In November 2025, Turkish archaeology announced a series of remarkable discoveries spanning eras from prehistory to the Middle Ages. Excavations at Degirmenler Höyük revealed architectural remains predating the Karaz culture, reshaping understanding of early settlements in eastern Anatolia. At Çayönü, archaeologists uncovered a 5,000-year-old building collapsed in an ancient earthquake, offering rare insight into prehistoric seismic events. In Konya, the foundation of one of the twelve monumental Seljuk gates built against the Mongol threat came to light. Eastern Türkiye yielded the best-preserved Urartian wall paintings yet found, hidden within an underground complex near Garibin Tepe. Meanwhile, newly identified 8,000-year-old rock art in Kayseri’s Develi district pushed back the timeline of Anatolia’s early symbolic traditions.
Turkish Archaeological News collects the most important, interesting and inspiring news from Turkish excavation sites. Here's the review for November 2025. Have we missed anything? Please let us know by using Contact tab!
November 1, 2025
Night Museum Experience Begins in Sardis, the Ancient City Where Money Was First Minted
The ancient city of Sardis, once the glittering capital of the Lydian Kingdom and the birthplace of the world’s first coinage, is stepping into a new era. Following its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2025, the site has completed an extensive illumination project that now allows visitors to explore its ruins after sunset. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
Archaeological excavations in Türkiye’s central city of Konya have brought to light the foundation of one of the twelve monumental gates that once guarded the Seljuk capital during the reign of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I (r. 1220–1237). Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 2, 2025
Pope’s visit to Türkiye's Iznik: Why it matters to Christianity
Soon, the small Turkish town of Iznik (Nicaea) will become the center of global Christian attention as Pope Leo XIV is set to visit from Nov. 27 to Nov. 30 to commemorate a council held nearly 1,700 years ago. Source: Daily Sabah
New discoveries at Degirmenler Hoyuk shed light on pre-Karaz architecture
Excavations at Degirmenler Hoyuk in eastern Türkiye have uncovered new architectural traces believed to predate the Karaz culture, offering unprecedented insight into the region’s early settlements. Source: Türkiye Today
November 3, 2025
2,000-year-old curse tablet displayed in Turkish basilica ahead of Pope’s visit
Ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s late-November visit to Iznik, a 2,000-year-old curse tablet is among the artifacts showcased at the historic basilica slated to host him. Source: Türkiye Today
Lycian Way named world’s top hiking route by UK magazine
United Kingdom-based Time Out magazine has named Türkiye's historic Lycian Way, a stunning coastal path stretching along the Mediterranean, the world’s most beautiful hiking trail, placing it first on its list of the top 10 walking routes. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Archaeologists protect 3,000-year-old Urartian paintings in eastern Türkiye’s underground complex
Van’s Tusba district in eastern Türkiye has taken special measures to safeguard what experts describe as the best-preserved Urartian wall paintings discovered to date, found inside a tunnel-like underground complex 6–7 meters below the surface near Garibin Tepe (Hill). Source: Türkiye Today
November 4, 2025
Forbidden City, Topkapı Palace to form cultural bridge between Türkiye and China
China and Türkiye are preparing to take steps toward a major cultural collaboration by linking two of the world’s most iconic palace museums — Beijing’s Forbidden City and Istanbul’s Topkapı palace — in a move to strengthen cultural ties between the two nations through mutual exhibitions that bring together treasures from both imperial legacies. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
5,000-Year-Old Earthquake Collapse Uncovered at Çayönü Mound in Southeastern Türkiye
Archaeologists excavating the prehistoric settlement of Çayönü Tepesi in Diyarbakır’s Ergani district have uncovered the remains of a building that collapsed during a powerful earthquake roughly 5,000 years ago — a rare glimpse into the seismic past of one of Anatolia’s earliest farming communities. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 5, 2025
Restored Atatürk House in Thessaloniki to reopen on Nov 10
The historic Atatürk House in Thessaloniki, Greece — the birthplace of Türkiye’s founding leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk — is set to reopen to visitors on Nov. 10, following the completion of a comprehensive restoration and landscaping project. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Before the Hittites: 8,000-Year-Old Rock Art Discovered in Central Anatolia
