Turkish Archaeological News collects the most important, interesting and inspiring news from Turkish excavation sites. Here's the review for March 2016. Have we missed anything? Let us know by using Contact tab!
The ruins of a temple dedicated to Apollo, "Lord of Mice" Smintheus, are located in a quiet village of Gülpınar on Biga Peninsula. Why did one of the gods of the Greek pantheon earn the nickname associated with rodents, and why was his temple built in the Troad? There is no clear answer to these questions, but when searching for them it is necessary to start from the source, that is, from Homer.
The ancient site of Letoon lies 4 km south of Xanthos and was the leading Lycian religious center. The principal deities of ancient Lycia were Leto and her twin offspring, Artemis and Apollo. Letoon was a sacred cult center and venue for Lycian national festivals, administered by Xanthos rather than a city in its own right. It was also the assembly place for the Lycian League.
Babakale is a small village, which lies on the south-western tip of Troad, at the foot of an Ottoman fortress. You can get to the village only via a winding road that winds picturesquely among rocks formations and forested areas. The difficulties of the travel are soon rewarded with the views of the Aegean Sea, extending from the eighteenth-century fortifications. Babakale village has an extraordinary location at Cape Baba (tr. Bababurnu). This cape is the westernmost point of Asia Minor, and consequently - the whole of Asia. Its location is marked by a lighthouse, standing on the cliff above the sea.
