Category Archives: TURKEY

3800-years-old Akkadian Cuneiform Tablet found in Turkey’s Hatay

3800-years-old Akkadian Cuneiform Tablet found in Turkey’s Hatay

3800-years-old Akkadian Cuneiform Tablet found in Turkey’s Hatay

A 3,800-year-old Akkadian cuneiform tablet was found during the archaeological excavations carried out in the Aççana Mound, the old city of Alalakh, in the Reyhanlı district of Hatay city in southern Turkey.

Tell Atchana, Alalakh is the capital of the kingdom of Mukish in the second millennium BC, located in the Amuq Valley of Hatay, near present-day Antakya.

Alalakh was one of the most famous cities in the ancient world; part of the larger Yamhad kingdom in the Middle Bronze Age, vassal to the Mitannian kingdom in the Late Bronze Age, and incorporated into the Hittite Empire at the end of the fourteenth century BC.

The earthquake on February 6, centered in Kahramanmaraş, which caused great destruction in the city, also affected the mound in Reyhanlı district, where Alalah, the capital of the Muşki Kingdom, was located during the Middle and Late Bronze Age periods.

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, restoration and conservation work has been initiated in the mound, where some parts of the palace walls were damaged after the earthquake.

The head of the excavations and an academic from the Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Murat Akar told state-run Anadolu Agency, the tablet features a contract on sales of a city, which consists of information about parties, and witnesses, said.

Removing the wall rubble as part of the study, the team found a cuneiform clay tablet among the remains.

In the first examination of the Akkadian tablet, information regarding the agreement made by Yarim-Lim, the first known king of Alalakh, to buy another city was found.

Akar emphasized that the tablet found among the remains, dating back 3,800 years, is in a well-preserved form. “While removing the debris of a few collapsed walls at the mound, it was very exciting to come across a tablet that had never been touched or damaged,” he said.

Akar continued by stating that the historical period of the artifact extends to the Middle Bronze Age. “During the Middle Bronze Age, a period we define as such, we observe that the kings of this region possessed economic power.

This is evidenced by astonishing examples documented in written records. In this tablet, we see that Yarim-Lim, the first known king of Alalakh, intended to purchase another city and, in this regard, entered into an agreement.

This actually demonstrates that the kings in this region had the economic capability and potential to acquire another city,” he said.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akar, who pointed out that the tablet would also contribute to understanding the economic structure of the era, stated,

 “The tablet likely contains the names of significant individuals from the city who witnessed this sale. In a sense, we see evidence of a witness list from that period.

The artifact has emerged as an exceptionally unique example, particularly for understanding the era’s economic structure, city relationships, and economic and political model.

Underwater Ruins of 3,000-Year-Old Castle Discovered in Turkey

Underwater Ruins of 3,000-Year-Old Castle Discovered in Turkey

Underwater Ruins of 3,000-Year-Old Castle Discovered in Turkey
3,000-year-old remains of a castle at the bottom of Lake Van in Turkey.

Marine archaeologists made a superb find at the bottom of Turkey’s largest lake – a very well-preserved castle dating back 3,000 years. It was likely built by the mysterious Urartian civilization which inhabited the surroundings of Lake Van during the Iron Age.

Although locals have long reported legends of ancient ruins under the water, divers had investigated the lake for almost a decade before finding the fortifications.

Hurriyet Daily News reports that the research team discovered numerous other features of interest during this time period, including stalagmites that were at least 10 meters (33 feet) long, known as ‘underwater fairy chimneys’, pearl mullets, and a sunken Russian ship, but the ancient ruins had proved elusive until now.

‘Fairy chimneys’, a common feature in some regions of Turkey, were found underwater in Lake Van

Underwater Castle

The recent finding of the underwater fortifications was made by a team of researchers, including Tahsin Ceylan, an underwater photographer and videographer, diver Cumali Birol, and Mustafa Akkuş, an academic from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University. 

The castle, which had been built during the Iron Age, when water levels were much lower, remains in good condition thanks to the alkaline waters of Lake Van.

“Today, we are here to announce the discovery of a castle that has remained underwater in Lake Van,” videographer Tahsin Ceylan told Hurriyet Daily News. 

“I believe that in addition to this castle, microbialites will make contributions to the region’s economy and tourism. It is a miracle to find this castle underwater. Archaeologists will come here to examine the castle’s history and provide information on it.”

Ceylan explained that the walls of the fortification cover an area of about one square kilometer (0.4 square miles).

