A MOTHER-OF-PEARL CROSS PENDANT FROM ISSOS EPIPHANEIA: TRACING ITS JOURNEY FROM JERUSALEM TO CATABOLOS PORT

Authors : Banu Özdilek

Pages : 380-402

Doi:10.48122/amisos.1843854

View : 143 | Download : 328

Publication Date : 2025-12-25

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Issos Epiphaneia, located in the Cilicia Pedias plain, was an important ancient city sustained by agriculture and animal husbandry, while also serving as a strategic bridge along the land trade routes between Anatolia and Mesopotamia. Its harbor, Catabolos, became one of the central hubs of the Roman Empire’s grain corridor, functioning as a site where raw materials and grain were stored, shipped to Rome, and where travelers could find accommodation in mansiones. During the Byzantine and Medieval periods, Catabolos also served as a significant stop along the pilgrimage route stretching from Jerusalem to Bordeaux. In the 11th–13th centuries, Epiphaneia came under the control of the Crusader Kingdom and the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, emerging as an important regional center. Archaeological evidence further reveals that the city was a notable production site for glazed ceramics during this period. The Bouleuterion-Odeon, originally constructed in the 2nd century AD during the Roman era, was reused as a cemetery in the Medieval period under Crusader and Armenian rule. Excavations have uncovered human burials and grave goods that provide insights into the cultural structure, socio-economic networks, trade relations and belief syspestas of the period. These findings reveal Epiphaneia’s central role in both the economic and religious life from the Roman period through the Middle Ages. They also show that the city’s cultural heritage holds significant potential for faith tourism, as it was located along a pilgrimage route in antiquity.
Keywords : Issos, Epiphaneia, catabolos, Haçlı Krallığı, Ermeni Krallığı, Jerusalem, Sedef Haç Kolye Ucu, Ticaret, Haç Rotası

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