Midas City | archeologische gids

Ben Claasz Coockson was born in The Hague, The Netherlands, where he owned and ran an archaeological fieldworkin Syria and Turkey. Having developed close bonds with both countries, he permanently moved to Ankara in 1990 where he served for the British Institute for Archaeology at Ankara (BIAA) until 1995 and taught classes in the Department of Archaeology at Bilkent University from 1997 to 2011.

Over the course of thirty years of active fieldwork Ben has taken different roles on many archaeological projects, including Ilipinar Höyük, Hacimucalar Höyük, Tell Hammam et-Turkman, Titris Höyük, Kerkenes, Barcin Höyük, Tell Ragai, Tell Atchana, Gre Amer, Kültepe, Tell Sabi Abyad, Oymaagaç Höyük, Tibes Höyük, Pasalar, Mentese Höyük, Aphrodisias and Göbeklitepe.

Since 2012 Ben has been a founding partner of Midas Han, a hotel & camping centre within the Highlands of Phrygia near Eskesehir. He has been organising hikes and tours in and around Midas City, which resulted in this guidebook aiming visitors through the monuments of the site.