June 2026 brought a remarkable series of discoveries that expanded our understanding of Anatolia's deep past. Among the most significant was the identification of a prehistoric painted cave in Malatya's Tohma Canyon, containing nearly 100 human and animal figures as well as geometric symbols, a find that could become one of the most important examples of prehistoric rock art in Türkiye. Equally significant was the announcement from Çemka Höyük in southeastern Türkiye, where 12,000-year-old clay container fragments suggest that pottery technology emerged through much earlier experimentation than previously believed. Archaeologists also uncovered four 8,000-year-old headless female figurines at Kanlıtaş Höyük, offering new insights into Neolithic ritual practices, while research around Mount Nemrut in Bitlis revealed evidence of Palaeolithic occupation, including caves, obsidian workshops and raw material sources. Another striking discovery came from Lifos Mountain near Kayseri, where snowmelt exposed a previously unknown ancient walled sanctuary and settlement complex at an altitude of 2,500 meters.
The month also yielded essential discoveries from later periods. Excavations at Aspendos uncovered a rare third-century CE mosaic depicting the river god Eurymedon, while work at Hadrianopolis in Karabük revealed a 1,750-year-old pithos tomb, the first known example of its type in the inland western Black Sea region. At Blaundos, archaeologists identified a restricted sacred area within a 1,900-year-old temple, shedding new light on local religious practices. Researchers at Termessos documented inscriptions relating to the city's independence and ancient divination rituals, and scholars working at Side advanced the decipherment of the long-lost Sidetic language by identifying 31 letters of its alphabet. Finally, excavations beneath Niksar Castle brought to light an 1,800-year-old Roman arsenal, while a 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablet from Kültepe, preserved inside its original clay envelope, was successfully read without breaking the seal, demonstrating how modern technology continues to reveal new information from some of Anatolia's oldest written records.
Turkish Archaeological News collects the most important, interesting and inspiring news from Turkish excavation sites. Here's the review for June 2026. Have we missed anything? Please let us know by using Contact tab!
June 1, 2026
Roman-period altar stone found at Ottoman site in Kocaeli
A nearly 1,800-year-old altar stone discovered inside the 500-year-old Çoban Mustafa Pasha Complex in the northwestern province of Kocaeli’s Gebze district is shedding light on the region’s layered Roman and Ottoman past. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Karahantepe prepares for new era of preservation
Extensive infrastructure and conservation works are underway at Karahantepe, one of the most significant prehistoric settlements in the Şanlıurfa region, as part of the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s “Heritage for the Future” initiative. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Snowmelt Reveals Ancient Walled Sanctuary 2,500 Meters Up on Lifos Mountain in Türkiye
Snow melting on Lifos Mountain in central Türkiye has exposed the outlines of a vast ancient complex, revealing walls, settlement traces, and water structures on a high volcanic peak overlooking Kayseri and Mount Erciyes. Source: Arkeonews
June 2, 2026
Excavations reveal road to ancient Side’s second main gate
Archaeologists working at the ancient city of Side in the southern province of Antalya have uncovered a major urban artery leading to the site’s second principal gate, along with adjacent side streets, shedding new light on the settlement’s long-term development. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Hebrew gold-inscribed Torahs, manuscripts seized across Türkiye
Turkish security forces have seized several items described as historical artifacts carrying Hebrew, Syriac or Arabic-Hebrew inscriptions since January, with the latest operation taking place in Gaziantep, where three unframed leather panels with gold Hebrew writing were recovered. Source: Türkiye Today
Istanbul's Basilica Cistern temporarily closed to visitors
Istanbul's Basilica Cistern, one of the city's most visited historic landmarks, was temporarily closed to visitors on June 2 after it was evacuated and formally handed over to Türkiye's General Directorate of Foundations. Source: Türkiye Today
June 4, 2026
Court halts Basilica Cistern handover as visitors still kept out
A regional administrative court has suspended the execution of a decision to transfer Istanbul's Basilica Cistern from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to the General Directorate of Foundations, pausing a high-profile ownership dispute over one of the city's most visited historic landmarks. Source: Türkiye Today
Lost Anatolian language Sidetic gains ground as researchers identify 31 letters
