Ancient City of Perinthos–Heraclea (Marmara Ereğlisi, Tekirdağ)
Perinthos–Heraclea is an ancient city located on the northern shore of the Sea
of Marmara, within today’s Marmara Ereğlisi district of Tekirdağ Province in
Thrace, northwestern Turkey. The ancient town occupied a small peninsula or
former island connected to the mainland, about 90 km west of Istanbul and
roughly 40–45 km east of Tekirdağ.
(Source: Culture Portal – Perinthos Ancient City
https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/tekirdag/gezilecekyer/perinthos-antik-kenti
and Perinthus – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perinthus)
Originally founded as a Samian colony in the 6th–7th century BC, Perinthos
developed into a major harbor and commercial hub of ancient Thrace. Its
strategic position at the junction of sea lanes and the land route of Via
Egnatia, together with fertile hinterlands, made it one of the most important
trade centers on the northern Propontis coast.
(Source: Anatolian Archaeology – “Perinthos Ancient City with the largest theater in Thrace”
https://www.anatolianarchaeology.net/perinthos-ancient-city-with-the-largest-theater-in-thrace/
The Byzantine Legacy – Herakleia (ancient Perinthos)
https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/herakleia)
Perinthos was famous in antiquity for its stubborn resistance to Philip II of
Macedon in the mid-4th century BC; ancient authors remark that at that time it
was even more flourishing than Byzantium. As both a harbor and a crossroads for
major routes, it hosted large religious festivals, a fact reflected by its rich
coinage.
(Source: Perinthus – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perinthus)
In the Roman Imperial period, Perinthos became the capital of the province of
Thrace (from 46 AD). Under Emperor Diocletian (around 286 AD) the city assumed
the name Heraclea; later sources use forms such as Heraclea Perinthus /
Herakleia Perinthos to distinguish it from other cities called Heraclea.
(Source: REAinfo – “Perinthos/Herakleia, the capital of Roman Province Thrace”
https://reainfo.hypotheses.org/23011
and KURE Encyclopedia – Perinthos Ancient City
https://kureansiklopedi.com/tr/detay/perinthos-ancient-city-3d337)
Today, visitors to Marmara Ereğlisi can still see stretches of the city walls,
the remains of the Heraclea Basilica, traces of the ancient theatre and
street grid, and scattered architectural blocks reused in later structures.
Conservation projects focus on roofing and landscaping the basilica area, while
ongoing excavations and even underwater surveys off the coast continue to
reveal new finds such as harbor installations and a shipwreck.
(Source: Marmara Ereğlisi Municipality – Perinthos–Herakleia Basilica project
https://www.marmaraereglisi.bel.tr/content-1387-perinthos__herakleia_bazilikasi_ust_ortu_ve_cevre_duzenleme_projesi.html
and Arkeoloji Sanat – shipwreck detected in Perinthos
https://www.arkeolojisanat.com/shop/blog/perinthos-antik-kentinde-su-altinda-yapilan-arastirmalarda-gemi-enkazi-tespit-edildi_3_1396940.html)