October 2020 in Turkish archaeology

Submitted by Iza on Sun, 11/01/2020 - 09:41

October 2020 brought many archaeological discoveries in the area of Turkey, as an ancient temple dating back to the Stone Age, between 7,000 and 12,000 years ago, was found at Kahin Tepe while the memorial tomb of the famous Greek astronomer and poet Aratus was excavated at Soli (Pompeiopolis). Moreover, the sensational discovery of a Minoan-era harbour was announced in Didim and the earliest heating system of southern Anatolia was found in heart of Diyarbakır (ancient Amida).

Gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates in Ephesus

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 10/30/2020 - 16:37

The Commercial Agora had three main gates, enabling access from the north onto Harbour Street, the south-east, and the west. The most impressive and best-preserved of these gates is the so-called Gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates on the south-eastern side, very close to the Celsus Library. This monument is also the only large-scale structure of the Augustan building programme that survived the earthquake of 23 CE.

This text is a fragment of a guidebook to Ephesus: "The Secrets of Ephesus".

Gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates in Ephesus

Palatial Residence of Troy VI

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 10/26/2020 - 08:27

Not much has been preserved from the Palatial Residence of Troy VI, but it probably had two floors as a fragment of a staircase was discovered. Schliemann called this building "the Palace of Priam", but the residence dates back to the earlier period of 1700-1300 BCE. Large vessels for storing food discovered here testify to the fact that, at least for some time, this building served as a warehouse.

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

Beylerbeyi Mosque in Edirne

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 10/19/2020 - 09:09

Beylerbeyi Mosque is one of the less-known historical buildings of Edirne that were founded by Ottoman dignitaries and statesmen and not the sultans themselves. It is also one of the oldest mosques in the city as it was erected in the first half of the 15th century.

A wave of expectancy beneath the waves

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 10/15/2020 - 14:20

The filtering news of a possible Minoan harbour being located just below the sea-level off of Tavşan Adası (Rabbit Island) near Didim has created a rush of interest both locally and from my colleagues across Europe. It has long been known of a Minoan connection with Miletus region because of the datable pottery found in the vicinity of the city. Also, the etymology of the name ‘Miletus’ is, of course, an Hellenic name in the Ionic dialect, in the Doric dialect it spelt slightly differently, Milatos. This is believed to refer to an ancient city of the same name on the island we know today as Crete. Crete was home to the Minoan people whom were named after the legendary King Minos. Hittite documents, an Anatolian people contemporary with the Minoans, refer to the city as Millavanda.

Text and photos by Glenn Maffia