 Click Photo for Larger Version
|
Image ToolbarPlease read before you download
Images and/or text from holylandphotos.org are NOT TO BE USED ON OTHER WEB SITES, NOR COMMERCIALLY, without special permission. To request permission contact us at holylandphotos@gmail.com. |
View looking north at the Nymphaeum of Trajan. The rebuilt nymphaeum has a semicircular pool in the center surrounded on three sides by a single-storied structure. There are four granite columns along the front (two on each side) and eight columns along the curvature. It is crowned with pediments. In the center is a statue of the Roman Emperor Trajan dominating a Dacian captive. These were found in pieces in the semi-circular pool. Not only was the nymphaeum functional, but it also served as a tool of political propaganda—displaying the might of the Roman Empire and the city of Laodicea.
The now famous “Water Inscription” was engraved on the monument’s lower right protruding “arm.”
The nymphaeum was completely in ruins and was excavated in 2015. The current structure is a monumental rebuild based on the large building pieces that were found in the excavation. From the inscription on it, and the statuary that was found in the excavation, it is evident that it was constructed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan (r. 98-117). Before excavation, it was known as "the Southern Nymphaeum."
