User:Fibonacci/sandbox
Well, this is my sandbox. What for? I don't know.
Geographical location
Antioch is in the Turkish Lake District, which is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Aegean and Central Anatolian regions. The site lies approximately 1km northeast of Yalvaç, the modern town of Isparta province. The city is on a hill with its highest point of 1236m in the north.
The city is surrounded by, on the east the deep ravine of the Anthius River which flows into Lake Egirdir, with the Sultan Mountains to the northeast, Mount Karakus to the north, Kızıldag (Red Mountain) to the southeast, Kirişli Mountain and the northern shore of Lake Egirdir to the southwest.
Although very close to Mediterranean on the map, the warm climate of the south cannot pass the height of the Taurus Mountains. Owing to the climate, there is no timberland but crop plants grow in areas provided with water from the Sultan Mountains, whose annual average rainfall is c. 1000m³ on the peaks and 500mm³ on the slopes. This water feeds the plateau and Antioch. Other Pisidian cities Neapolis, Tyriacum, Laodiceia, Katakekaumene and Philomelium founded on the slopes, benefited from this fertility.
The acropolis has an area of 46 hectares and is surrounded by fortified defence walls. The Territorium of the settlement can be seen from the Temple of Men in the sanctuary of Men Askaenos on a hill to the southeast. The Territorium of the city is estimated to have been approximately 1400 square km. in ancient times. According to the 1950 census, there were 40 villages with 50,000 people living in the area. The population during the Roman period must have been a little more than this.
The constantly irrigated fertile soil of the land is very suitable for growing fruits and for husbandry. For the veterans (retired Roman legionaries) who came from poorer parts of Italy during the Roman period, agriculture must have been the driving force for integration of the colonies into the area. The modern town Yalvaç is the second biggest in Isparta province with an area of 14,000km² The population in the centre is 35,000, the total is c. 100,000. The town is 230km from Antalya, 180km from Konya, 105km from Isparta and 50km from Akşehir, via the main road.