Little-known ancient city in İzmir subject of new documentary

İZMİR – Doğan News Agency

DHA Photos

The ancient city of Atarneus in İzmir’s Dikili district has become the subject of a new documentary, shot by producer and director brothers Serdar and Sercan Gazi.  

The documentary will be translated into English and German subtitles and screened for the first time at international documentary film festivals. 

The Gazi brothers, who live in Istanbul, said they chose Atarneus because it was little-known and a documentary had never been made about it before. For the documentary, they made shootings from the air and on the land in the Dikili, Çandarlı, Bademli and Bakırçay districts over the course of two weeks. Visuals from the famous ancient sites of Pergamon were also included in the documentary as they also have a relation to the history of Atarneus, which was a significant coastal town of the Pergamon Kingdom in the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C. 

The head of the Pergamon excavations, Felix Pirson, and deputy head Güler Ateş, who have made surface surveys in Atarneus, provided academic contributions to the documentary. 

Serdar Gazi said they had finished the shooting of the documentary. “Atarneus’ history is very rich. We realized after the start of shooting that there was a magnificent hidden story behind the ancient city.

Because life has existed there since the Bronze Age. Some issues will be revealed for the first time with the support of academics. I believe the documentary will draw attention of Dikili public and history aficionados. Shooting process was joyful; lots of people helped us here.” 

The other director, Sercan Gazi said the traces of ancient lives on the land could still be seen in Atarneus, and continued: 

“Generally the history of Pergamon ancient city is told in the history of this region. But although the ancient city of Atarneus was established long before Pergamon, it is lesser known. So attempting to protect cultural heritage, we decided to make a documentary on it. Our main purpose was to draw more attention to the region and thus provide more protection for it,” he said. 

He added that the 45-minute film would be translated into English and German and sent to participate in international film festivals. 

 
About Atarneus 

Atarneus was an ancient city in the region of Aeolis, lying on the mainland opposite the island of Lesbos, northeast of the town of Dikili. It gained fame in the 4th century B.C., when it was ruled by the Hermias of Atarneus over an area from Atarneus to Assos. It was later an important port of the Pergamon Kingdom in the 2nd and 3rd century B.C. 

The city is said to have existed until the 1st century A.D., when it was abandoned due to an epidemic or an earthquake.