Ancient City Nysa

The origins of Nysa on the Maeander are somewhat unclear; the city may have emerged from the synoecism of Athymbra with neighboring settlements. From the 3rd century BCE, Nysa was under Seleucid rule and bore its current name by at least the 2nd century BCE. During the Roman Imperial period, the city gained great importance as an intellectual hub, where figures like the historian Strabo grew up around 50 BCE. The Stoic Apollonius and the Homeric philologist Menecrates also hailed from here. Nysa was also an episcopal see in late antiquity. The city benefited from the nearby sanctuary of Pluto and Kore in Acharaka, known for its sulfurous healing springs. Archaeological investigations began here as early as 1907 and have been continued by Ankara University since 1990.