May of 2020 was the month of many restoration projects. The restoration of the 800-year-old Obruk Han in Konya Province, built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, was continued. Meanwhile, restoration work was resumed on the historical Sümela Monastery, in the northern Trabzon province. The restoration work had been suspended due to adverse weather conditions and as part of measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, Mor Kiryakus Monastery, built on a 2,500 square meter area in Batman in the 5th century, is planned to be restored in three stages. Finally, it was announced that a historical clock tower in Antalya, one of the landmarks of the touristic Mediterranean province, will return to its original state after undergoing restoration.
Turkish Archaeological News collects the most important, interesting and inspiring news from Turkish excavation sites. Here's the review for May 2020. Have we missed anything? Let us know by using Contact tab!
May 1, 2020
Historical art experts bring 86,000 works to life
Nearly 86,000 historical artifacts registered in the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums have been maintained and repaired in order to bring them to life and display them in museums. Some 2,600 historical artifacts were restored in the first three months of the year, although implementation activities were minimized within the scope of the new type of coronavirus measures. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Edirne Palace excavations to show rise of Ottomans from principality to empire
Excavation work has been extended by presidential decree on the Edirne Palace – also known as the Saray-ı Cedide-i Amire (New Imperial Palace) – the site from where the Ottoman Empire rose to magnificence. The work has been tasked to Trakya University (TU), which will continue excavation work for 12 months. Source: Daily Sabah
May 4, 2020
Ara Güler İzmir exhibition goes online with Arkas
The Arkas Art Center in İzmir, which opened Ara Güler’s exhibition titled “Hello İzmir” on Feb. 22, but temporarily closed to visitors soon later due to the COVID-109 outbreak, opened the exhibition once again on May 1 on its website. At the exhibition, prepared by Arkas Art Center in collaboration with Ara Güler Archive and Research Center and Ara Güler Museum, presents Güler’s never-before-seen photographs of İzmir and its surrounding regions. Featuring İzmir from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s, original black and white darkroom photographs, the exhibition shows the transformation of ancient cities such as Ephesus, İzmir Agora, Bergama and Allianoi see the light of day for the first time. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 7, 2020
Land of the Hittites deserted after pandemic
The archaeological sites in the Central Anatolian province of Çorum, home to the Hittite capital Hattusha and Alacahöyük, which has the title of Turkey’s first national excavation area, are now empty due to the coronavirus pandemic and waiting to welcome excavation teams and visitors again. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Obruk Han to be restored for tourism
The restoration of the 800-year-old Obruk Han (inn), built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, and landscaping works of the 180-meter-wide (590-feet-wide) Kızören Obruğu (pothole) located right next to it, continues under the guidance of Konya’s central Karatay District Municipality. Source: Daily Sabah
May 8, 2020
Inscription unearthed in ancient city of Patara
Chief excavator Prof. Havva İşkan Işık of Akdeniz University told Anadolu Agency that during their work at the ancient theater, they identified an inscription honoring one of the important citizens living in ancient times in Patara. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 13, 2020
Restoration work resumes at Sümela Monastery
Restoration work has resumed on the historical Sümela Monastery, located in the Maçka district in the northern Trabzon province, a major religious tourism hub in Turkey. The restoration work had been suspended due to adverse weather conditions and as part of measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Source: Daily Sabah
Istanbul police seize over 70 historical artifacts
More than 70 historical artifacts were seized in an operation in Istanbul, a security source said on May 13. Acting on a tip-off, anti-smuggling teams conducted an operation in an art house on May 12 in Şişli district of the metropolis, the source said on condition of anonymity. A suspect was arrested and 78 historical artifacts were seized, the source added. Source: Daily Sabah
May 14, 2020
Batman’s Mor Kiryakus Monastery to serve tourism with renovation
The Mor Kiryakus Monastery, built on a 2,500 square meter area in Batman in the 5th century, is planned to be restored in three stages. The first phase of the restoration works at the Mor Kiryakus Monastery in Beşiri district of the southeastern province of Batman has ended. The monastery, which was built on a 2,500 square meter area by Syriac Christians in the 5th century in the village of Ayrancı on the skirts of Mount Kıra is planned to be restored in three stages. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 16, 2020
Paintings in Topkapı Palace storage to be displayed
The National Palaces Administration, which is temporarily closed to visitors in efforts to protect public health within the measures taken against the novel coronavirus, continues its restoration works within alternating and flexible working hours. In the National Palaces Painting Restoration Workshop, 200 of the 270 works that were brought from Topkapı Palace are being restored first. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Olympus excavations to start in July
Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Olympus in the southern province of Antalya’s Kumluca district will start in July in the episcopal palace, which was used as a sacred area in the Roman and Byzantine eras. The works will be carried out simultaneously with the restoration works in the acropolis and necropolis areas. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 17, 2020
Centuries-old gold engravings found in mosque
An excavation team was taken aback when they stumbled upon unique handmade gold and original ornaments while unearthing in the restoration works of the 400-year-old Tekeli Mehmet Pasha Mosque, one of the iconic mosques in the southern province of Antalya. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 22, 2020
Landmark of resort city to return to its original state after restoration
A historical clock tower in Antalya, one of the landmarks of the touristic Mediterranean province, will return to its original state after undergoing restoration. The pentagonal tower, which was built in the Byzantine period in the 9th century, was converted into a clock tower after new historical stones in the shape of squares were added to it in the beginning of the 1900’s. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 26, 2020
Statue of woman found in Patara
The 1,900-year-old statue of a woman unearthed in the ancient city of Patara has created a sense of excitement among archaeologists, who have been continuing their excavations in the ancient city after the declaration of 2020 as the “Year of Patara.” Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Ottoman fountain to be brought to life
A historical fountain built in 1909 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet Reşad in the Marmara province of Yalova will be restored. The fountain, which has a height of 3.65 meters and a width of 2.20 meters, is located in the village of Güneyköy, where the grandchildren of people who migrated from Dagestan in the 1880’s live. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 27, 2020
Ancient theater to host art lovers again
The Western (Hellenistic) Theater in the Ancient City of Laodicea, which dates back 2,200 years and was found to have been entered with a ticket system like today’s theaters, is preparing to open on Aug. 30 with a capacity of 10,000 people. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 28, 2020
Historians examining ancient sarcophagus find depictions of Trojan War
A marble sarcophagus believed to date back to the second century Roman Empire era and unearthed in 2015 in an olive garden in the northwestern province of Bursa’s İznik district has been determined to be telling the story of the Trojan War. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Dovecotes in ‘Cradle of Civilization’ enchants pigeon enthusiasts
Some 659 dovecotes for pigeons, built centuries ago inside a very steep rock face on a hill at the Ani Ruins located near the middle of two deep bottlenecks of the Arpaçay River on the Turkish-Armenian border, have raised a lot of interest among people. Source: Daily Sabah
May 29, 2020
Mysterious traces of ‘Ancient Road’ in Phrygia
Located in the extensions of the Historical Phrygian Valley in İhsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar, the “Ancient Road” attracts the attention of geologists, archaeologists and art historians from all over the world with its geological structure and mysterious wheel traces that are two meters deep. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
May 31, 2020
Archaeological excavations to start under virus measures
The Culture and Tourism Ministry has unveiled a series of measures to be implemented for archaeological excavations, as the country makes preparations to reopen after having taken the coronavirus outbreak under control. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