Archaeologists have discovered prehistoric rock engravings estimated to be around 8,000 years old in the Develi district of Kayseri, a region located in the heart of Central Anatolia. The discovery, now awaiting official registration, offers rare insight into one of the earliest symbolic traditions known in the region—long before the rise of the Hittite civilization. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 6, 2025
Myra’s figurines on display for the first time
Terracotta figurines dating back to the Hellenistic period, unearthed during excavations in 2020 and 2021 at the ancient city of Myra in Antalya’s Demre district, are being exhibited for the first time as part of the Antalya leg of the Türkiye Culture Route Festival. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Roman City of Pompeiopolis Reconstructed with AI: Ancient Glory Revived in Northern Türkiye
In a pioneering cultural initiative, the ancient Roman city of Pompeiopolis in northern Türkiye’s Kastamonu province has been digitally reconstructed using artificial intelligence, offering a vivid glimpse into the grandeur of the city as it stood nearly 2,000 years ago. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 7, 2025
Traces of ancient trade unearthed in Xanthos excavations
Excavations in the ancient city of Xanthos in Antalya’s Kaş district, the administrative center of the Lycian Civilization and a UNESCO World Heritage site, are revealing evidence of trade from antiquity. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Sanliurfa Archaeology Museum welcomes nearly 1.8M visitors in its first decade
Opened in 2015 near the historic Balikligol area, the Sanliurfa Archaeology Museum has become one of the leading cultural landmarks in Southeastern Türkiye, drawing both domestic and international visitors interested in the region’s deep prehistoric past. The museum has recorded 1,789,209 visitors in the ten years since its inauguration, offering guests the chance to explore around 5,000 artifacts displayed with detailed reconstructions and chronological storytelling. Source: Türkiye Today
Eighty years after the last excavation, the Roman Pool in Bahçeli, a town near Bor in Niğde Province, has revealed an entirely new identity. Once believed to be a mere component of Tyana’s water supply system, the monumental pool has now been identified as part of a Roman healing sanctuary dedicated to the god Asklepios — the divine patron of medicine. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 8, 2025
1,800-Year-Old Cybele Statue Rescued from Looters Now Displayed at Diyarbakır’s İçkale Museum [https://www.anatolianarchaeology.net/1800-year-old-cybele-statue-rescued...
A 1,800-year-old limestone statue believed to represent the Mother Goddess Cybele — once nearly cut apart by looters — has been meticulously restored and placed on public display in the garden of Diyarbakır’s İçkale Museum. Originally brought from Şanlıurfa in 1935, the piece was saved from smugglers by the gendarmerie and now features in the museum’s Road of Civilizations project, which aims to bring previously unseen artifacts into view. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 9, 2025
In the heart of modern industrial İzmir, surrounded by nearly 500 factories, archaeologists have brought to light a remarkable echo of humanity’s first producers. At Ulucak Höyük — the oldest known settlement in the region, dating back 8,850 years — a specialized ceramic production complex from 8,000 years ago has been unearthed. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
Topkapi Palace unveils 'Clock Museum' in restored Imperial Stables, showcasing 300 masterpieces
Topkapi Palace has opened a dedicated “Clock Museum” inside the Has Ahirlar—the palace’s former Imperial Stables—bringing more than 300 restored timepieces from the Directorate of National Palaces' world-class holdings to visitors for the first time. Source: Türkiye Today
Mimar Sinan’s 470-year-old Haramidere Bridge sits abandoned in highway pit in Istanbul
A 470- to 500-year-old stone bridge attributed to master architect Mimar Sinan has been left marooned inside a deep roadside pit beneath the E-5 Highway in Istanbul’s Beylikduzu district. Known as the Haramidere or “Kapi Agasi” Bridge, its elegant silhouette still catches the eye of motorists, yet its story remains largely unknown to those who speed past. Source: Türkiye Today
November 10, 2025
Forgotten Neolithic Settlement in Bilecik: 9,000 Years of History Hidden Beneath the Grass
