Uluborlu, situated in one of the important military and commercial road routes connecting Central Anatolia to Western Anatolia, is a city that has not lost its importance from the Ancient Age to the Modern Age due to its geographical location. While it has been known by names such as Apollonia, Mordiaion, Sozopolis and Borgulu in the historical process, the presence of traces of different civilizations in the city is important in terms of showing that the region has a rich historical geography. During the Turkish Seljuk-Byzantine struggles in the Late Middle Ages, it was an important civilization center for both Byzantium and Seljuks. Uluborlu, which was an important border city of Byzantium for many years in the region, the education and residence place of the meliks during the Turkish Seljuk period, became the establishment and administration center of the principality during the Hamidids period. In the Ottoman period, it continued to exist as an important center of the region with its social, cultural aspects and industrial production. The city, which preserved its importance in the Republican period, was moved to the flat area adjacent to the area where it was founded for various reasons in the 1960s. However, there are still few houses and mosques in the old settlement today.
In the city, which hosts a deep-rooted past, many cultural assets, especially architectural works, have reached the present day from the Turkish Seljuk, Hamidid and Ottoman periods. The numismatic findings found during the archaeological surveys carried out in 2020-2021 can give us some information about the historical past of Uluborlu. During the surveys in the mentioned years, 50 coins were found, and it is estimated that this number will increase in the surveys to be carried out in the region in 2022 and the following years. In this study, firstly the situation and importance of the city in the historical process will be mentioned. Afterwards, it will be tried to read and identify the coin finds. In this context, various evaluations will be made on the coins that can be read and dated.
The coins, which are the speaking witnesses of history, are undoubtedly one of our first-hand sources that provide important information about the political, economic and cultural situation of the time they were minted. It also provides us with important data on the political and socio-economic history of the city in which they were printed. As a result of the archaeological surveys we conducted in Uluborlu in 2020 and 2021 under the name of "Turkish Seljuk and Principalities Period Survey", 50 coins were found. Within the scope of 2020, a total of 32 coins with 15 inventories and 17 studies were found, 22 of which belong to the Islamic period. Within the scope of 2021, a total of 18 coins with 4 inventories and 14 studies were found, and 4 of them are Islamic period coins. Although almost all of the coins are made of bronze or copper, there are also silver coins. It is seen that the coins have undergone intense corrosion. However, from the writings and motifs of the readable ones, it is seen that they belong to the Seljuk and Ottoman periods in general. 19 coins, which are in inventory status, were added to the catalog included in our study, and they are not included in our study here as we continue to work on 31 coins in study condition. As a result of the ongoing studies on the coins in study status, we aim to bring these coins to the scientific community in the future.
As a result, we have to state that the finds found in the surveys carried out in the years 2020-2021, the coin finds in this study, seem to be encouraging for the archaeological excavations that are likely to be carried out in Uluborlu in the coming years.
Finally, we would like to thank the Uluborlu survey team for the years 2020-2021, who devotedly worked on the discovery, photographing and cataloging of the coins during the survey.
Uluborlu, coğrafi konumu itibariyle İç Anadolu'yu Batı Anadolu'ya bağlayan önemli askeri ve ticari yol güzergahlarından birisinin üzerinde Eski Çağ’dan Yakın Çağ’a kadar önemini yitirmemiş bir şehirdir. Tarihsel süreç içerisinde Apollonia, Mordiaion, Sozopolis ve Borgulu gibi isimlerle anılmış olmakla birlikte şehirde farklı medeniyetlerin izlerinin varlığı bölgenin zengin bir tarihi coğrafyaya sahip olduğunu göstermesi bakımından önemlidir. Geç Orta Çağ’da Türkiye Selçuklu-Bizans mücadeleleri sırasında hem Bizans hem de Selçuklular için önemli bir medeniyet merkezi konumundadır. Bölgede uzun yıllar Bizans’ın önemli bir sınır şehri, Türkiye Selçukluları döneminde meliklerin eğitim ve ikametgâh yeri olan Uluborlu, Hamitoğulları döneminde ise beyliğin kuruluş ve idare merkezi olmuştur. Osmanlı döneminde ise sosyal, kültürel yönleriyle ve sanayi üretimiyle bölgenin önemli bir merkezi olarak varlığını sürdürmüştür. Cumhuriyet döneminde önemini muhafaza eden şehir, çeşitli nedenlerle 1960’lı yıllarda kurulduğu alanın bitişiğinde yer alan düzlük alana taşınmıştır. Ancak günümüzde az da olsa eski yerleşim yerinde evler ve camiler bulunmaktadır.
Köklü bir geçmişe ev sahipliği yapan şehirde Türkiye Selçuklu, Hamitoğulları ve Osmanlı dönemlerinden günümüze başta mimari eserler olmak üzere pek çok kültür varlığı ulaşmıştır.
2020-2021 yıllarında yürütülen arkeolojik yüzey araştırmaları sırasında bulunan nümizmatiğe dair bulgular Uluborlu’nun tarihsel geçmişi hakkında bizlere bazı bilgiler verebilir. Söz konusu yıllardaki araştırmalar esnasında 50 adet sikke bulunmuş olup, 2022 ve daha sonraki yıllarda bölgede yapılacak araştırmalarda bu sayının artacağı tahmin edilmektedir. Bu çalışmada ilk olarak kentin tarihsel süreç içerisindeki durumu ve önemine değinilecektir. Sonrasında ise sikke buluntularının okunma ve kimliklendirme işlemleri yapılmaya çalışılacaktır. Bu bağlamda okunabilen ve tarihlendirilebilen sikkeler üzerinden çeşitli değerlendirmeler yapılmaya çalışılacaktır.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Journal Section | Araştırma |
Authors | |
Early Pub Date | December 27, 2022 |
Publication Date | December 31, 2022 |
Submission Date | October 19, 2022 |
Published in Issue | Year 2022 Volume: 4 Issue: 2 |