Researchers working at the ancient city of Side in Antalya have identified 31 letters in the Sidetic alphabet, offering new clues about a lost Anatolian language once spoken in the region more than 2,000 years ago. Source: Türkiye Today
June 5, 2026
Ancient Ephesus Reopens After Dark as Celsus Library and Marble Streets Glow Under Night Lights
Ephesus night visits have resumed in western Türkiye, giving visitors a rare chance to walk through one of the ancient Mediterranean’s greatest cities after sunset. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
June 6, 2026
A 2,100-year-old funerary stele discovered in ancient Antioch is shedding new light on how women of the Late Hellenistic period were remembered after death, and how local identity was shaped through the image of one of the city’s most powerful divine symbols. Source: Arkeonews
Basilica Cistern reopens in Istanbul, free for Turkish citizens through June
Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern reopened to visitors on June 6 after maintenance and arrangement works were completed, with Turkish citizens allowed to visit the historic site free of charge throughout June. Source: Türkiye Today
Diagoras Pyramid Tomb illuminated after restoration, opened for night visits
The Diagoras Pyramid Tomb in Mugla, one of Türkiye’s rare surviving examples of a pyramid-roofed monumental burial structure, has been illuminated and opened to visitors during nighttime hours following the completion of conservation and landscaping works. Source: Türkiye Today
Ancient obsidian finds reveal Paleolithic past in eastern Türkiye
Scientific research around Mount Nemrut in eastern Türkiye has shown that the history of Bitlis stretches back to the Paleolithic Age, after archaeologists identified caves, rock shelters, obsidian workshops and raw material sources linked to long-term prehistoric activity. Source: Türkiye Today
June 7, 2026
New Study Links Göbekli Tepe’s Vulture Stone to Europe’s Trypillia Culture
A new study compares the carved symbolism of Göbekli Tepe’s Vulture Stone with ritual imagery from the Trypillia culture, suggesting that early farming societies in Anatolia and Eastern Europe may have shared cosmological ideas about time, death, sacred space and the movement of the heavens. Source: Arkeonews
June 8, 2026
Dolmabahçe Palace marks 170 years
One of the most magnificent monuments of the Ottoman Empire’s westernization era, Dolmabahçe Palace is marking the 170th anniversary of its opening this year. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Zoology Museum reopens to visitors
The ESOGÜ Zoology Museum, operating under Eskişehir Osmangazi University and recently granted “private museum” status by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, has reopened to visitors following a relocation and renovation process. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
June 9, 2026
Ancient battlefield of Alexander the Great gains protected status
The battlefield of the Battle of Granicus, regarded as one of the most significant military confrontations in world history, has been granted official protection status in Türkiye’s northwestern province of Çanakkale. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Picnic Area Proposal Beside Gaziantep’s 1,800-Year-Old Roman Bridge Calls for Conservation Caution
A proposal to create a family picnic area beside the Roman-period Septimius Severus Bridge in Gaziantep’s Araban district has drawn attention to a familiar but sensitive question in heritage management: how should ancient monuments be made accessible without exposing them to careless use? Source: Anatolian Archaeology
Archaeologists uncover Neolithic headless figurines in Türkiye
Archaeologists working at the mound of Kanlıtaş in northwestern Türkiye have uncovered four headless female figurines dating back approximately 8,000 years, offering new insight into Neolithic ritual practices involving building closure ceremonies. Source: Daily Sabah
Third of ancient Stratonikeia site finds are from Turkish period
At excavations in the Stratonikeia Ancient City, known as the “City of Gladiators” in the Yatağan district of Muğla, southwestern Türkiye, about one-third of all artifacts uncovered are from the Turkish period, according to the excavation director. Source: Daily Sabah
June 10, 2026
Roman bath in Türkiye’s Yozgat welcomes visitors with thermal water flowing for 2,000 years
The Basilica Therma Roman Bath in Yozgat’s Sarikaya district, widely known as “Kral Kizi,” has begun welcoming more visitors as warmer weather sets in, offering a more comfortable experience after landscaping work around the historic site. Source: Türkiye Today
June 11, 2026
Empty Tombs in Roman Anatolia Reveal How Absence Became Architecture
Cenotaphs in Roman Anatolia were not ordinary graves. They were empty tombs built for the absent dead, and a new scholarly study shows that their architecture varied dramatically, from imperial monuments with marble façades and sculpted friezes to modest symbolic graves made for ordinary people. Source: Arkeonews
