Vol. XIX, No. n 



WASHINGTON November, 1908 



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THE RUINED CITIES OF ASIA MINOR 



By Ernest L. Harris 



American Consul General to Smyrna 



ASIA MINOR is the stage upon 

 /\ which have been enacted some 

 X j^ of the most stupendous events 

 in the history of mankind. Here the civ- 

 ilizations of the Orient and the Occident 

 have ever met and struggled for suprem- 

 acy. The Persian and Greek, Roman 

 and Pontian, Byzantine and Moslem, 

 Crusader and Saracen, Turk and Mogul, 

 each in their turn came upon the scene, 

 and were alternately overwhelmed by the 

 vicissitudes of human life. Fragments 

 of columns, arches, and temples now 

 stand as silent sentinels over the tombs 

 of their empires and cities. 



Today these mangled ruins present a 

 melancholy picture, yet they cannot be 

 viewed without pleasure and regret. 

 The pleasure consists chiefly in recalling 

 the historical associations connected with 

 each, while the regret is caused by the 

 fact that nothing is done to prevent their 

 further decay and demolition, and that in 

 all probability future generations will lay 

 considerable blame upon the present age 

 for not having done more toward pre- 

 serving these interesting and instructive 

 ruins from an earlier destruction, at 

 least, than would presumably be their 

 destiny if left alone to the silent lapse of 

 time. 



The object of these papers is to deal 

 with some buried cities of Asia Minor 

 as they now are. A description of their 

 present state of preservation cannot fail 

 in interesting every student of history. 



Asia Minor presents practically a 

 boundless field for research and explora- 

 tion. There are remnants of Hittite 

 monuments still extant which date from 

 the earliest dawn of history. Among the 

 ruined Greek cities rise many a stately 

 structure of Roman origin, now slowly 

 sinking into decay. From distant hill- 

 tops medieval castles, some in a fair 

 state of preservation, still look down 

 upon the valleys below. The few 

 travelers who visit the interior of 

 Asia Minor today are greeted by these 

 grim heritages of a great past. There 

 they stand, as it were, the silent custo- 

 dians of treasures and secrets which lie 

 buried deep beneath, mutely appealing to 

 the present age to bestir itself and rescue, 

 before it is too late, these sinking tumuli, 

 the receptacles of knowledge, which may 

 enlighten and instruct present genera- 

 tions of mankind. 



During the past year I have visited the 

 sites of many ancient cities in Asia 

 Minor. Many places described are rarely 

 sought out by the tourist, and seldom 



