CAPE JASON
Category: Anatolian Civilisations
Civilisation: Greek / Georgian
CAPE JASON & THE BYZANTINE CHURCH
THE CAPE THAT WAS NAMED AFTER JASON & THE ARGONOUTS
Cape Jason (Turkish: Yason Burnu) is a cape located at Çaytepe / Çaka villages, Perşembe (formerly Vona) district, Ordu Province, Turkey (the North East Shores of Turkey). Its name is derived from the Greek mythological hero Jason of the Argonauts.
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Cape Jason harkens back to ancient times when a temple of Jason stood at the edge of the sea, protecting the sailors of Black Sea's treacherous waters. A church later replaced the temple with a similar mission. It now sits in total solitude in an overgrown cornfield next to a lighthouse overlooking the roaring waves of the Pontus.
Jason was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He was also the great-grandson of the messenger god Hermes, through his mother's side.
Jason appeared in various literary works in the classical world of Greece and Rome, including the epic poem Argonautica and the tragedy Medea.
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Cape Jason Natural and Archeological Site is on the borders of Çaytepe village in Perşembe county, on a small peninsula facing the sea. This area is currently a governmental environmental protection area, classified as second degree. The church still stands here, with the ruins of its garden wall. Parts of these ruins can be found all over the coast of the sea as well. Ancient ports and fish breeding pools can also still be seen today.
A church is located on Cape Jason. It was built in 1868 by Georgians and by some Greeks who were living in the region.
