Caesarea (Mazaca)

Caesarea

Mazaca
Kayseri Castle
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Location	Kayseri, Kayseri Province, Turkey
Region	Cappadocia
Coordinates	38°43′21″N 35°29′15″E / 38.72250°N 35.48750°E / 38.72250; 35.48750
Type	Ancient Greek settlement
History
Builder	Romans, Byzantines, Greeks
Abandoned	11th century

Caesarea (/ˌsɛzəˈriːə, ˌsɛsəˈriːə, ˌsiːzəˈriːə/; Greek: Καισάρεια, romanized: Kaisareia), also known historically as Mazaca (Greek: Μάζακα), was an ancient city in what is now Kayseri, Turkey. In Hellenistic and Roman times, the city was an important stop for merchants headed to Europe on the ancient Silk Road. The city was the capital of Cappadocia, and Armenian and Cappadocian kings regularly fought over control of the strategic city. The city was renowned for its bishops of both the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches. After the Battle of Manzikert where the Byzantine Empire lost to the incoming Seljuk Empire, the city was later taken over by the Sultanate of Rum and became reconfigured over time with the influences of both Islamic and, later, Ottoman architecture.

Excerpt, zoom-in, of this part of Greco-Roman Anatolia. To many Romans also called Asia Minor. The city is shown in the north with its name before the alternative from the reign of Julius Caesar. Click for broader map and to enable varied magnification.