Stirrings in the Didim undergrowth

Text by our correspondent from Didyma, Glenn Maffia.

As I have previously explained, the discipline of archaeology entails a destructive element. It is inevitable that by removing artefacts from the ground, level by level, from their long interred resting place the most cautious professional shall endeavour to plot and log every minutia of detail. It is a laborious task, but one, nonetheless, that is imperative. Unlike the treasure hunters whom have no qualms about blustering in with a JCB excavator, leaving in their wake utter carnage.

Though now I feel we are, ironically, facing another and an altogether different dilemma in revealing the hidden secrets of ancient Didyma. I shall not name names or individual establishments, for that may create a friction which is unnecessary. Civil conversation is more amiable and amicable.

Exchange of Populations, early 1920s
Exchange of Populations, early 1920s

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Finds from Gordion in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara

The excavation of Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian Civilization, was conducted by Gustav Körte and Alfred Körte in 1900, and subsequently by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, under the guidance of Rodney S. Young, from 1950 to 1973. The excavations continued at the site under the auspices of the University of Pennsylvania Museum with an international team, directed by Keith DeVries (1977–1987), G. Kenneth Sams and Mary M. Voigt (1988–2006), G. Kenneth Sams and C. Brian Rose (2006–2012), and C. Brian Rose (2012–present). The most fascinating finds from Gordion are on display at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. Some finds from Gordion are also in the Istanbul Archaeological Museums and the Gordion Museum, located in the village Yassıhöyük near Gordion itself.

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations was founded in 1921, initially as the Ankara Archaeological Museum. The museum has numerous exhibits of Anatolian archaeology. They start with the Palaeolithic era, and continue chronologically through the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Assyrian trading colonies, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods. There is also an extensive collection of artefacts, including the ones from the excavations at Gordion.

Phrygian terracotta vase found in Tumulus P (the grave of a royal child) in Gordion
Phrygian terracotta vase found in Tumulus P (the grave of a royal child) in Gordion

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Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia added to UNESCO World Heritage List

Intricately carved wooden column capital of Eşrefoğlu Mosque in Beyşehir
Intricately carved wooden column capital of Eşrefoğlu Mosque in Beyşehir

The second entry to the Turkish World Heritage Sites made in 2023, after the ancient site of Gordion, are the wooden mosques of medieval Anatolia. The property consists of five mosques built in Anatolia between the late 13th and mid-14th centuries. They are located in five different provinces of present-day Turkey. These mosques have an exterior built of masonry and multiple rows of wooden interior columns that support a flat wooden ceiling and roof. The masterful woodcarving and handiwork used in these mosques' architectural fittings and furnishings are also noteworthy.

Gordion enters UNESCO World Heritage List

So-called Midas Tumulus in Gordion
So-called Midas Tumulus in Gordion

The latest announcement by the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee brought the great news for Turkey, as the ancient site of Gordion has just entered the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is the 20th site from this country on the prestigious List that marks the locations designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance.

Kaleköy (near Kiraz)

The remains of the ancient settlement, which is now referred to as Kaleköy, or Castle Village, are situated in close proximity to the town of Kiraz in the Izmir Province of Turkey. A ruined gymnasium is the best preserved structure, which is incorrectly referred to as the castle by some residents.

Gymnasium building in Kaleköy
Gymnasium building in Kaleköy

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