In western Türkiye, an archaeological discovery once hailed as a milestone in Neolithic research now lies buried under weeds. The 9,000-year-old settlement unearthed in Bilecik’s Bahçelievler district — among the earliest known farming communities of western Anatolia — has been left unprotected, sparking calls from historians and locals to transform it into an open-air museum before time erases it again. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
5,000-year-old carbonized barley unearthed in Van reveals early agriculture in eastern Anatolia
Archaeologists working at Iremir Hoyuk (Mound) in the Gurpinar district of Van, eastern Türkiye, have uncovered carbonized barley grains believed to date back approximately 5,000 years, offering new insight into agricultural practices during the Early Bronze Age in the region. The find was made in a domestic kitchen area where grinding stones, storage vessels, animal bones, and a clay oven were also identified in their original usage positions. Source: Türkiye Today
November 11, 2025
Authorities in Silifke, a district of Mersin in Southern Türkiye, uncovered an unlawful excavation at a construction site inside an archaeological site area—a state-designated protected zone—after heritage objects surfaced in a nearby spoil heap. The contractor was building under museum supervision, yet crews allegedly kept digging “off the books,” leading to damage and disposal of remains dated to the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Source: Türkiye Today
Ancient harbor discovered underwater in Perinthos
Excavations in the 5,000-year-old ancient city of Perinthos in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ's Marmaraereğlisi district have revealed the remains of a harbor structure beneath the sea, according to Professor Zeynep Koçel Erdem from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, who leads the archaeological team. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Gobeklitepe continues to reveal new layers of prehistoric life after 30 years of excavation
Gobeklitepe, located near Sanliurfa in southeastern Türkiye and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, has been at the center of archaeological research for three decades. Source: Türkiye Today
November 12, 2025
Steps restored to original in ancient theater
In Gölyazı, a picturesque neighborhood in the northwestern province of Bursa and ranked among Europe’s most beautiful towns, archaeologists are restoring 42 ancient audience steps to their original spots in the Hellenistic theater of Apollonia ad Rhyndacum, promising fresh insights into the region’s 2,300-year-old past. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Restoration reveals Mimar Sinan’s 450-year-old decorative layers in Selimiye Mosque
The ongoing restoration of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne has sparked new debates after it was revealed that four sections of the main dome contain original patterns dating back to the 16th century. Source: Türkiye Today
Rhodian-style brooch found deep inland in Northwestern Anatolia points to mobility, marriage ties
Archaeologist Professor Erkan Fidan and Professor Emre Erdan, working at the Bahcelievler settlement in Bilecik, inland Northwestern Anatolia, report the discovery of a small bronze “Rhodian-type” fibula—an ancient dress fastener—inside what they interpret as the remains of a cremation grave. Source: Türkiye Today
Ancient funerary stele from Türkiye's Zeugma resurfaces after journey through France, Spain
A funerary stele sold in France on April 11, 2024, and now owned by an antiquarian in Alicante, Spain, has been identified as originating from ancient Zeugma (Seleucia on the Euphrates) in southeastern Türkiye. Source: Türkiye Today
November 13, 2025
How digital archaeology is reconstructing the Battle of Manzikert
Archaeologists in eastern Türkiye are using cutting-edge 3D technology to digitally resurrect the artifacts unearthed at the site of the legendary Battle of Manzikert—a turning point that reshaped the course of Anatolian and world history nearly a thousand years ago. Source: Türkiye Today
1,800-year-old chamber tomb unearthed in Türkiye’s ancient city of Tharsa
Archaeologists in Adiyaman, southeastern Türkiye, have uncovered a remarkably preserved 1,800-year-old chamber tomb at the ancient city of Tharsa, located near Kuyulu village. Source: Türkiye Today
November 14, 2025
Classical-era Zeus Temple found in southern Türkiye after 40 years
Archaeologists have uncovered a section of the long-sought Zeus Temple in the ancient city of Limyra, located in Antalya’s Finike district, southern Türkiye, nearly 40 years after its existence was first recorded in epigraphic sources. Source: Daily Sabah
Underwater World War I park in Türkiye's Gallipoli draws global diving interest
The Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park in northwestern Türkiye has emerged as a major destination for divers who want to explore World War I history beneath the surface. Source: Türkiye Today
Mysterious Stone Structure Near Kars Raises New Questions About an Unstudied Peak
A solitary stone construction perched atop a hill outside Kars is drawing increasing attention, not because anyone understands it, but precisely because no one does. Rising above Bulanık village, the summit known locally as “Ziyaret Tepesi” or “Evliya Tepesi” hosts a five-meter-high structure whose origins remain completely undocumented. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 16, 2025
Nemrut Mountain Turns White: Ancient Colossal Statues Reveal a New Winter Face
A sudden wave of snowfall has transformed Mount Nemrut in Türkiye’s Adıyaman province into a stark winter landscape, giving the world-famous colossal statues a striking new appearance. Perched at 2,206 meters and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mountain’s Hellenistic-era monuments—carved for the Kingdom of Commagene—took on an entirely different character under a thick layer of snow. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 17, 2025
Ancient Hytos Harbor Emerges as Sea Recedes in the Gulf of Erdek
An unusual drop in sea level along the Düzler coastline in Erdek, western Türkiye, has exposed the long-hidden remains of the Hytos Ancient Harbor—a crucial maritime hub of the ancient city of Kyzikos. Over the past few days, the shoreline has retreated by nearly 20 to 30 meters, revealing linear stone structures and sandy islets that normally lie fully submerged. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
Ancient Aramaic inscription uncovered in rural Ardahan now under study at Kars Archaeology Museum
An Aramaic inscription found in a rural village in Ardahan, northeastern Türkiye, has been moved to the Kars Archaeology and Ethnography Museum for detailed analysis, marking the first time such a text has been documented in the Kars–Ardahan region. Source: Türkiye Today
Rock carved Cave Mosque in Sanliurfa welcomes visitors again after decades of silence
A unique underground place of worship in southeastern Türkiye is drawing visitors back after more than half a century of closure, offering a naturally cool interior and a strong sense of spiritual calm. Source: Türkiye Today
4,500 year old Troy finds point to intercontinental trade, wealth
Archaeologists working at the ancient city of Troy in northwestern Türkiye have uncovered 4,500-year-old tool fragments and a seashell bead that they say point to intercontinental trade connections and local wealth, while also helping to clarify the context of a long-debated treasure discovered in the 19th century. Source: Türkiye Today
November 18, 2025
Ancient city of Perre reveals 1,500-year-old Roman household space in southeastern Türkiye
Archaeologists working in Perre, one of the five major cities of the ancient Commagene Kingdom, have uncovered a well-preserved domestic area dating back roughly 1,500 years to the Roman period. Source: Türkiye Today
2,700-Year-Old Luwian Stele Reveals Ancient Name of İvriz Spring and New Details on King Warpalawa
A newly published study has brought surprising clarity to one of Anatolia’s most iconic sacred landscapes. An untranslated Late Iron Age inscription discovered nearly four decades ago near the famous İvriz rock relief has finally been deciphered—revealing not only the ancient name of the İvriz spring but also unexpected details about the 8th-century BCE ruler who commissioned it: Warpalawa, King of Tuwana. Source: Arkeonews
Could Aristotle’s ‘diver’s copper’ have come from Istanbul’s waters? New evidence points to yes
A recently identified underwater copper mine off Heybeliada, an island in the Marmara region near Istanbul, has revived an unusual story that reaches back to Aristotle, to a famous sculpture school in ancient Greece and to a highly specialized trade in so-called “diver’s copper.” Source: Türkiye Today
November 19, 2025
New discoveries expand Türkiye’s underwater heritage
During underwater archaeology surveys conducted off the coast of Muğla’s Fethiye district, an ancient anchorage site where ships moored from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman era, along with three shipwrecks, have been found. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Xanthos: City of those who refused captivity
The ancient city of Xanthos in the tourism hotspot of Antalya’s Kaş district, a UNESCO World Heritage site, draws attention with the story of its people who chose death over captivity and with its remarkably preserved remains. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Ancient Anchorage and Three Shipwrecks Discovered off Fethiye Reveal 4,000 Years of Maritime Traffic
