The archaeologists were rather busy in July of 2019, excavating the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in Turkey's northern Karabük province, unearthing a cistern storing fresh water dating back to the medieval era in the ancient city of Tium, and continuing the research in the Ayanis castle, built by the Urartian King Rusa II on a hill overlooking Lake Van. Moreover, excavation works on Tetrapylon Avenue of the ancient city of Aphrodisias in western Turkey's Aydın province will soon be completed.
Turkish Archaeological News collects the most important, interesting and inspiring news from Turkish excavation sites. Here's the review for July 2019. Have we missed anything? Let us know by using Contact tab!
July 2, 2019
Archaeologists restart excavations at ancient Christian pilgrimage site in northern Turkey
Excavation works at the ancient city of Hadrianopolis have been restarted to unearth rare mosaics and Christian pilgrimage site in Turkey's northern Karabük province, with the aim to protect and preserve the artifacts and open the site for tourism. Source: Daily Sabah
1,200-square-meter mosaic to open to visitors in southern Turkey's Hatay
Visitors to southern Turkey will soon be able to see a huge intact mosaic some 1,300 years old being unveiled after nine years of hard archaeological work. It has been dubbed the world's largest one-piece mosaic. Source: Daily Sabah
July 3, 2019
Excavation works on an ancient memorial rock bearing hieroglyphic engravings, believed to have remained from the Hittite Empire and be one of the few examples of its kind in Turkey, have commenced in central Kırşehir province, officials from the excavation team said Wednesday. Source: Daily Sabah
July 5, 2019
Medieval water tank discovered in ancient city in northern Turkey
Archaeologists unearthed a cistern storing fresh water dating back to the medieval era in the ancient city of Tium located in northern Turkey. The discovery is expected to attract more tourists to the ancient city, known as the "Ephesus of the Black Sea." Source: Daily Sabah
7.5 million-year-old giraffe fossil discovered in central Turkey
A 7.5 million-year-old giraffe fossil was discovered in Kayseri, central Turkey, the provincial municipality said in a statement Friday. The giraffe fossil was unearthed near the Yamula Dam in the Taşhan neighborhood during excavation works, which were launched after a shepherd discovered another animal fossil in the area. Source: Daily Sabah
July 8, 2019
Historic Hasankeyf castle in southeastern Turkey to welcome visitors soon
The historic Hasankeyf castle in a thousands-of-years-old town in southeastern Turkey's Batman province will be taken under full-scale protection against rising water levels from the reservoir of a recently-established dam in the nearby area, while ancient artifacts within the castle will either be transported or reinforced and displayed to visitors. Source: Daily Sabah
July 9, 2019
3,000-year-old 'sacred way' to be unearthed in southern Turkey's Muğla
A 3,000-year-old "sacred way" that connects two Carian cities in Turkey's southern Muğla province will be unearthed after excavations that will also reveal ancient graves at the site. Located between the ancient cities of Stratonicea and Lagina, the sacred road had been used as a ceremonial way during religious ceremonies. Source: Daily Sabah
Turkish Citizen Arrested for Smuggling Hundreds of Ancient Greek Coins
Officers at the customs office of Kipoi (on the border with Turkey) confiscated 1,055 ancient Greek coins from a Turkish national on Tuesday, after a search was carried out when the suspect was entering the country from Turkey. Source: Greek Reporter
July 12, 2019
Unique ancient terracotta tomb found at olive grove in Turkey's Bursa
Archaeologists carrying out excavations at an olive grove in Turkey's northwestern Bursa province have discovered a terracotta tomb from the late Roman period, reports said Friday. Source: Daily Sabah
July 15, 2019
Gladiator arena found at ancient city in Turkey to shed light on region's history
Excavations at an amphitheater that served as a battlefield for gladiators in the ancient city of Anavarza (Anazarbus) in southern Turkey's Adana province will shed light on the history of gladiator fights in Anatolia. Source: Daily Sabah
July 18, 2019
Sagalassos’ intriguing history draws tourists
The well-preserved architecture in the ancient city of Sagalassos high up in the southwest province of Burdur’s Ağlasun district offers visitors a glimpse back into the Roman era. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
July 20, 2019
Excavations on Tetrapylon avenue of Aphrodisias ancient city in western Turkey near completion