Spray-Painted Graffiti Damages Genoese-Era Direkli Kaya in Amasra
A formal inspection has been launched after spray-painted graffiti was found on Direkli Kaya, a historic coastal landmark in Amasra, Bartın Province, believed to date back to the Genoese period. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
June 12, 2026
Eastern Türkiye archeopark project aims to uncover Erzincan’s hidden history
Erzincan, a city in eastern Türkiye known mainly for its mountain landscape and winter tourism, has launched a new archeopark project aimed at bringing its long-buried historical layers back into public view and turning part of its old settlement area into an open-air museum. Source: Türkiye Today
Troy is Anatolia: Türkiye’s cultural narrative reaches Colosseum
The opening of the “Troy and Rome: Myths, Legends and Stories of the Ancient Mediterranean” exhibition at the Colosseum Archaeological Park marks more than just another major archaeology show. It brings out a longer shift in Türkiye’s cultural policy: the effort to tell Troy not only as a Greek epic or a Roman origin myth, but also as an Anatolian city whose story belongs to the land where it stood. Source: Türkiye Today
Termessos inscriptions reveal independence claim, divination in southern Türkiye
Researchers in Antalya have identified two significant inscriptions near the collapsed gate of ancient Termessos, one declaring the city’s independence and another linked to an ancient divination practice using astragalus bones. Source: Türkiye Today
June 13, 2026
4,000-year-old clay tablet sealed in mud envelope goes on display in central Türkiye
A 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablet from Kultepe Kanesh-Karum, preserved inside a mud envelope, is on display at Kayseri Archaeology Museum after researchers read its contents without breaking the seal. Source: Türkiye Today
Historic mosque in central Türkiye captivates visitors with iron chains
The historic Zincirli Minaret Mosque, dating back to the 18th century, continues to attract public and academic interest due to the iron chains hanging from its minaret. Source: Türkiye Today
Aphrodite’s City of Knidos Enters a New Phase as Ancient Harbor Site Gets Protected Visitor Routes
Work at the Knidos Archaeological Site in Muğla’s Datça district has been completed, introducing new visitor routes, improved parking capacity, and protective measures in areas where direct contact with the sea has caused physical damage. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
June 14, 2026
Prehistoric Painted Cave with Nearly 100 Figures Found in Türkiye’s Tohma Canyon
A newly identified prehistoric cave in eastern Türkiye may become one of the most important painted cave sites ever recorded in Anatolia. Discovered during fieldwork in Malatya’s Tohma Canyon, the cave contains nearly 100 human and animal figures, along with a dense group of geometric symbols painted in red and reddish-brown tones. Source: Arkeonews
June 15, 2026
Patriarchate approves turning historic Buyukada Greek orphanage into hotel
The Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has decided to turn the historic Buyukada Greek Orthodox Orphanage into a hotel, saying the severely damaged wooden landmark can no longer be kept up without a sustainable income model. Source: Türkiye Today
Beneath Niksar Castle in northern Türkiye, a vaulted stone structure identified as a Roman Arsenal is bringing one of the town’s oldest layers back into view. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
June 16, 2026
Topkapı Palace launches expanded night tours
Topkapı Palace, operated by the National Palaces Administration, has reopened its doors for night visits as part of its summer program, offering visitors an expanded route through the historic complex. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Sacred area unearthed inside 1,900-year-old temple in Türkiye
Archaeologists in western Türkiye are uncovering a restricted sacred area inside the North Temple of the ancient city of Blaundos, revealing new details about religious life in a settlement long described as a military garrison city. Source: Daily Sabah
Mysterious Stone Inscriptions Unearthed in Mardin’s Midyat District
Stone blocks bearing mysterious inscriptions have been uncovered during landscaping work in Midyat, a historic district of Mardin known for its stone architecture, old churches, monasteries and long memory of settlement in southeastern Türkiye. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
June 17, 2026
Possible ancient Aramaic inscriptions found during landscaping in Türkiye
Historical stone inscriptions thought to be Aramaic have been uncovered during landscaping work in the Midyat district of Mardin, southeastern Türkiye. Source: Türkiye Today
June 18, 2026
Ayvalık reopens famed Byzantine wreck to divers