A sweeping underwater survey along the eastern shores of Fethiye in southwestern Türkiye has uncovered an ancient anchorage used continuously from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman period—alongside three shipwrecks that failed to escape sudden storms. The find, made under the Geleceğe Miras (Heritage to the Future) Project authorized by Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, provides a rare cross-section of maritime activity spanning nearly four millennia. Source: Arkeonews
Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Kastabala, located in Türkiye’s southern Osmaniye province, have revealed five additional theatrical mask reliefs, offering new insights into the cultural identity of the region during the Roman period. The discovery was made in the city’s monumental theater, a structure believed to date back to the 1st century AD and constructed under Roman imperial influence. Source: Arkeonews
Rare Aramaic Inscription Discovered in Rural Ardahan Undergoes Expert Analysis in Kars Museum
A rare Aramaic inscription uncovered in a remote village in Ardahan has been transferred to the Kars Archaeology and Ethnography Museum, where specialists have begun a full epigraphic assessment. The stone, preserved in remarkably good condition, represents the first documented example of an Aramaic text from the Kars–Ardahan highlands — a discovery that is already prompting scholars to reconsider cultural interactions along the northeastern frontier of Türkiye. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 20, 2025
Excavation reveals well-preserved 3rd-century Roman mosaic in Türkiye
rchaeologists in the Iznik district of northwestern Türkiye have uncovered part of a third-century mosaic floor, first detected during sewer construction in 2014, officials said. Source: Daily Sabah
Ancient honey-barley bread revived in Türkiye as scholars recreate 3,000-year-old recipe
A team of academics in Türkiye has brought back to life a nearly 3,000-year-old honey-barley bread recipe once prepared across ancient Mesopotamia as well as in ancient Roman and Greek culinary traditions. The researchers at Batman University say rediscovering and baking the bread offered a rare window into everyday life in early civilizations. Source: Türkiye Today
November 21, 2025
Amisos Treasures stand out as Samsun Museum's star attraction
The Amisos Treasures — an exquisite 64-piece assemblage unearthed from a tomb in ancient Amisos (today’s Samsun) and often ranked alongside the legendary Trojan and Karun treasures — have drawn immense and lasting interest, making them one of the museum’s most admired treasures. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Gobeklitepe International Film Festival draws art world to historic heartland of Türkiye
A growing cultural tradition in southeastern Türkiye has once again brought filmmakers, artists and academics together, as the fourth Gobeklitepe International Film Festival opened in Sanliurfa. Supported by the Metropolitan Municipality and organized by the Gobeklitepe Culture and Arts Association, the festival brings exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and talks under the theme of Karahantepe, one of the key Neolithic archaeological sites in the region. Source: Türkiye Today
Rediscovering İznik's lost art of vibrant Ottoman tilemaking
For over 300 years, the closely-guarded secrets of the Ottoman Empire's luminous tilework was lost, but its rediscovery has revived a key part of Türkiye's cultural heritage. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Anyone visiting the mountain-ringed plateau of Kibyra in southwestern Türkiye is usually greeted by an unexpected survivor: a vividly colored Medusa mosaic crafted from precision-cut marble. This winter, however, the famous artwork is hidden from view—not because of secrecy, but because it is simply too rare to risk exposure to cold, rain, and frost. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 22, 2025
In the historic Sille neighborhood of Konya’s Selcuklu district in Türkiye, a stark stone structure known as Seytan Koprusu (Devil’s Bridge) continues to attract attention with its unsettling appearance. Source: Türkiye Today
One of world’s priciest waterfront homes 130-year-old Zeki Pasha Mansion goes on sale in Istanbul
Zeki Pasha Mansion, a 23-room waterfront mansion on the Istanbul Bosphorus that has been ranked among the most expensive homes in the world, has been put up for sale by its owner's family. Source: Türkiye Today
November 23, 2025
Istanbul restores historic Nuruosmaniye library, sultan tomb [[https://www.dailysabah.com/life/history/istanbul-restores-historic-nuruo...
