Temple of Augustus
In Ulus, the heart of Ankara, amidst modern buildings and bustling streets, rises a structure that seems to have stopped time. This structure is not merely a pile of stones, but the most tangible witness to a multi-layered history stretching from the Roman Empire to the Ottoman Empire and then to modern Turkey.
Located in the Hacı Bayram district, one of Ankara's oldest settlements, the Temple of Augustus is known in world archaeological literature as "Monumentum Ancyranum" (Monument of Ankara). What makes this structure unique is not only its architecture, but also the enormous inscription carved into its walls, considered one of the most important political documents in history.
Historical Origins: A Deified Emperor
The temple was built between 25-20 BC, after Galatia became a Roman province. It was commissioned by Pilamenes, son of the Galatian king Amyntas, as a token of allegiance to Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, and to the goddess Roma.
"Res Gestae Divi Augusti": The World's Only Complete Copy
The main feature that made the temple world-famous is that the **"Res Gestae Divi Augusti"** (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus), the political testament written by Emperor Augustus before his death, is inscribed on its walls.
Although the original bronze plates in Rome have been lost over time, the text in this temple in Ankara has been preserved almost completely in both Latin and Greek translations. For this reason, the famous historian Theodor Mommsen called it the "Queen of Inscriptions." The inscription details the battles Augustus won, the aid he provided, and the works he had built throughout the empire.
The Embrace of Beliefs: Church, Mosque, and Temple
The Temple of Augustus is the finest example of Ankara's cultural tolerance and layered structure:
Ancient Times:
A pagan temple dedicated to the Roman emperor.
Byzantine Period:
In the 6th century, it was converted into a Christian church by adding windows and an apse.
Ottoman Period:
In the 15th century, the Hacı Bayram Mosque was built right next to it. The fact that the mosque and the temple are wall to wall is a silent but powerful testament to Islam's respect for the legacy of previous faiths. Until it was discovered by the Austrian ambassador Busbecq in the 16th century, the structure was preserved by the local people as an annex or madrasa of the mosque.
The House of the Queen of Inscriptions: The Temple of Augustus in Ankara
Located in the Hacı Bayram district, one of Ankara's oldest settlements, the Temple of Augustus is known in world archaeological literature as "Monumentum Ancyranum" (Monument of Ankara). What makes this structure unique is not only its architecture, but also the enormous inscription carved into its walls, considered one of the most important political documents in history.
Historical Origins: A Deified Emperor
The temple was built between 25-20 BC, after Galatia became a Roman province. It was commissioned by Pilamenes, son of the Galatian king Amyntas, as a token of allegiance to Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, and to the goddess Roma.
"Res Gestae Divi Augusti": The World's Only Complete Copy
The main feature that made the temple world-famous is that the **"Res Gestae Divi Augusti"** (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus), the political testament written by Emperor Augustus before his death, is inscribed on its walls.
Although the original bronze plates in Rome have been lost over time, the text in this temple in Ankara has been preserved almost completely in both Latin and Greek translations. For this reason, the famous historian Theodor Mommsen called it the "Queen of Inscriptions." The inscription details the battles Augustus won, the aid he provided, and the works he had built throughout the empire.
The Embrace of Beliefs: Church, Mosque, and Temple
The Temple of Augustus is the finest example of Ankara's cultural tolerance and layered structure:
Ancient Times:
A pagan temple dedicated to the Roman emperor.
Byzantine Period:
In the 6th century, it was converted into a Christian church by adding windows and an apse.
Ottoman Period:
In the 15th century, the Hacı Bayram Mosque was built right next to it. The fact that the mosque and the temple are wall to wall is a silent but powerful testament to Islam's respect for the legacy of previous faiths. Until it was discovered by the Austrian ambassador Busbecq in the 16th century, the structure was preserved by the local people as an annex or madrasa of the mosque.
