Gordion

Gordion is an archaeological site in central Anatolia that served as the capital of ancient Phrygia and contains extensive settlement and burial remains dating mainly to the Iron Age. The site is associated with Phrygian kings and legendary episodes such as the Gordian Knot.

Gordion was an important regional center in the first millennium BCE under Phrygian rule and later experienced Hellenistic and Roman phases; archaeological excavations in the 20th century uncovered citadel structures and richly furnished tombs attributed to Phrygian elites.

Located in Ankara Province near the modern village of Yassıhöyük and the town of Polatlı, the site lies roughly 75 kilometres west of Ankara on the Anatolian plateau.

• Museum displays: Excavations have revealed royal tombs and ceremonial architecture from Phrygia; notable finds are housed in regional museums, so check displays in nearby Ankara and local sites.

What to See #

• Phrygian tumuli (burial mounds): The large burial tumuli on the plain surrounding the citadel, including the so-called Midas Mound - an Iron Age tomb associated with Phrygian elite burials dating to the early first millennium BCE.
• Citadel mound and lower town: The citadel mound and lower-town remains showing fortification traces, domestic structures and later reoccupation layers spanning Iron Age through Hellenistic periods.