The restoration of the Nuruosmaniye Library and the Şehsuvar Sultan Tomb, both part of the historic Nuruosmaniye Complex, has been completed under a project carried out by the General Directorate of Foundations, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said on Saturday. Source: Daily Sabah
Excavations at Blaundos ancient city reveal stadium from Alexander the Great era
Archaeologists conducting excavations at the Blaundos Ancient City in Usak, Türkiye, have uncovered significant Roman-era structures, including a 2,000-year-old stadium, as part of ongoing restoration efforts aimed at preserving and promoting the historical site. Source: Türkiye Today
Archaeologists have begun excavating a Roman-era stadium perched above the dramatic canyons of Uşak’s Ulubey district — a discovery that could turn the ancient city of Blaundos into one of western Türkiye’s most distinctive archaeological landscapes. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 24, 2025
Heavy crane truck driven onto Hagia Sophia floor during restoration sparks concern
A heavy crane truck seen inside Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque has raised concerns over how its latest restoration is being carried out. Photographs from inside the building show a heavy truck-mounted crane driven onto the historic floor and parked on temporary protective panels, prompting questions over whether the fragile ground is being adequately protected while work continues. Source: Türkiye Today
New Coastal Excavations at Perinthos Reveal Signs of Shell Processing on the Marmara Shore
Archaeologists working along the northern shores of the Sea of Marmara have uncovered compelling clues to a little-known aspect of daily life in ancient Perinthos. Recent excavations at Mola Burnu—one of the least explored corners of the ancient city—have brought to light a dense concentration of pierced mussel shells, carefully carved bone hairpins, and multiperiod stone tools. The discoveries suggest that this prominent headland may have hosted a specialized activity zone, possibly linked to shell processing or decorative craft production. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
Türkiye basilica rises, shedding light on early Christianity
After 700 years underwater, Türkiye’s ancient Basilica of Nicaea has emerged, revealing the roots of early Christianity and a martyrs’ graveyard lost to history. Source: Daily Sabah
November 25, 2025
Museums hand over operations to children for a day
For one extraordinary day, Türkiye’s museums belonged entirely to children: As part of the global “Museum Takeover Day,” young visitors across the country seized control — from selling tickets and guiding tours to running official social media accounts. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Columns of Türkiye's Cyzicus Hadrian Temple shed light on Roman art, faith
The colossal columns of the Hadrian Temple in the ancient city of Cyzicus (Kyzikos), on the Kapidag Peninsula in northwestern Türkiye, are coming back into view as excavations continue and reveal new clues about Roman art and religious life. Source: Türkiye Today
Turkish Excavation Team Makes Major Progress at the Ancient City of Syedra
Syedra, rising above the Mediterranean on the steep ridges near modern Alanya, is undergoing one of the most dynamic archaeological transformations in southern Türkiye. Under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ertuğ Ergürer of Alaaddin Keykubat University, the excavation project has advanced at an unprecedented pace, exposing large parts of the ancient settlement and reshaping scholarly understanding of the Cilician–Pamphylian frontier. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 26, 2025
New discoveries unearthed at Perinthos excavations
Excavations at the 5,000-year-old ancient city of Perinthos in the Marmaraereğlisi district of the northwestern province of Tekirdağ continue to shed light on the region’s rich past, revealing new artifacts this year at the Mola Burnu area. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
New Neolithic sculptures uncovered in Türkiye’s Tas Tepeler, reshaping early human history
Türkiye on Wednesday revealed a series of striking new archaeological discoveries from Karahantepe, Sayburc, Sefertepe and Gobeklitepe during the “Tas Tepeler 5th Anniversary Program,” held with the participation of Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. The finds offer rare insights into ritual life, symbolism and social structures dating back 12,000 years, further cementing Tas Tepeler’s (Stone Mounds) position as one of the world’s most important Neolithic cultural landscapes. Source: Türkiye Today
Dawn of civilization reborn: Türkiye’s Taş Tepeler takes the lead
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Taş Tepeler Project with an event in Karahantepe, located in Şanlıurfa, southeastern Türkiye, emphasizing the project’s role in shedding new light on human history and the Neolithic period. Source: Daily Sabah
Human-like faces carved into stone, a rare double-sided bead, and an unsettling sculpture evoking the stillness of death—Türkiye’s vast Taş Tepeler region has revealed some of its most enigmatic Neolithic discoveries to date. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
High on the southern slopes of Mount Erciyes, the vast rock-cut complex of Öksüt Castle dominates the landscape with a network of carved chambers, tunnels, cisterns, and multi-level passageways. Although long known to the local population, the fortress is once again drawing attention as scholars and heritage specialists revisit longstanding claims of a Hittite-era origin for this dramatic cliffside stronghold. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 27, 2025
