Diokaisareia (also Diocaesarea) today Uzuncaburç, belonged in ancient times to the priest state Olba, whose residential and capital lay about 4 km to the east. Diokaisereia was a holy place and cult centre of the inhabitants of the priesthood. After the state of Olba became Roman, the cult of Zeus gained in importance and the cult place under Tiberius (14-37 AD) with the name Diokaisareia became an independent city with its own coins.

The splendor gate

You enter the town through a magnificent gate, of which five pillars are still preserved. Behind it a colonnade road leads past the temple of Zeus Olbios to the temple of Tyche. There are also five granite columns with Corinthian capitals, connected by mighty architraves with consecration inscriptions.

In the northwest, a three-arched Roman gate leads out of the city.

Another part of the city fortification is the name-giving Uzuncaburç (Turkish for long tower), a five-storey watchtower over twenty metres high in the northern city wall, which can already be seen on ancient coins of Olba.

The temple of Zeus of Diokaisareia is a ring hall temple with 6 columns each at the front and back and 12 columns on the long sides, whereby the corner columns are counted twice.
The base on which the columns stood measures about 21 x 39 meters. The column shafts with their 24 recesses were only faceted in the lower third. The Corinthian capitals of the columns are made of three pieces. The two leaf wreaths of the capitals were each formed from eight leaves. According to remains of building elements scattered in the ruin, the timberwork was of Doric order. The dating of the temple is controversial and varies between the early 3rd century B.C. and the middle of the 2nd century B.C. In Christian times a cathedral was built in the temple. Walls were built between the columns and a cross-shaped baptismal font was set into the ground. The traces of this development have largely disappeared.

The Theater

The theatre, which was excavated not so long ago, had a capacity of 2000 spectators. It's to the left of the magnificent gate. The rows of seats were built in the town hill, while the upper part was built of large, partly still preserved stone blocks. The stage house was unfortunately completely lost in the course of time. Some of the stones can be found in the houses of Uzuncaburç. On one of the preserved cornices of the stage house there is an inscription showing that the theatre was renovated during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Emperor from 161-180 AD) and Lucius Verus (161-169 AD).

Around the city there are several, sometimes very extensive necropolises. About four kilometres away at today's village of Ura was the former living area, the actual town of Olba. In addition to a theatre, a nymphaeum and an aqueduct, numerous rock tombs can also be seen there. (see also the separate page Olba)