Sites in Bithynium-Claudiopolis (modern Bolu)
My family recently vacationed in the mountains just north of Bolu. This was our first visit to the city, and we loved the area. Here is a synthesis of my research on the city’s Roman history and archaeological remains, along with helpful publications.
The City’s History
Bithynium-Claudiopolis was a leading city in the Roman province of Bithynia. The city was (and still is) strategically located on the natural travel route that connects Constantinople/Istanbul with Ancyra/Ankara. The ancient city is not mentioned in the NT. However, 1 Peter was addressed to Bithynia (1:1), so Christians in the city may have received the letter.
Originally known as Bithynium, the city dates back to the 7C BCE. Little is known about its Hellenistic history. In 74 BCE, the Bithynian king, Nicomedes IV, died and bequeathed his territory to Rome. At that point, Bithynia became a Roman province, and Bithynium was one of its 12 leading cities. After the Third Mithridatic War, Pompey merged Bithynia with western Pontus in 64 BCE.
In the mid-1st century CE, the city’s name changed to Claudiopolis to honor Emperor Claudius (r. 41–54). The community had an independent city council and minted its own coinage in the Roman era.
Claudiopolis gained importance during Hadrian’s reign (117–38). In 130 CE, Hadrian’s young lover, Antinous, drowned in the Nile River. In response, Hadrian established an empire-wide cult to honor Antinous. Since Antinous came from Claudiopolis, the city received much imperial attention. Hadrian declared Antinous the city’s protector and built a monumental temple, with public games every five years. Around the same time, a stadium was (re)built in honor of Hadrian. The city’s name changed again to Hadrianon Claudiopoletian and was sometimes referred to as Beithyneion Hadrianon on coins.
In the early 400s, Claudiopolis became the capital of the late-antique province of Honorias. The city’s fortunes declined in the Byzantine era, but it has remained settled to the present day. The contemporary city of Bolu is known as a conservative agricultural community.
The Roman Stadium
The main surviving structure in Bolu is the Roman stadium in the city center. It dates to around 130 CE. An exposed seating area runs 94 meters long. Elaborate staircases divide the rows into 16 sections (kerkis). The deepest part preserves five rows with the balustrade (barrier wall), and it tapers down to one row at the eastern end.
Because the stadium was built onto a south-facing slope, I assumed that it had seating only on the north side. But older publications note that parts of the south seating area (presumably with a vaulted substructure) were destroyed during road construction in 1933 and 1972. The stadium had a sphendone (the rounded section) on the west end. The dedicatory inscription lies at the Archaeology Museum (discussed below).
Apparently, Claudiopolis was the only Bithynian city to have a stadium (Nicomedia had a hippodrome/circus). It possibly also had a second stadium, which was also rare. Such monumental structures indicate the city’s prominence.
A news report of the stadium provides a nice summary here.
Davut Yiğitpaşa, “Re-Assessment Of The Claudiopolis Stadion Rescue Excavation In 2008” (Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology, 2023) serves as a final report of the stadium, based on his 2022 (re)excavations, here. The stadium was initially uncovered in 2008, and that publication is Güneş, M. Y., “Bolu İli, Merkez İlçe, Stadion Kurtarma Kazısı, 2008” (18. Müze Çalışmaları ve Kurtarma Kazıları Sempozyumu, 2010): 159-173, unavailable online.
Davut Yiğitpaşa, “Bolu/Claudiopolis Stadion Kazısı ve Köşk (Konak) Hamamı” (KAREN, 2025) analyzes the remains of a late-Ottoman private bath (hamam) above the eastern end of the seating, here.
Bolu Archaeology Museum
The Bolu Archaeology Museum, located downtown, has a large open-air garden, mostly with inscriptions from the Roman Imperial era. Most inscriptions had helpful signage with the Greek text along with translations in Turkish and English. Mustafa Adak et al. “Neue Inschriften im Museum von Bolu (Bithynion/Klaudiupolis)” (Gephyra, 2008): 73–120, presents 40 unpublished inscriptions at the Bolu Museum, from Claudiopolis and surrounding areas, here.
The most notable inscription is the stadium dedicatory inscription. It stands along the wall next to the Museum entrance. It fronted the wall that separated the athletic arena from the tribune seating. The original inscription was 20 meters in length and 1 meter tall. Seven of its eleven thin marble plates have been preserved. Two lines of regular letters, 11.5 cm/ 4.5 inches tall, describe how a local family dedicated the structure to Hadrian. The inscription reads:
“To Emperor Caesar, to the grandson of the god Nerva, to the son of the god Trajan Parthicus, to Trajan Hadrian Augustus, the high priest, the greatest, of tribunician power for the … time], consul for the ….times, father of the fatherland, and to his house, and to the sacred senate, and to the people of the Romans, and to the council and to the people of the Claudiopolitans: Claudia Procla and Aplotios Iulianus, as promised to Gn(aeus) Domitius Ponticus Iulianus and of his daughters, built and dedicated the stadium with their own money.” (author’s translation)
Also notable are the remains of Hadrian’s Temple to Antinous. Several drums, part of the architrave, and a fragment of the inscription stand in the garden behind the building. These were excavated from the acropolis (Hisartepe) in 1978, in the dirt lot just west of Bolu Anadolu Lisesi (here on Google Maps). I was unable to visit the area, though I would be surprised if any remains are left there. The publication was Bedri Yalman, “Bolu Hisartepe Kazısında Bulunan Tapınak Kalıntısı” (Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu, 1986): 435-450, unavailable online.
If you get a chance to visit Bolu, ancient Cladioapolis is certainly worth a few hours to explore.
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