Su Perileri ve Kolymbos (Tholoslu Havuz-Hamam):Laskaris Dönemi Nif Saray’ına Yeni Bir Bakış

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 23 Sayı: 4, 291 - 320, 29.12.2025

Suna Çağaptay

Öz

Bu makale, İzmir Kemalpaşa'daki Nymphaion Sarayı'na odaklanmaktadır. 2002 yılında saray yapısının yakın çevresinde ve ardından 2008-2012 yıllarında yapının bodrum katında yürütülen kurtarma kazılarının sonuçlarını kullanarak yapının Laskaris dönemi imparatorluk ve saray gelenekleri bağlamına yerleştirme amacını taşır. 1204-1261 yılları arasında hüküm süren ve İznik İmparatorluğu'nun kurucu hanedanı olarak Laskarisler, Batı ve Kuzeybatı Anadolu ile Ege adalarını kontrol ederek birden fazla merkez üzerinden hüküm sürüp günümüzde Kemalpaşa’da konumlanan Nif Sarayını kışlık ikametgah olarak kullanmışlardır. Önceki dönem çalışmalarında, saray yapısı tipoloji ve inşa tekniklerine odaklanan tartışmalar ışığında incelenmektedir. Ancak her iki kurtarma kazısına ait sonuçlar Laskaris hanedanlığı ve Bizans dönemi saray geleneklerine ilişkin bildiklerimizi sorgulatan yeni kanıtlar ortaya çıkarmıştır. Bu makalede, özellikle saray içinde hamam uygulamasının saptanmasının ünik bir veri olmasından hareketle, Bizans kronolojisi içindeki yazılı ve arkeolojik yansımaların yardımıyla Nif sarayındaki su kullanımı ve yıkanma kurgusu incelenmekte ve elde edilen verilerle nüanslı bir yorum sunulmaktadır. Ardından, bugüne kadar yalnızca Orta Bizans dönemine tarihlenen yazılı kaynaklarda karşımıza çıkan ve kolymbos olarak tanımlanan (tholos biçimli bir havuz) yapı tipinin Nif Sarayı’nda uygulanmış olması ihtimali sorgulanıp eş zamanlı ve art zamanlı kültürlerarası karşılaştırmalarla Bizans kültüründe seçkin sınıfın kutsal amaçlar veya temizlik ihtiyacıyla yıkanmaya verdiği öneme ait yorumlamalarla bu makale sonlandırılacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Nif Sarayı , Laskaris Hanedanlığı , Bizans arkeolojisi

Water Nymphs and the Kolymbos?: The Laskarid Palace at Nymphaion Revisited

Öz

This article focuses on the Nymphaion Palace in Kemalpaşa, İzmir and situates it within the Laskarid imperial and palatial aspirations using the results of the salvage excavations conducted in 2002 and 2008-2012. As the founding and ruling dynasty of the Empire of Nicaea, which lasted from 1204 to 1261, Laskarids ruled via multiple centers, controlling western and northwestern Anatolia and the Aegean islands, and the Nymphaion acted as the winter residence. Previously, this palace was analyzed in terms of its typology and construction techniques. However, salvage excavations revealed fascinating evidence that completely changed our understanding of the Laskarid palatial aspirations, one based on bathing practices. Using textual and archaeological evidence, this article examines the aquatic aspirations in the Laskarid court and offers a nuanced interpretation of the architectural framework of the ground floor. First and foremost, it suggests the term kolymbos, a tholos-shaped pond only found hitherto in textual accounts of the middle Byzantine period that has been discovered archaeologically at the Nymphaion. Then, it examines the Laskarid hydraulic setting at the Nymphaion and its cross-cultural reflections.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Nymphaion , Laskarids , Byzantine archaeology

Kaynakça

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