the region called Catakekaumene. Even the city-walls were not secure, but were shaken almost daily, and disparted. The inhabitants lived in perpetual apprehension, and were always employed in repairs. They were few in number, the people residing chiefly in the country, and cultivating the soil, which was fertile.
John Ducas, the Greek general to whom Laodicea submitted, took Philadelphia with Sardes by assault in 1097. It was again reduced, about the year 1106, under the same emperor, without difficulty. Two years after, the Turks marched from the east, with a design to plunder it and the maritime cities. In 1175 the emperor Manuel, falling into an ambuscade of the Turks not far from the sources of the Maeander retired to this place. In the division of the conquests of sultan Aladin in 1300, the inner parts of Phrygia, as far as Cilicia and Philadelphia, fell by lot to Karaman. The town in 1306 was besieged by Alisuras, who took the forts near, and distressed it, but retired on the approach of the Roman army. It is related, that the Philadelphians despised the Turks, having a tradition, that their city had never been taken. The Tripolines requested succour from the general, the grand duke Roger ; who, after defeating the enemy, returned hither, by the forts of Kula and Tumus, and exacted money. In 1S91 Philadelphia singly refused to admit Bajazet ; but wanting provisions was forced to capitulate. Cineis, on his reconciliation with Amir, prince of lonia drew ever to his interest this place, with Sardes, Nympheum, and the country as far as the Hermus. (pg. 310)
Mapping by Emily French, Version 1 (February 2017)