The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-10-29

Of communication for commercial and military enterprises
being used in turn by the armies of Xerxes, Alexander the
Great, Frederick Barbarossa and many others. The ruins
of Laodicea lie upon a commanding elevation, when gives
a fine view of the surrounding country. About eight miles
distant stands Mount Cadmus, white with snow, whlie all
that is left of Coloesee rests at it's base.
On the other hans. teyond the fertile valley of the Lycus
may be seen, glimmer.0g in the sunlight, the huge cascaoes
which plunge over the plateau where the city OF Hlerapons
is situated. Nesting at the foot of the hill, upon wnlcn 'ne
acropolis once stood, is the little village of GonJell' Whhe
away to the south, with the mountain range of Ba5a Dagh
in the background is the larger Turkish town OF Dehizl'
Both of these places have been practically built from the
ruins of Laodicea.
In the spring Of the year the valleys and slopes about
Laodicea are green with verdure and the surrounding coun-
try, as viewed from the ruins, presents a picture not I'M
friendly to the eye. In fact, the fields are cultivated up to
the walls of the city. But within the city limits, which prob
ably cover an area two miles square, there is not enough
vegetation to feed a hungry goat. 1t is a scene OF desola-
ton, where only snakes, lizards, turtles and prowling jack
ais now seek refuge in subterranean caverns, The tomb
stone cutter from Denizli is a regular visitor. Occasionally
a camel caravan may be seen vending it's way slowly
through the ruined streets. But otherwise it is a place long
since rejected and shorn of every symbol OF former great
ness. cones.
Yet Laodicea was once the chief emporium of central
Asia Minor. 1t was the seat of one of the Seven Churches.
For something like 1,4OO years this city was deemed one Of
the most important to possess, not only from a military
point of view, but also from the standpoint of the sinews
wherewith to conduct war. The opulent citizens of Lao
dicea often fell a prey to the greed of Roman, Tartar and
Turkish conquerors. In times of peace the hardships caused
by earthquakes were felt as severely as was the pestiience
of war. Yet the people were so attached to their city that
they rebuilt it repeatedly out of their own means and each
time in greater splendor than before. 1t was only when
Tamerlane scarcely left one stone upon the other and when
the Turks, about 1880 A. D., slaughtered or sold the inhabi-
tants into slavery that the city became what it is to-day
one vast field studded with heaps of ruins.
Considering the ravages caused by earthquakes, time
and war, Laodicea, however, even at present, is still in a
remarkable state of preservation. The stadium is almost
intact. The steps repose in the sides of a hill, which forms
a natural base for this monument. The plan of the gymna-
SUM is so well preserved that almost the entire building
can be seen. Two theaters, one of which was devoted to
music, are practically complete. Scattered over the field,
in one mass of entangled ruins, are no end of temples with
the base of columns still in place. The ancient aqueduct
is partially preserved and shows clearly how the water was
conducted from a long distance upon the hydrostatic prin-
ciple of its seeking its own level. The aqueduct is not a
lofty archway, such as characterize those of Roman origin
throughout Asia Minor and Italy, but is built close to the
ground, and the water was conducted to the city in massive
stone pipes up hill and down from a distant mountain range.
In the bed of the little river of Asopos stand the broken
piers of a bridge which once led to a Christian cemetery on
a neighboring hill opposite the. city. The ancient pagan
metropolis was situated just outside the city limits, near
where the village of Gonjeli now stands. Many interesting
sarcophagi have been found and removed to various mu-
seums. Laodicea once had three gateways which pierced
the solid walls which extended around the circumference