Gordion invites guests on an amazing journey through time. It is situated in the breathtaking surroundings of central Turkey. The lonely ruins of this ancient archaeological site, which is situated in the modern province of Ankara, contain the echoes of a once-dominant Phrygian empire and the legends of King Midas.
As soon as you enter Gordion hallowed grounds, where myths and historical realities are intermingled, you’ll be transported back in time. This site breathes history into the present with its deteriorating walls, historic graves, and enigmatic Midas Mound. We invite you to join us as we investigate Gordion’s rich legacy, where mythology and history converge in a pristine archaeological wonderland.
An Account of the Past
Recent findings indicate that it may have been occupied as early as the third millennium BC. Between the years 2000 and 1200 BC, the city was an important Hittite outpost with Assyrian immigrants also living there; this is comparable to the situation at Kanesh (Kayseri) at the same period. The city was much more active when the Phrygians arrived, beginning in the ninth century BC. Under their rule, the city had its highest prosperity in the eighth century BC. By 690, Cimmerians had conquered the area and destroyed the city.
The Lydians restored the city, but Cyrus and his army again razed it in 547–546 BC. Under the Persians, it did, however, restore its position as a significant trade and military center. Alexander the Great captured the city from the Persians in 333 BC, but the Gauls destroyed it in 278 BC. By the year 200 AD, the city had been completely abandoned. Some of the items found in excavated Hittite graves from the 17th and 16th centuries BC are on display in the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara.
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In Gordium proper, there are around a hundred tumuli containing the remains of well-known individuals who lived and died between the Phrygian and Galatian eras. These stand out above the gorgeously rolling terrain. The biggest tumulus is thought to be King Midas’. There is still some wooden furniture there that most likely came from his palace.