Beautiful coin of ancient Ura, a mysterious city in Hittite times which is assumed to lie just West of Cilicia, in the same region as the likewise important city of Kelenderis.
The presumed location is on the coast of modern Turkey directly north of Cyprus, my birthplace. Chronicles mention the city as an important port where the shipment of grains was imported from the port of Ugarit in Syria.
The city is mentioned in the Neriglissar chronicle, which mentions that The Neo-Babylonian king Neriglissar, who ruled between 560-556 BC, defeated the local king Appuaśu and sacked his royal city Ura. A few years after his rule, the Neo Babylonian empire collapsed to give way to the Persians.
This coin was minted around 450 BC, a century after this battle occurred when the whole of Asia Minor was under Achaemenid Persian rule. Cilicia enjoyed relative autonomy under the Persians and her coinage retained its unique beauty and character.
The stag as the symbol of the cult of Artemis is common in ancient coinage and the image of the fortress probably reflected the actual walls protecting the city.
Ani Der Nishanian As always, a very interesting post by Joseph Sarkissian
