Hadrian
The traveling emperor who left his name on gates, temples and cities from Antalya to Edirne.
Few Roman emperors knew Anatolia as well as Hadrian. He crossed it on horseback and by ship, wintered in its cities, paid for their temples and baths, and left his name on gates from Antalya to Edirne. Therefore, when our guests walk under a marble arch in Turkey and ask who built it, the answer is very often the same man. This page follows the traveling emperor through the ruins you can still visit.
Who Was Hadrian?
Publius Aelius Hadrianus was born in 76 in Italica, in today’s southern Spain, and ruled Rome from 117 until his death in 138. Unlike most emperors, however, he spent years on the road, inspecting the frontiers and the provinces. Besides, he loved Greek culture, wore a Greek-style beard, and wanted the cities of the Greek East to flourish. Today, he is widely known for his wall in Britain; in Turkey, however, his traces are far richer.
Hadrian’s Journeys Through Anatolia
Hadrian in the north and Bithynia
First, after meeting the Parthian king on the Euphrates, the emperor traveled west along the Black Sea coast. He probably wintered in Nicomedia, today’s İzmit, which an earthquake had just struck, and he paid for its rebuilding. Nearby lay Claudiopolis, today’s Bolu, home of Antinous, the young man who became his beloved companion. Later, after Antinous drowned in the Nile in 130, the grieving emperor made him a god, and temples to him rose in Bithynia too.
Hadrian in the Aegean cities
Next, he turned to the great cities of the west. He promoted Cyzicus, Pergamon, Smyrna, Ephesus and Sardis as centers of the imperial cult, and work began again on the vast Temple of Zeus at Cyzicus. In 129, at Didyma, he even served as prophet of the oracle, its highest office. On the main street of Ephesus, the graceful Temple of Hadrian still honors him. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lycia, Pamphylia and Pisidia
Further south, in turn, the coast prepared for his visits. Perge added a triumphal arch in his honor in 121, and Phaselis built a gate for him at the end of its main street. At Patara and Myra, vast granaries rose under his rule; the one in Myra now houses the Museum of Lycian Civilizations. Inland, he named Sagalassos the “first city” of its province, and in 2007 excavators found a colossal statue of him there.
Hadrian’s Gate in Antalya
Most famously, when the emperor visited Attaleia in 130, the city built him a marble gate with three arches. Today, Hadrian’s Gate, or Üçkapılar, the “Three Gates”, still leads into Kaleiçi, the old town of Antalya. Also look down as you pass: carts wore deep ruts into its paving stones over the centuries.
Following Hadrian with our guides
- AntalyaThe triple gate and its wheel ruts in Kaleiçi.
- EphesusThe Temple of Hadrian on Curetes Street.
- DidymaThe oracle where he served as prophet in 129.
- IstanbulHis bronze statue from Adana in the Archaeology Museums.
Our suggestion In Antalya, start at the triple gate of Kaleiçi in the morning light, then drive to Perge and Phaselis to see the arch and gate the same cities built for him.
Where Hadrian Left His Name
Finally, he also refounded the Thracian town of Orestias and renamed it Hadrianopolis, today’s Edirne, which kept a form of his name for almost two thousand years. Afterward, to meet the emperor himself, visit the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, where his bronze statue from Adana and a marble statue in armor stand among the Roman galleries. For the earlier conqueror who marched the same roads, read about Alexander the Great.
Hadrian’s Gate is where our Antalya city tour begins, so you walk through the arch that carries his name. Send us your dates, and we plan the rest of the day.
