Kerkenes Dağ — Median Mountain City
Median to Persian (600–547 BCE destroyed by Cyrus)·Median Kingdom (Cyaxares?)·🇹🇷 Yozgat Province, Turkey
About
About Kerkenes Dağ — Median Mountain City
Kerkenes Dağ — Median Mountain City in Yozgat Province, Turkey is a Median to Persian (600–547 BCE destroyed by Cyrus) ancient-city attributed to Median Kingdom (Cyaxares?). Granite mountain city 271 ha with 7 km stone walls and Cappadocia Gate, largest Iron Age city Anatolia. Summers Kerkenes 271 ha hill city with Cappadocia Gate 4.5 m and palatial complex burned 547 BCE Croesus?
Why it mattersKey Negev–Anatolian highland site
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Desert agriculture technology
- 02Roman frontier model
Theories
- 01Incense trade water management
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 600 BCE
- Period
- Median to Persian (600–547 BCE destroyed by Cyrus)
- Culture
- Median Kingdom (Cyaxares?)
- Purpose
- Granite mountain city 271 ha with 7 km stone walls and Cappadocia Gate, largest Iron Age city Anatolia
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 600 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1900 CE
Systematic survey
On the ground
Structures & features
39.7500° N · 35.0700° E · 1300 m · 3 mapped features
Kerkenes Dağ — Median Mountain City — Enclosure Circuit
wallsEnclosing walls or terrace walls
39.7501° N · 35.0701° EKerkenes Dağ — Median Mountain City — Church/Mosque Annex
churchByzantine church or mosque
39.7498° N · 35.0702° EKerkenes Dağ — Median Mountain City — Cistern Cluster
cisternPlastered cisterns
39.7504° N · 35.0698° E