Ancient remains in Sapanca Lake may date back to Late Antiquity
A historic structure with mosaic floors has resurfaced in Türkiye's Sapanca Lake as water levels have receded once again, reigniting questions about its age and origins. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
November 28, 2025
Termessos excavations reveal ancient tombs and sarcophagi
Systematic excavations at the ancient city of Termessos in Antalya’s Döşemealtı district have revealed two monumental tombs rising 14 meters, the Dancing Women tomb, a tomb commissioned by a woman named Antiochis and sculpted sarcophagus fragments, while evidence of Late Antique damage was identified across the necropolis. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Amphitheater-like Neolithic structure unearthed at Karahantepe
A Neolithic architectural structure resembling an amphitheater has been uncovered at the Karahantepe archaeological site in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, shedding new light on ritual practices and communal spaces dating back nearly 11,000 years. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Gazelle skulls reveal prehistoric rituals at Cakmaktepe, oldest settlement of Tas Tepeler
Located in the Eyyubiye district of Sanliurfa in southeastern Türkiye, the archaeological site of Cakmaktepe has been identified as a settlement that predates Gobeklitepe and other Tas Tepeler (Stone Mounds) by nearly a millennium. Recent discoveries at the site not only challenge the known chronology of early human settlements but also reveal highly complex social, architectural, and ritualistic practices previously unseen in other Neolithic sites of the region. Source: Türkiye Today
8,500-year-old carved faces, tiny double-faced bead reshape Sefertepe’s role in Tas Tepeler
At Sefertepe, one of the easternmost sites of the Tas Tepeler (Stone Mounds) project in the Viransehir district of Sanliurfa, archaeologists have uncovered 8,500-year-old human faces carved on stone and engraved on a tiny bead. The new finds, which belong to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period dating back roughly 8,500 years, open a rare window onto the symbolic world of this settlement and set Sefertepe apart from better-known sites such as Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe and Sayburc. Source: Türkiye Today
Ancient male statue emerges from Blaundos stadium wall, Western Türkiye
A newly uncovered 1,800-year-old statue has added fresh momentum to archaeological work in the ancient city of Blaundos in Türkiye’s western Usak province, where researchers continue to unearth traces of Roman-era life on a dramatic plateau framed by the Ulubey Canyon. Source: Türkiye Today
Türkiye’s Edirne invests in heritage protection while advancing new water supply line
Edirne sits in northwest Türkiye near the borders with Greece and Bulgaria, and many travelers know it for its historic architecture, riverside setting, and past role as the capital of the Ottoman Empire before the conquest of Istanbul. Source: Türkiye Today
Neolithic figurines, multi-room burials found at Gurcutepe redefine Tas Tepeler chronology
Located just south-east of the modern city of Sanliurfa, the Neolithic settlement of Gurcutepe is emerging as one of the key sites for understanding how communities within the Tas Tepeler (Stone Mounds) Project area moved from limestone plateaus down into the fertile Harran Plain and eventually abandoned their large settlements there. Source: Türkiye Today
A New Study Illuminates How Neolithic Lifeways Spread from Anatolia to the Aegean and Europe
A sweeping new analysis published in Science is reshaping our understanding of how early farming traditions radiated outward from Anatolia. The study sheds light on long-debated questions about how Neolithic lifeways moved from Anatolia to the Aegean and eventually Europe, revealing a far more intricate story than the linear models once proposed. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
New Excavations at Perre Reveal Expanding Sacred Zones and Hidden Layers of Roman-Era Life
The 2025 archaeological season at Perre, one of the five principal cities of the ancient Kingdom of Commagene, has come to a close with significant new discoveries that deepen the understanding of the city’s religious and social landscape. The work, carried out across a newly uncovered 2,500-square-meter area in Adıyaman’s Örenli district, has revealed architectural traces ranging from ritual activity to domestic life, reinforcing Perre’s long-standing role as a continuously inhabited urban center from the Roman period onward. Source: Anatolian Archaeology
November 29, 2025
Excavation season concludes at Perre with new Roman-era finds
Excavations at the ancient city of Perre in Türkiye’s southeastern province of Adıyaman have concluded for the 2025 season following nearly five months of work. Source: Hürriyet Daily News
Türkiye’s ‘Night Museum’ program draws over 550,000 visitors in 2025
The Night Museum program, organized between June 1 and Oct. 1, recorded a significant milestone with a total of 554,516 visitors. The initiative, launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to enhance cultural tourism and extend visiting hours at key heritage sites, continued to draw strong public interest throughout the season. Source: Türkiye Today
8,500-Year-Old Mirror Unearthed at Canhasan in Central Türkiye
An 8,500-year-old obsidian mirror has been unearthed at Canhasan in central Türkiye, revealing new insights into early Neolithic craftsmanship and urban planning. Source: Arkeonews
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