Exploration in Galatia cis Halym. Part II

Abstract

§ 7. Savatra.—There is another important site in this district now called Ak-Ören (‘White Ruins’), which represents savatea or soatra (Strabo, p. 568), as Prof. Ramsay has rightly recognised, though he does not seem to indicate its position quite correctly when he speaks of ‘the ruins, four hours south-west of Eskil.’ Five hours west-south-west of that village is a fairer estimate. It is placed approximately in our map, but we did not revisit it. The remains must formerly have been very conspicuous: weeks before we arrived in this district we were told about the site as the sort of place people in search of ruins should not fail to visit. There is no village (as I understand) beside the ruins, and, to all appearance, the ancient name has migrated to Suwarek, which lies some distance to the west. Thither also great part of the remains has been transported. During a compulsory halt of an hour at Suwarek we copied a few inscriptions. Doubtless there are more, for the village was a place of some importance in Seldjuk times (cf. Sarre, Reise, in Kleinasien, p. 104–5 and Taf. XLIV.); but we imagined they must have been published already and we copied them mainly to amuse ourselves!