Power of Place:Ruler, landscape and ritual space at the sanctuaries of Labraunda and Mamurt Kale in Asia Minor

Major sanctuaries often begin as natural shrines in places of intuitive value, regardless of their proximity to urban centers or settlements. It was their location in the landscape that empowered them, drawing the surrounding communities to them and eventually attracting the attention of rulers who turned them into prestigious spaces. Two such sanctuaries in Asia Minor are those of Zeus at Labraunda in the Late Classical period, and Meter at Mamurt Kale in the Hellenistic period. Chronology and region aside, these sanctuaries have several things in common: both occupy commanding positions in the landscape; both were located at frontiers, far from densely populated areas; and both were radically transformed by their respective rulers – Labraunda was monumentalized by Maussollos, satrap of Karia, and Mamurt Kale by Philetairos, founder of the Attalid dynasty at Pergamon. Intertwining ruler ideology with these regional cults was intended to create a new focus for the wider community, and this would have had several repercussions. In an effort to better interpret these transformations, this paper analyzes the impact of landscape, architecture, and ritual space at these sanctuaries and draws on theories from cognitive science, ritual studies, and game theory to understand the mechanisms that were at work