Ionic Architecture in Hierapolis of Phrygia in the Hellenistic and Imperial Periods: Architectural Models, Iconographic Schemes and Formal Language

The article offers a summary of the recent monographic study on the Ionic architecture of Hierapolis of Phrygia (S. Bozza, Architettura ionica a Hierapolis di Frigia, Hierapolis di Frigia XIV, Istanbul, 2020), analysed in the context of the imperial architecture of Asia Minor. In the first part, the article gives a brief account of the main Ionic monuments of the city in a chronological order. Then, a description of the diachronic evolution of the Ionic architecture of Hierapolis is provided from the point of view of the iconographic schemes and the use of decorative patterns, with special attention to the Ionic capitals. In the third part, I propose some reflections on the development of local formal language and on the role of marble workshops; specifically, I analyse some iconographic and stylistic features of the Ionic architecture of Hierapolis, especially focusing on the capitals, the workmanship of the echinus and the canalis of the volute. Lastly, in the fourth section, the article offers some remarks on the architectural layout and the symbolic values of the monuments, emphasising that the Ionic order represented a distinctive feature of both sacred architecture and public monuments of Hierapolis throughout the imperial period, as a powerful symbol of the local identity, since it was inspired by the most ancient urban landscapes of the Microasiatic cities.