1,500-year-old Byzantine shipwreck in the Yellice area of Ayvalık, locally known as “İncirli,” has been opened to recreational diving, marking a significant development for the district’s underwater tourism and maritime archaeology. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Rare river god mosaic uncovered in Türkiye's ancient city of Aspendos
A Roman-period mosaic depicting "Young Eurymedon," the river god associated with ancient Aspendos, has been uncovered during excavations in the city. The discovery offers new evidence regarding Anatolian mosaic art from the third century AD. Source: Türkiye Today
Historic Haydarpasa Station regains its silhouette in Istanbul
Exterior restoration of the Haydarpasa Railway Station, one of Istanbul's most recognizable landmarks, has largely been completed, new drone footage shows. Work has now shifted toward landscaping, ground reinforcement and the waterfront areas around the historic building. Source: Türkiye Today
June 19, 2026
Historic mansion reopened as bookstore and museum
As part of the local Culture Route Project, the historic Topçu Ağa Mansion in the eastern province of Erzurum has been transformed into a living museum, library and bookstore that transports visitors straight into the past. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
June 20, 2026
Cuhaci Han: Istanbul's centuries-old jewelry hub where tradition and trade endure
The historic Cuhaci Han, located near the Nuruosmaniye Mosque on Istanbul’s historic peninsula, continues to operate as one of the city’s longstanding centers for jewelry production and trade, maintaining its commercial significance for nearly 300 years. Source: Türkiye Today
New archaeology, ethnography museum opens in Türkiye's Karaman
A new archaeology and ethnography museum has opened in Ermenek, a district of Karaman province in central-southern Türkiye, with officials presenting the site as a cultural investment aimed at bringing the area's heritage closer to visitors. Source: Türkiye Today
June 21, 2026
A new archaeological season has begun at Kerkenes in Yozgat, central Türkiye, one of the largest Iron Age settlements in Anatolia. This year’s research will focus not only on the city’s monumental architecture but also on archaeological evidence that has been associated with possible Proto-Turkic cultural connections. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
June 22, 2026
Hadrianapolis launches extensive excavation campaign
A large-scale excavation and restoration work will be initiated in the ancient city of Hadrianapolis in the northern province of Karabük, as the archaeological site continues to draw increasing numbers of domestic and international visitors. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
1,750-year-old pithos tomb found in ancient city of Hadrianopolis in Türkiye’s Karabuk
A 1,750-year-old pithos tomb has been uncovered in the ancient city of Hadrianopolis in Karabuk, offering what archaeologists describe as the first documented example of this burial type in the inland western Black Sea region. Source: Türkiye Today
A 4,500-Year-Old Circular Settlement in Türkiye May Become a Living Model of Early Bronze Age Life [https://arkeonews.net/a-4500-year-old-circular-settlement-in-turkiye-may...
A new study proposes bringing part of Demircihöyük, one of western Anatolia’s distinctive Early Bronze Age settlements, back into view through experimental archaeology. Source: Arkeonews
June 23, 2026
Türkiye’s UNESCO-listed 'Ani' reveals layers of medieval history
Excavations are continuing at five different points in Ani, the UNESCO-listed archaeological site in Kars, as teams work to bring out movable and immovable remains linked to the city's layered medieval past. Source: Türkiye Today
Ancient Black Sea castle draws 750,000 visitors after restoration
Unye Castle is one of the most important historic sites on the Black Sea coast. In about a year since it reopened to the public after a major restoration, it has received 750,000 visitors. Source: Türkiye Today
Historic Sirkeci Station to be reborn as Istanbul cultural hub
Türkiye is restoring Istanbul's historic Sirkeci Railway Station into a culture and living center, while preserving its role as a transport hub, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced. Source: Türkiye Today
159 suspected historical artifacts seized in southeastern Türkiye
Authorities in southeastern Türkiye seized 159 items believed to be historical artifacts during an operation in Halfeti, a district of Sanliurfa province, and detained one suspect. Source: Türkiye Today
June 24, 2026
12,000-Year-Old Clay Containers in Türkiye Reveal Pottery Began as an Experiment in Southwest Asia
Fragments of low-fired clay containers from Çemka Höyük in southeastern Türkiye are changing how archaeologists understand the beginning of pottery in South-west Asia. The finds suggest that ceramic technology did not appear suddenly in the seventh millennium BC, but developed through earlier, local experiments with clay, fire, buildings and daily life. Source: Arkeonews
Türkiye's Harran to revive castle moat and historic stone bridge
