As the home of Iuppiter Dolichenus, Doliche was a place of supra-regional importance. Despite this, modern research initially paid little attention to the city. The Belgian researcher Franz Cumont described the ruins of Doliche for the first time in 1907 and also localized the sanctuary of Iupiter Dolichenus on the Dülük Baba Tepesi. However, the few traces of antiquity visible above ground subsequently aroused little interest.
In the 1950s and 1980s, Enver Bostancı’s excavations on the western slope of Keber Tepe brought Doliche’s role as a Palaeolithic site to the fore. Only Jörg Wagner devoted attention to the ancient urban area in the 1970s. This was followed in the early 1990s by Rifat Ergeç’s research into the city’s extensive necropolis.
It was not until the discovery of two mithraeums at the foot of Keber Tepe in 1997 and 1998 that systematic historical-topographical and archaeological investigations began. Excavations were carried out in the mithraeums from 1998 to 2000, after which research focused on the sanctuary of Iuppiter Dolichenus on Dülük Baba Tepesi. In 2010 and 2011, test excavations were then carried out in the city area for the first time. A concept for researching Doliche was subsequently developed. It provides for geophysical and archaeological surveys as well as excavations in the area of the late antique city on the southern slope and in the public space of the imperial period. Following a positive evaluation by the DFG, implementation of the project began in 2015.
Sondages: First work on the Keber Tepe
Parallel to the work on Dülük Baba Tepesi, several sondages were carried out on Keber Tepe in 2010 and 2011 under the direction of M. Önal. These served to explore areas for future excavations.
The city archive of ancient Doliche was located in 2010, which was confirmed by further exploratory excavations the following year. Almost 500 seal impressions came to light. They show, for example, the city goddess Tyche, depictions of Iuppiter Dolichenus and Roman emperors as well as numerous depictions of gods, animals and myths. Further excavations brought to light elaborate mosaics and numerous architectural elements.
Outline of the historical development of Doliche
People lived here many thousands of years before the city of Doliche was founded on Keber Tepe. The rock overhangs on the western slope of Keber Tepe, which are still impressive today, were regularly used as shelters by migrating groups of people in the Palaeolithic period (from around 300,000 BC). During Turkish excavations in the 1940s, numerous stone tools from these early periods were recovered in the area north of the entrance to the Mithraeums. Numerous stone cuttings and stone axes from the Palaeolithic period were also found on the slopes and terraces of Çimșit Tepe above the village of Dülük, indicating tool production at this location. This makes Doliche/Dülük one of the oldest known human settlements in Anatolia.
After the death of Alexander the Great, who had conquered the Persian Empire, the area around Doliche belonged to the Seleucid Empire from the end of the 4th century BC. This was named after its founder Seleucus, who was an officer in Alexander’s army. After numerous wars, he succeeded in dominating Asia Minor, Syria and the Middle East. His descendants ruled Syria until 64 BC. Doliche was founded as early as the 3rd century BC, but only developed an urban character in the course of the 2nd century BC. Doliche was protected on the edge of a fertile plain on an important road connecting Mesopotamia and Anatolia. There was also an ancient sanctuary of the storm god on the nearby Dülük Baba Tepesi. This god became the main god of the new city of Doliche. The sanctuary was very important for the development of the city as it had a good reputation and attracted many people.
The history of the city in Hellenistic times is unknown in detail. What is certain, however, is that for more than 30 years after 64 BC, Doliche belonged to the kingdom of Commagene, which emerged in the middle of the 2nd century BC in the area of today’s province of Adiyaman and encompassed the landscape between the Taurus and Euphrates. Commagene is best known for the buildings and inscriptions of its most important king, Antiochos I, whose tomb on the Nemrut Dağ is world-famous. As in many other places in his empire, the king also had himself worshipped as a god in the sanctuary of Doliche. An inscription in the Gaziantep Museum bears witness to this.
Doliche did not belong to the kingdom of Commagene for long. The Romans took control of Doliche and Zeugma as early as 30 BC. Roman rule meant a period of prosperity for the city. Trade goods from the east reached the Roman Empire via the road on which Doliche was situated. Due to the many wars that Rome waged against the Parthians and Persians, Roman soldiers from other parts of the empire often had to travel east here. Many of these soldiers were worshippers of the god of Doliche, whom they called by the Latin name Iuppiter Dolichenus. The soldiers carried his religion to all parts of the Roman Empire. Today, temples to the god of Doliche can be found in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and above all in the Danube countries. Around 200 AD, Iuppiter Dolichenus was one of the most important gods in the ancient world. The city and especially the sanctuary on Dülük Baba Tepesi benefited from the fame of Iuppiter Dolichenus. The results of the excavations in the city area bear witness to the wealth of this period. However, the heyday of Doliche came to a violent end. The Persian king Šāpūr I defeated the Romans in several wars and destroyed the city and the sanctuary during a campaign in 253 AD.
In the 4th century AD, Doliche recovered, as did the entire region. In the meantime, Christianity had prevailed. The sanctuary of Iuppiter Dolichenus was no longer in use. Doliche became a bishop’s see. The basilica from the 4th century AD excavated in the city area bears witness to the city’s new prosperity at this time. Two rock churches located outside the city area on the edge of the city necropolis also date from later times.
In the 7th century AD, the Arabs conquered Doliche and turned the city into a border fortress against the Byzantine Empire. In the 10th century AD, the Byzantines succeeded in reconquering the city. At this time, Doliche became the administrative capital of the region. Doliche later became part of the Latin county of Edessa, but was destroyed by Nur ad-Din, the Turkish ruler of Syria, in 1156 AD. Doliche then lost its role as a suburb of the region to neighboring Ayntab/Gaziantep.
