DENİZLİ CEHENNEM KAPISINA YOLCULUK: ERKEN MODERN DÖNEM AVRUPALI SEYYAHLARIN GÖZÜNDEN PLUTONION

Yıl 2025, Sayı: 71, 355 - 375, 03.11.2025

Sevil Gözübüyük

https://doi.org/10.30794/pausbed.1732187

Öz

Denizli Hierapolis Antik Kenti’nde yer alan Plutonion kutsal alanı, antik dünyada doğa olaylarının mitolojik ve dini yorumlarla nasıl anlamlandırıldığını gösteren özgün bir örnektir. Bu çalışma, Plutonion’un tarihsel, jeolojik ve kültürel niteliklerini seyyah anlatıları kapsamında ele almakta ve antik metinler, arkeolojik bulgular ve gezginlerin gözlemleri çerçevesinde karşılaştırmalı bir değerlendirme sunmaktadır. Çalışmada yer altından çıkan karbondioksit gazı nedeniyle tehlike arz eden bu yerin, antikçağda Hades’e açılan bir geçit ve ritüel mekânı olarak tasavvur edilmesinin ardındaki inanç sistemleri tetkik edilmiştir. Bilhassa Batılı seyyahların bıraktığı yazılı tanıklıklar, kutsal alanın tarihsel temsillerinin ve algısal dönüşümlerinin izlenebilmesi açısından büyük önem taşımaktadır. Sonuç olarak bu çalışmada, Plutonion’un çok yönlü yapısı ortaya konulurken, aynı zamanda kutsal alanın yüzyıllar boyunca nasıl izinin sürüldüğü ve nasıl yorumlandığı ele alınarak konuya özgün bir katkı sunulması amaçlanmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Denizli , Hierapolis , Cehennem Kapısı , Plutonion , Seyyah Anlatıları

JOURNEY TO THE GATE OF HELL IN DENİZLİ: PLUTONION THROUGH THE EYES OF EARLY MODERN EUROPEAN TRAVELERS

Öz

The Plutonion sacred area, located in the ancient city of Hierapolis in Denizli, is a unique example of how natural phenomena were interpreted through mythological and religious explanations in the ancient world. This study addresses the historical, geological, and cultural characteristics of the Plutonion within the scope of travel accounts and presents a comparative evaluation based on ancient texts, archaeological findings, and the observations of travelers. The belief systems behind the conception of this site, which posed a danger due to carbon dioxide gas emerging from underground, as a gateway to Hades and a ritual space in antiquity, are examined. The written testimonies of Western travelers are of great importance for tracing the historical representations and perceptual transformations of the sacred area. As a result, this study aims to provide an original contribution by revealing the multifaceted structure of the Plutonion and by evaluating how the sacred site has been followed and interpreted over the centuries.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Denizli , Hierapolis , Gate of Hell , Plutonion , Traveler Narratives

Kaynakça

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