A historic stone bridge and water system are set to be brought back at Harran Selahaddin Eyyubi Castle Palace in Sanliurfa, where excavations have uncovered remains linked to the old entrance route and the moat surrounding the castle. Source: Türkiye Today
Georgian church in Erzurum risks collapse ahead of tourism push
Local authorities have announced that two historic landmarks in Uzundere, Erzurum—Enguzekapi Castle and Osvank Church—will soon be integrated into the region's tourism network through restoration and landscaping initiatives. Source: Türkiye Today
June 25, 2026
Replicas of Antakya’s artifacts goes on display
An exhibition titled “Displaced Mosaics of Antakya: Reuniting a Scattered Heritage” has opened in Hatay through a collaboration between the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism and the Antakya Art Museum Association (ASM-DER). Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Ephesus Opera and Ballet Festival returns with classics
The ninth International Ephesus Opera and Ballet Festival will be held from June 26 to July 8 at the ancient city of Ephesus and the Bornova Culture and Arts Center. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
3,200-year-old cave apartments in Türkiye’s Sivas await restoration
Arock-cut settlement estimated to be up to 3,200 years old in the Todurge village of Sivas’s Zara district has drawn renewed attention for its unique multi-level structure resembling an apartment complex carved into rock, while residents call for its preservation and tourism development. Source: Türkiye Today
Türkiye's ancient Sümela Monastery reopens after safety works
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the first phase of maintenance and safety work at Sümela Monastery, located in northern Türkiye’s Trabzon province, has been completed and the historic site has reopened to visitors. Source: Daily Sabah
Patara’s ancient water system revived after 2,000 years in Türkiye
A historic water system at the Roman-era City Gate of Patara Ancient City, located in the Kaş district of Türkiye's Antalya, has been restored and put back into operation nearly 2,000 years after it last functioned, revealing a remarkable example of ancient engineering. Source: Daily Sabah
Istanbul police seize over 10,000 artifacts in anti-smuggling operation
Istanbul police seized more than 10,000 historical artifacts and coins during a major anti-smuggling operation in the Beykoz district. Authorities described the bust as one of the largest and most significant seizures in the history of the city's anti-smuggling unit. Source: Türkiye Today
Ancient Aramaic inscription reveals early Christians sealed Türkiye's Mithras Temple
A newly deciphered Aramaic inscription has shown that the underground Mithras Temple at Zerzevan Castle in southeastern Türkiye was sealed off by Christians around 1,700 years ago during the Roman Empire, according to researchers working at the site. Source: Türkiye Today
Uşaklı Höyük Excavations Probe Possible Hittite Ritual Area Where Child Remains Were Found
At Uşaklı Höyük in central Türkiye, archaeologists are trying to understand an unusual Hittite ritual space where traces of ceremonies, animal remains, and the remains of children have become one of the most closely studied parts of the excavation. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
June 26, 2026
Türkiye starts high-tech conservation of WWI wrecks in Çanakkale Strait
Beneath the historic waters of the Çanakkale Strait in northwestern Türkiye's Çanakkale, where the course of World War I was fundamentally altered more than a century ago, a silent fleet of steel and iron rests on the seafloor. Source: Daily Sabah
June 28, 2026
1,500-year-old Smyrna mosaics reveal hidden messages in sacred motifs and ivy
A1,500-year-old mosaic discovered at the ancient city of Smyrna in Izmir is providing archaeologists with valuable insights into the symbolic world, beliefs and artistic traditions of Late Antiquity. Source: Türkiye Today
June 30, 2026
Japanese archaeologist uncovers traces of Anatolia's ancient past at Buklukale
Excavations led by Japanese archaeologist Associate Professor Kimiyoshi Matsumura in Türkiye's central Kirikkale province are bringing to light traces of several civilizations at Buklukale. It's a settlement that may have had direct links with the Hittite capital or the Hittite royal court. Source: Türkiye Today
Arrowheads found at site linked to Battle of Manzikert in Türkiye
Archaeologists working to identify the battlefield of the 1071 Battle of Manzikert – a battle that paved the way for Turkish settlement in Anatolia – have uncovered arrowheads during excavations at a site believed to be a Seljuk-era burial ground. Source: Daily Sabah
A new study of Panaztepe, an Early Bronze Age settlement near modern İzmir in western Türkiye, has revealed one of the earliest and most detailed archaeoseismological records yet documented along the Western Anatolian coast. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
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