New Observations and Assessments on the Historical Geography of Isauria

This paper will present assessments based on observations made in recent years on the settlement geography of Germanikopolis and its surroundings, located between Lykaonia and Rough Cilicia in Isauria, one of the highest regions of the Taurus Mountains. The socio-cultural structure of the people living in the settlements located in the Isauria region during the Late Antique period and early Byzantine era shows that a more widespread settlement network emerged between the Central Anatolian plateau and the Mediterranean coast, starting from the Late Antique period and continuing into later periods. This paper will investigate which of these cities played a central role in commercial activities and the transport network in the region during the Late Antique period and the role they played in trade between the Mediterranean coast and Central Anatolia through their road connections.