Gordium in the context of "Gordian Knot"

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⭐ Core Definition: Gordium

Gordion (Phrygian: 𐊩𐌏𐌛𐊅𐊄𐌌, romanised: Gordum; Ancient Greek: Γόρδιον, romanizedGórdion; Turkish: Gordion or Gordiyon; Latin: Gordium) was the capital city of ancient Phrygia. It was located at the site of modern Yassıhüyük, about 70–80 km (43–50 mi) southwest of Ankara (capital of Turkey), in the immediate vicinity of Polatlı district. Gordion's location at the confluence of the Sakarya and Porsuk rivers gave it a strategic location with control over fertile land. Gordion lies where the ancient road between Lydia and Assyria/Babylonia crossed the Sangarius river. Occupation at the site is attested from the Early Bronze Age (c. 2300 BCE) continuously until the 4th century CE and again in the 13th and 14th centuries CE. The Citadel Mound at Gordion is approximately 13.5 hectares in size, and at its height habitation extended beyond this in an area approximately 100 hectares in size. Gordion is the type site of Phrygian civilization, and its well-preserved destruction level of c. 800 BCE is a chronological linchpin in the region. The long tradition of tumuli at the site is an important record of elite monumentality and burial practice during the Iron Age.

In 2023, Gordion was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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👉 Gordium in the context of Gordian Knot

The cutting of the Gordian Knot is an Ancient Greek legend associated with Alexander the Great in Gordium in Phrygia, regarding a complex knot that tied an oxcart. Reputedly, whoever could untie it would be destined to rule all of Asia. In 333 BC, Alexander was challenged to untie the knot. Instead of untangling it laboriously as everyone expected, he dramatically cut through it with his sword. This is used as a metaphor for inventing an unexpected method to solve a seemingly intractable problem.

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Gordium in the context of Porsuk River

39°42′N 31°59′E / 39.700°N 31.983°E / 39.700; 31.983 The Porsuk River also Kocasu-Porsuk River (Turkish: Porsuk Çayı, Kocasu-Porsuk Çayı), ancient Tembris, is a river in Turkey, that flows for 448 km (278 mi). The city of Eskişehir is located on the banks of this river. The river is dammed by the Porsuk dam, forming large reservoirs. The Porsuk flows into the Sakarya River near the town of Polatlı, ancient Gordium.

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