Πλουτωνειον (in Ancient Greek) Plutonium (in Latin) | |
_in_Hierapolis_01.jpg) The ruins of the Old Ploutonion[1] adjacent to the Temple of Apollo, the New Ploutonion is located some 200m east. | |
  Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Pamukkale, Denizli Province, Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Phrygia |
| Coordinates | 37°55′36.48″N 29°07′36.53″E / 37.9268000°N 29.1268139°E |
| Type | Sanctuary of Pluto |
| Part of | Hierapolis |
| History | |
| Material | Stone |
| Founded | 2nd century BC |
| Abandoned | 6th century AD |
| Cultures | Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | ? - March 2013 |
| Archaeologists | Francesco D'Andria |
| Condition | Ruined |
The Ploutonion at Hierapolis (Ancient Greek: Πλουτώνειον Ploutōneion,[2] lit "Place of Pluto"; Latin: Plutonium) or Pluto's Gate[3] was a ploutonion (a religious site dedicated to the god Pluto) in the ancient city of Hierapolis near Pamukkale in modern Turkey's Denizli Province. The site was discovered in 1965 by Italian archaeologists, who published reports on their excavations throughout the decade. Following the studies carried out on site in 1998, a geologist of the Italian National Research Council, Luigi Piccardi, recognized that the origin of both the Ploutonion and of the nearby Apollo's Oracle of Hierapolis was linked to the existence of the surface trace of a seismic fault, on which both sanctuaries were purposely built and which was revered as Gateway of Hades.[4] In 2013, it was further explored by Italian archaeologists led by Francesco D'Andria, a professor of archaeology at the University of Salento.[5] As part of a restoration project, a replica of the marble statue of Hades and Cerberus has been restored to its original place. The statue is known to have been there in ancient times.[6]
- ^ "Ploutonion at Hierapolis". The Madain Project. Archived from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ Alternative spelling: Πλουτώνιον Ploutōnion.
- ^ D'Andria, Francesco. "Gate to Hell Found in Turkey Archived 2015-11-28 at the Wayback Machine". Discovery News 29 March 2013. Accessed 1 June 2013.
- ^ Piccardi, Luigi (2007). "The AD 60 Denizli Basin earthquake and the apparition of Archangel Michael at Colossae (Aegean Turkey)". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 273 (1): 95-105. Bibcode:2007GSLSP.273...95P. doi:10.1144/GSL.SP.2007.273.01.08. S2CID 129096978.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
lorewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hades and his dog return to Gate of Hell