Third Military Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

The Third Military Gate of the Theodosian Walls, known in Greek sources as the Gate of the Third, takes its name from the quarter of the Triton that lay just behind it. Positioned between the Gate of the Spring (Silivrikapı) to the south and the Gate of Rhegion (Yeni Mevlevihane Kapısı) to the north, the gate is located precisely between towers 39 and 40 of the mighty land walls, in the Mevlanakapı Neighbourhood of the Fatih district of the city.

Third Military Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople can be seen on the right
Third Military Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople can be seen on the right

February 2026 in Turkish archaeology

February 2026 brought an extraordinary sweep of archaeological discoveries and heritage developments across Türkiye, spanning from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman era. In central Anatolia, a Hittite ritual vessel from Eskiyapar and fresh perspectives on the Topada Inscription illuminated the religious and political world of the second and first millennia BCE, while at Beycesultan a 3,900-year-old indigo-dyed textile reshaped understanding of Bronze Age technology. In the east, newly uncovered Urartian inscriptions at Körzüt Fortress offered rare historical testimony from the reign of King Minua, and in Trabzon an exceptionally rare ancient river port was identified deep beneath the modern city. Roman and Late Antique heritage also featured prominently, from Nilotic mosaics at Edessa and thousands of hydriskoi at Aigai to ongoing work at Pisidian Antioch and the management overhaul at Ephesus. Alongside these discoveries, major conservation and restoration projects — from Selimiye Mosque and Yenikapı's shipwrecks to earthquake-affected museums and monuments — underscored Türkiye's continuing efforts to preserve and reinterpret its layered past.

Merchantman of the open seas, 4th-5th century CE, from the exhibition 'Stories From the Hidden Harbor: Shipwrecks of Yenikapı' that was closed in 2014
Merchantman of the open seas, 4th-5th century CE, from the exhibition 'Stories From the Hidden Harbor: Shipwrecks of Yenikapı' that was closed in 2014

Mihrimah Sultan – the Radiant Princess of the Ottoman Renaissance

Mihrimah Sultan (1522–1578) was one of the most remarkable women of the Ottoman Empire's classical age — a princess whose life intertwined imperial politics, family devotion, and visionary patronage of architecture. The only daughter of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and his influential consort Hürrem Sultan (also known as Roxelana), Mihrimah grew up in the opulent surroundings of the Topkapı Palace, at the very heart of the empire's power. Her name, meaning "Sun and Moon," would prove fitting for a woman who illuminated her era through intellect, diplomacy, and enduring monuments of stone and light.
Titian's supposed portrait of Mihrimah, entitled Cameria, Daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent as St. Catherine, Public Domain
Titian's supposed portrait of Mihrimah, entitled Cameria, Daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent as St. Catherine, Public Domain

Tags: 

January 2026 in Turkish archaeology

January 2026 brought a concentrated wave of archaeological breakthroughs in Turkey, spanning nearly a million years of human history. Highlights included new evidence pushing early human presence in Anatolia deep into the Ice Age, transformative Neolithic research at Çayönü Hill and Çatalhöyük, and a 7,500-year-old stone seal from the Upper Euphrates. Ancient power structures were rethought through an 8th-century BCE Phrygian royal tomb far from Gordion and the first local Aramaic inscription of the Hellenistic Kingdom of Sophene, offering rare written insight into elite identity in eastern Anatolia. Classical discoveries ranged from a Hermes head at Laodikeia to a unique Roman thermal complex at Myra, alongside striking evidence of early medicine from prehistoric cranial surgery to Roman pharmaceutical practice. Medieval and later periods rounded out the month with exceptional finds at Hasankeyf, early Turkish graves in Europe, and renewed focus on conserving Turkey's vast architectural and cultural heritage.

Ancient Laodicea
Ancient Laodicea

Sitti Şah – The Forgotten Bride of Edirne

The vast meadows along the banks of the Tunca River shimmered in the summer light, stretching like a green sea beneath the walls of Edirne. It was here, most likely, that one of the grandest royal celebrations of the 15th century took place: the wedding of young Prince Mehmed, the future Mehmed the Conqueror, and Sitti Şah, daughter of Süleyman Bey, the sixth ruler of the Dulkadir principality. Chronicler Aşıkpaşazade left behind a detailed account of the preparations and festivities, describing an event as monumental as the destiny of the groom himself.
Sitti Şah Sultan Mosque in Edirne
Sitti Şah Sultan Mosque in Edirne

Tags: 

Pages

Subscribe to Turkish Archaeological News RSS