HIERAPOLIS STREET
The Hierapolis Street, one of the main arteries of ancient Tripolis, extends north-south intersecting the east-west Colonnaded Street. Built in the early Roman period as the Colonnaded Street, the Hierapolis Street conforms to the grid urban plan of parallel and perpendicular streets intersecting (Fig. 1).
In the course of excavations and restoration in 2013-2014 a section of 36 m in length was exposed northwards starting from the city gate. In 2015, the work continued further north exposing another 39-m-long stretch reaching the 75th m (Fig. 2).
The pavement of large travertine blocks does not extend regularly northward. This damage as depressions and bulgingwas probably caused by earthquakes and architectural blocks toppled down. In addition, a sewage channel of 70 cm width and 1.5 m depth runs northward under the street (Fig. 3).
Travertine blocks furnished with a channel in the middle of their tops are placed lengthwise facing the street in order to drain the ground water of the agora adjoining the street on its west. These channels stretch northward as a continuation of channels on of the walls uncovered in the preceding years.
On the stylobate of the wall bounding the Hierapolis Street on its east stand a row of columns. Adjoining this wall with columns on the west are statues standing on top of marble and onyx piers and plinths, as uncovered in the preceding campaigns. Three statues were uncovered in 2015. These statues enhancing the grandiose look of the street depicted high officials (Fig. 4).
The total number of columns comprising two-piece shafts of white veined marble with medium pores reached twenty up to the Structure with Podium by the end of the 2015 campaign. The east side arrangement of Hierapolis Street was completed with square columns.
Pottery finds, an important component of the excavations at Hierapolis Street, include flask sherds of the fourth century AD, fragments of of daily use ware such as bowls, pots, plugs, unguentaria, and spindle whorls of the Late Roman period. In addition, there are fragments of red slip Sagalassos Ware and African red slip wares of the fourth-fifth centuries.
EAST PORTICO OF HIERAPOLIS STREET
The east portico of Hierapolis Street, a north-south main artery of Tripolis, was designed and built together with the street (Fig. 1). A stretch of 29.85 m length was excavated in 2013-2014 campaigns and in 2015, the total length exposed reached 54 m up to the south wall of the Structure with Podium (Fig. 2).
In addition to the two rooms uncovered previously in 2013-2014, two more rooms were excavated in 2015; these four rooms were possibly used as courtyards of the structure to the east (Fig. 3). Rooms 3 and 4 were created by partitioning the portico then serving as a courtyard and their floors are partially paved with terra cotta bricks and partially compressed earth, just like the floor of the two rooms uncovered previously (Fig. 4).
Room 3 measures 4.50x7.00 m on the interior and its floor is paved with terra cotta bricks of varying sizes. The room houses a platform furnished with one rectangular and one square basin placed on it and a cylindrical one placed in it to the north of the former two. Such arrangements in Room 3 suggests a function of work-area, possibly for producing olive oil or wine (Fig. 5). In addition, there is a playing board on a column capital (Fig. 6). Room 4 is located to the north of Room 3. Deterioration due to caving and slides is attested at places allover.