Excavation works on Tetrapylon avenue of the ancient city of Aphrodisias in western Turkey's Aydın province will soon be completed and ready to accept visitors, head of the excavation team said Saturday. Source: Daily Sabah
July 23, 2019
Museum-hotel to display artifacts in their place
Visitors will soon be able to stay in a hotel in the eastern province of Hatay designed around and featuring archaeological finds dating back to the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Medieval and Islamic periods. The museum-hotel concept was inspired by the discovery of the artifacts nine years ago at the hotel construction site in the central district of Antakya. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Avenue of Aphrodisias comes to light
Tetrapylon Street, similar to the modern-day İstiklal Avenue in Istanbul, is being unearthed during excavations in the ancient city of Aphrodisias, one of the best sculpture centers from the Roman period, located in Karacasu district of the western province of Aydın. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
July 24, 2019
Virtual tour in millennia-old Akdamar Church
Witnessing thousands of years of a church’s history that lies in Anatolia is now a click away. As part of its attempt to promote the unique Anatolian heritage to the world, the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications has prepared a website dedicated to the 1,100-year-old Akdamar Church, a medieval Armenian church in Turkey’s eastern Van province. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Ottoman-era mansion in eastern Turkey’s Elazığ to welcome visitors after restoration
A 125-year-old Ottoman-era mansion in eastern Turkey's Elazığ province will serve for touristic purposes once restoration work is completed, the district governor said Tuesday. Source: Daily Sabah
July 25, 2019
Gypsy Girl replica ‘almost ready’ for US museum
The replicas of the 12 pieces of the Gypsy Girl mosaic, brought from the U.S. to the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in the southeastern province of Gaziantep 58 years after it was plundered, are being prepared at the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Mosaic Education Center. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Historical refrigerator discovered in eastern Turkey
A farmer in eastern Turkey uncovered a pre-modern food storage device on July 24 while plowing his field. The device, dating back to the late 1700s, was taken under protection by the Archeology and Ethnography Museum of Elazığ province, according to local officials. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
July 26, 2019
2,300-year-old structure unveiled in northern city
Initiated 10 years ago with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry in Sinop province, excavations at the Balatlar building complex are still ongoing. It has been emphasized that the building complex, the only ancient building in Sinop whose use is known due to its large walls from the late Roman imperial period, has a history dating back 2,300 years. Source: Daily Sabah
July 27, 2019
Secrets of Urartian temple to be revealed
Archaeological excavations have been continuing for 30 years in the Ayanis castle, built by the Urartian King Rusa II on a hill overlooking Lake Van in the eastern province of Van. This year’s works will focus on revealing the architectural secrets of a 2,700 year-old mystic Haldi temple in the castle. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey, Russia dig deep to study Siberian pre-history
Turkish and Russian scientists are studying the prehistoric period of Siberia through joint excavations. Experts from Turkey's Dokuz Eylul University and Russia's Irkutsk State University are heading excavations being carried out between Yenisei and Lena Rivers. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Archeologists have discovered a 1,500-year-old church in Turkey's northern Sinop province, the excavation lead told reporters. Source: Daily Sabah
July 29, 2019
Burial site of Urartian nobles unearthed in eastern Turkey's Van
Archeological excavations have unearthed a burial ground belonging to ninth century B.C. Urartian royals in the Van province of eastern Turkey. Source: Daily Sabah
Centuries-old public bath to be turned into children’s library in western Turkey
A four-century-old building that previously served as a Turkish public bath in western Turkey's Manisa province will be turned into a children's library after restoration. Source: Daily Sabah
July 31, 2019
Kyme, the biggest of the 12 ancient Aeolian cities founded in the middle of the 11th century in İzmir, is now in ruins. Thanks to the maritime trade at the time, the city developed its economy and became one of the first cities to issue coins. Source: Daily Sabah
