Hadrian's Gate ( tr, Üçkapılar, meaning "The Three Gates") is a
triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crow ...
located in
Antalya
Antalya () is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, fifth-most populous city in Turkey as well as the capital of Antalya Province. Located on Anatolia's southwest coast bordered by the Taurus Mountains, Antalya is the largest Turkish cit ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, which was built in the name of the
Roman emperor Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
, who visited the city in the year 130. It is the only remaining entrance gate in the walls that surround the city and harbor.
The gate was rediscovered by
Francis Beaufort
Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (; 27 May 1774 – 17 December 1857) was an Irish hydrographer, rear admiral of the Royal Navy, and creator of the Beaufort cipher and the Beaufort scale.
Early life
Francis Beaufort was descended f ...
in 1817, while commanding on ''
HMS Fridericksteen
HDMS ''Friderichssteen'' or HMS ''Frederichsteen'' was a Danish Navy frigate, built in 1800, and captured by the Royal Navy in 1807 at the Battle of Copenhagen. She was taken into service as HMS ''Fredericksteen'' (or ''Frederickstein'') and ...
''.
Description
Hadrian's Gate consists of two colonnaded facades, three entry arches rising above four pylons and a tower standing on either side. It is about 8 meters (26.2 feet) high. The Southern Tower, known as the Julia Sancta, is from the Roman era but was likely built independently of the gate. The bottom section of the Northern Tower is from Roman times, but the upper part was rebuilt in the first half of the thirteenth century AD during the reign of
Seljuk Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to:
* Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia
* Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities
* Seljuk (warlord) (di ...
sultan Alaeddin Keykubat I and contains an inscription in Arabic script.
It is considered to be
Pamphylia
Pamphylia (; grc, Παμφυλία, ''Pamphylía'') was a region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus (all in modern-day Antalya province, Turkey). It was bounded on the north by ...
's most beautiful gate. The upper part has three apertures in the shape of a cupola, and except for the pillars (made of granite) is built entirely of white marble. The three passage ways are decorated with floral and rosette reliefs. The ornamentation is very striking. The original gate was two stories, and although little is known of the top story, it is believed to have held statues of the emperor and his family. An
entablature
An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
on the top of the Gate extends to both sides with a height of 1.28 meters (4.2 feet). It includes a
frieze
In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...
decorated with floral motifs and an ornate
cornice
In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
with lion heads.
Formerly the city walls enclosed the outside of the gate and it was not used for many years. This may be the reason why it has not been harmed, and it was only revealed when the walls collapsed in the 1950s. The gate was restored in 1959. The pavement was stripped away to reveal the original Roman era walkway, which can be seen through
perspex flooring while walking through the main arch. Visitors to the Gate can look down and see incredibly deep grooves where the pavement was worn away by countless carts passing in and out of the city.
When the gate was uncovered and restored, a dozen bronze letters were found at the foot of the gate. These letters were part of an inscription honoring Hadrian. As of 2017, the letters are split between different museums and private collections around the world. Nine letters are in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, two are in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, and there are some in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, at the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and the
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University of ...
in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
.
It is believed the missing second story would have also held an inscription.
Legends
According to local legend, Sultana Belkis, the
Queen of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba ( he, מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא, Malkaṯ Šəḇāʾ; ar, ملكة سبأ, Malikat Sabaʾ; gez, ንግሥተ ሳባ, Nəgśətä Saba) is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she bring ...
, is said to have passed under those gates and enjoyed a happy day in the palace in
Aspendos
Aspendos or Aspendus ( Pamphylian: ΕΣΤϜΕΔΥΣ; Attic: Ἄσπενδος) was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. The site is located 40 km east of the modern city of Antalya.
It was situated on the Eurymedon ...
on her way to visit
King Solomon
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
. However, if she did so, she would have passed through a predecessor version of Hadrian's Gate, as she and Solomon lived approximately a thousand years before Hadrian.
See also
*
Arch of Hadrian (Athens)
The Arch of Hadrian ( el, Αψίδα του Αδριανού , translit=Apsida tou Adrianou), most commonly known in Greek as Hadrian's Gate ( el, Πύλη του Αδριανού , translit=Pyli tou Adrianou), is a monumental gateway resembling ...
*
Arch of Hadrian (Jerash)
The Arch of Hadrian is an ancient Roman structure in Jerash, Jordan. It is an 11-metre high triple-arched gateway erected to honor the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian to the city (then called Gerasa) in the winter of 129–130. The arch original ...
*
Arch of Hadrian (Capua)
The Arch of Hadrian (also called the "Arches of Capua" or the "Lucky Arch") is an ancient Roman triumphal arch located in Santa Maria Capua Vetere (ancient Capua, now in the Province of Caserta, southern Italy). It was originally a triple arch, b ...
*
List of Roman triumphal arches
This is a list of Roman triumphal arches. Triumphal arches were constructed across the Roman Empire and are an archetypal example of Roman architecture. Most surviving Roman arches date from the Imperial period (1st century BC onwards). They were ...
References
External links
* http://www.turkishclass.com/turkey_pictures_gallery_211 Pictures of the gate.
How to go to Hadrian' s Gate
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures completed in the 2nd century
Ancient Roman triumphal arches
Buildings and structures in Antalya
Tourist attractions in Antalya
Seljuk architecture
Hadrian
Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Turkey
Muratpaşa District
1812 archaeological discoveries