Citadel and Megaron of Troy II/III

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 06/18/2020 - 11:09

The first structure that you can see in this location is the fortification wall. Unlike the walls of Troy VI, erected from massive limestone blocks, these fortifications were constructed of handmade mud-bricks. They date back to the period of 2250 to 2200 BCE, known as Troy II.

This text is a fragment of a guidebook to Troy "The Secrets of Troy (TAN Travel Guide)".

Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque in Fatih

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 06/05/2020 - 18:43

There are two mosques bearing the same name - Sokollu Mehmed Pasha - in Istanbul. This text is devoted to the building located in Kadırga neighbourhood of Fatih District. The second mosque is located in Beyoğlu, on the other shore of the Golden Horn. Who was the person whose merits required not one but two mosques erected in his name in the city that was once the capital of the vast Ottoman Empire? Was he a member of the ruling family? How did he get to the very top of the ruling elite of the empire? His story started at the beginning of the 16th century, from very humble origins deep in the Balkans, in Bosnia, then controlled by the Turks.

Another piece of an elegant puzzle - Poseidon's Altar in Didyma

Submitted by Iza on Wed, 06/03/2020 - 15:26

The rather clement weather we appreciated in January (from the Roman god Janus, the two-faced god who looked both backward and forward; old year, new year) allowed myself and my equally historically inquisitive friend Jay Jean Jackson to venture out to Akköy. Our aim was to pick up the Sacred Road and then proceed in the direction of Didim.

Text by Glenn Maffia

Reconstruction of the Poseidon's Altar as presented in the Miletus Museum

May 2020 in Turkish archaeology

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 06/01/2020 - 08:33

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.

Şanlıurfa

Submitted by michel gybels on Mon, 05/25/2020 - 18:17

Şanliurfa, ancient Urfa and ancient Edessa, is a large town in Eastern Turkey of mixed Arab, Kurdish and Turkish inhabitants and is attractive to travellers for three main reasons. Firstly the famous Unesco World Heritage site of Göbekli Tepe, the oldest known temple complex in the world and fast becoming one of the ‘must-sees’ of Eastern Turkey, situated about 20 km from Şanliurfa; secondly the exceptionally fine, recently discovered mosaics in the Villa of the Amazons, and finally the town’s architectural reminders of Syria’s Aleppo, notably its Ulu Cami (Great Mosque).

Text & photos: Michel GYBELS for Turkish Archaeological News