About 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) of the wall are visible above the lake bed, but it is not clear how deep the walls go, so detailed excavations need to be carried out on the newly-discovered castle to learn more.

Mysterious Civilization

Archaeologists believe the castle was built by the Urartians, a mysterious civilization that existed in what is now Eastern Turkey, Iran, and the modern Armenian Republic, from around the 13th century BC.

Very little is known about the kingdom of Urartu and the origins of its people, but they spoke a language related to Hurrian, are well-known for their advanced metallurgy, and used an adapted form of the Assyrian cuneiform script.

An Urartian Temple in the Erebuni Fortress, Turkey.

Ceylan told Hurriyet Daily News that they named Lake Van the ‘upper sea’ and believed it had many mysterious secrets.

The fortification shows evidence of stones cut in a style used by the Urartians.

After a period of expansion, the Kingdom of Urartu came under attack starting around the 8th century BC. It was finally destroyed towards the end of the 6th century BC.

Many Armenians today claim that they are descendants of the Urartians.

A broken pagan statue of the Greek god Pan was unearthed at early church ruins in Istanbul

A broken pagan statue of the Greek god Pan was unearthed at early church ruins in Istanbul

A broken pagan statue of the Greek god Pan was unearthed at early church ruins in Istanbul
The marble statue of the Greek god Pan is badly damaged and less than a foot high. Archaeologists think it was made before A.D. 330.

Archaeologists in Istanbul excavating the ruins of an early Christian church have unearthed a pagan statue of the Greek god Pan, who is depicted with goat horns and a naked torso as he plays a reed pipe. 

It is unlikely that a Christian church would have kept a statue of such a pagan god. Rather, archaeologists think the statue’s location is the result of a modern mistake.

The ruins are from the sixth-century church of St. Polyeuctus, which was one of the largest in Constantinople — as Istanbul was called before its conquest by Ottoman Turks in 1453.

In the 1960s, workers building a nearby road discovered the remains of the church by accident. After an excavation, archaeologists used backfill — earth used to fill holes and level ground — to cover up the ruins. It’s likely that the statue was part of that backfill, Mahir Polat, the deputy general secretary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) told Live Science in an email.

The statue was found among the ruins of the St. Polyeuctus church in Istanbul, in “backfill” brought there from somewhere else in the city in the 1960s.

The new discovery comes only a few weeks after buried rooms and a tunnel were reopened beneath the St. Polyeuctus ruins, as the IBB redevelops the formerly derelict area into an archaeological tourist attraction.

Polat said the statue was found on June 1 on the northwest side of the main church building, in backfill about 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) below the surface. The marble statue is less than a foot (20 centimeters) tall and is badly damaged: only its head, torso, and arm remain. But its significance as a work of Classical art is still visible.

The statue appears to have been made during the Roman period, Polat said before Constantinople was founded in A.D. 330; further examinations might date it more precisely.

Archeologists think the statue was made during the Roman period, before Constantinople was founded in A.D. 330, and brought to the city as a decoration.

Wild Greek god

Pan was the mythical ancient Greek god of the wilds, woods, fields, shepherds, and flocks, according to the American classicist Timothy Gantz in “Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996). He originally may have been a fertility deity, and his reputation included cavorting with nymphs, who were female nature deities bound to trees, streams, and other features of the landscape. 

Pan famously played a set of reed pipes — now called Pan pipes in his honor — and was typically portrayed as a mythical faun, with the cloven hooves, furry hind legs, and horns of a goat. (The devil in Christianity is often portrayed in the same way, and the British historian Ronald Hutton argues that isn’t an accident.) 

It’s likely the statue was brought to Contantinople between the fourth and the sixth centuries when Classical sculptures were used to decorate the palaces of aristocrats.
The passion for Classical sculptures in Constantinople faded after the sixth century as the city’s aristocrats became more interested in Christian culture.

According to the Online Etymological Dictionary, the modern English word “panic” is derived from the god’s name, from the Greek word “panikon,” which means “pertaining to Pan.” Supposedly, Pan was responsible for making mysterious woodland sounds that “caused groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots.”

Archaeologist and historian Ken Dark of King’s College London, an expert on ancient Istanbul who wasn’t involved in the discovery, told Live Science the Pan statue was probably among the many Classical objects brought to Constantinople between the fourth and sixth centuries A.D. “as works of art or for their historical interest.”

