Trip to Sagalassos

The fountain was built when Marcus Aurelius was emperor, the Roman ruler after whom the whole Antonine dynasty is named.He's actually one of my favorites, more for his ideas than for his empire.During his time, Sagalassos was at its peak.Because of its exports of ceramics and olives, the city was very wealthy.The olive tree is such a productive plant that it even grows on top of a mountain.The fountain had a useful purpose, but it was also meant to impress visitors.It was Sagalassos showing off to Rome, proving how rich they were.It really was just Sagalassos flexing in front of Rome.The water that reached the fountain came from amazing mountain springs higher up the slopes through a hidden aqueduct system.