Ramsay, William Mitchell: The cities and bishoprics of Phrygia: being an essay of the local history of Phrygia from the earliest time to the Turkish conquest (Band 1,2): West and West-Central Phrygia (Oxford, 1897)

572 XIII. THE BANAZ-OVA.

An easy approach to Banaz-Ova is from the Eumenian valley. This
was used by Manuel Conmenus in 1175, when he advanced from the
Ehyndacos to the plains of Lampe (p. 227), and again in 1176, when
he advanced from the Lycos by Baklan-Ova (Lakerion) to drive the
nomad Turks out of Banaz-Ova (Panasion): see pp. 21, 239. It is
probable that the trade of Pepouza and Bria, possibly also that of
Sebaste, found its way by this path down the Maeander valley to
Ephesos in the Graeco-Roman period.

Entrance to Banaz-Ova is absolutely barred on E. by Burgas-Dagh1,
except at the NE. corner. Here two roads enter Banaz-Ova. One
comes from Sandykli-Ova (the Pentapolis) through the Moxeanoi and
down the stream which flows past Dokela and Akmonia into Banaz-
Tchai: this road is barred by mountains from any connexion east of
the Pentapolis. The other comes down the Hamman-Su to its junc-
tion with Banaz-Tchai at Islam-Keui; and four miles further south
it meets the Akmonian road near Susuz-Keui. This is the one and
only line of trade leading out from Banaz-Ova to N. and E.; and
Islam-Keui or Susuz-Keui2 must have been an exceedingly important
knot of communication in the busy times of the Roman Empire.
It holds the key of the whole valley: it is the open door towards
which many tracks converge.

Communication is easy across the northern part of the Banaz-Ova;
but in the centre and south the great canons of the rivers and of all
their tributaries, with perpendicular walls, 500 to 900 ft. high, impede
anything like heavy traffic. Hence even a path so far to N. as the
road direct from Philadelpheia and Ine to Sebaste is difficult; and it
seems to me possible that Sebastene trade went to Laodiceia and
Ephesos. Further S. than that line, trading communication across
Banaz-Ova is not to be thought of. Even N. of it, the explorer
observes that the line of communication between two places tends to
keep N. of the straight air-line between them, in order to take the
canons more easily.

The character of the country and the roads did not escape that
excellent traveller, Hamilton. He says, II p. 159, 'I now became
fully alive to the difficulties of getting through this part of the

1 M. Radet differs, probably from want knot of the roads ; but of old the pecu-
of personal survey, see p. 597 note. liar situation and importance of Ak-

2 The two villages are in the same monia (Ch. XIV) made the roads con-
narrow entrance, on the same road. In centrate at Susuz-Keui, which thus
respect of natural advantages they are became the market of the fortress
almost equal. Islam-Keui is now the Akmonia: see § 13.