“None were displayed in churches or monasteries, but instead were used as ornaments in secular public places and aristocratic palaces,” he said in an email. “This statue was presumably deposited, broken, in the ruins of the church after the building had gone out of use.”

It isn’t known why Constantinople stopped importing such figures after the sixth century. Perhaps these artworks were increasingly seen as unchristian as the Byzantine aristocracy focused less on Classical culture and more on Christian culture, Dark said.

God Pan statue unearthed at Istanbul’s historical church of St. Polyeuctus

God Pan statue unearthed at Istanbul’s historical church of St. Polyeuctus

God Pan statue unearthed at Istanbul’s historical church of St. Polyeuctus

A Pan statue thought to belong to the Roman period was recovered during excavation works carried out by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) teams at Saraçhane Archaeology Park, where the Church of St. Polyeuctus is located.

There are modest ruins of a structure that was once the largest church in Constantinople and was constructed to resemble the Solomon Temple in Jerusalem in a small park right in the middle of Istanbul’s Fatih neighborhood, close to the location of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

Before the erection of the new Hagia Sophia by Emperor Justinian in 537, the Church of Saint Polyeuctus was the largest temple in Constantinople.

The church in the Saraçhane district of Istanbul was destroyed after being used for various purposes. However, after some historical artifacts belonging to the church were discovered during the construction of an underpass in the 1960s, excavation works were carried out in the church.

After six years of hiatus, the excavation work was paced by the IBB Heritage teams affiliated with the Cultural Affairs Directorate.

During the excavations carried out by archaeologists, the Statue of Pan, which is considered to be 1700 years old, was found 2 meters 60 centimeters below the ground.

The left arm and underbody parts of the 20-centimeter-high, 18-cm-wide statue were found to be broken.

While the statue is estimated to belong to the Roman period, the exact period to which it belongs will be determined after the examinations. The found part of the Pan statue was taken to the warehouse of the Archeology Museums Directorate.

Although it is said that there are many palaces and structures belonging to the Theodosius family in the Saraçhane or Constantinianae region, a palace structure whose location has been determined has not been found until today, except for the Church of St Polyeuctus.

In a statement made by İBB Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat on his social media account, he said that they had reached the lost Roman Palace section of Istanbul together with another Roman statue that was unearthed recently.

Pan is considered to be one of the oldest of Greek Gods. He is associated with nature, wooded areas, and pasturelands, which is where his name comes from.

Pan worship began in rural areas far from populated city centers. As a result, he did not construct large temples to worship him.

Pan worship was instead centered in nature, often in caves or grottos. He ruled over shepherds, hunters, and rustic music.

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered an unusual mosaic. It depicts a mythological hero from Troy

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered an unusual mosaic. It depicts a mythological hero from Troy

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered an unusual mosaic. It depicts a mythological hero from Troy

A large mosaic depicting the legendary Trojan hero Aeneas, the protagonist of Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid” and the ancestor of the Roman people, has been unearthed in the southern Turkish city of Osmaniye.

The mosaic was discovered during a foundation excavation of a construction site revealing the remains of a Roman villa.

There is no other example of this mosaic in the world, according to the experts. The mosaic area is thought to have been built in the first and second centuries A.D. to adorn the floor of a villa from that time period.

Cezmi Yurtsever, a historian and an author, described the Aeneas mosaic as “unique in the world.”

“In 2015, it was announced that historical artifacts and mosaics were found on the floor of a building in the center of Kadirli district. Then many archaeologists came here and carried out excavations in the area.

During these excavations, mosaic scenes were found on the floor of the building. In one scene, a warrior was riding a horse holding a spear, and there was a woman depiction with the inscription of Dido, the reputed founder of Carthage, who was going on a lion hunt with the warrior.

The name of this warrior is Aeneas, a great Trojan hero. He was an important figure after Hector, the prince of Troy,” he said.

Yurtsever also noted that the scene depicting Aeneas fighting with Leon was discovered in the same area.

“This place was the ancient Flaviapolis city built during the Roman era and according to our determinations, this mosaic was made in the A.D. 3rd century. For this, after the Trojan War, about 1,500 years ago, the discovery of a mosaic in the ancient Flaviapolis city during the Roman period depicting a hero of the Trojan War is a peerless discovery for archeology and history.”

Aeneas is a legendary Trojan hero in Greek and Roman mythology. According to legend, Aeneas was a Trojan prince and a son of the goddess Aphrodite (Venus in Roman mythology).

During the Trojan War, Aeneas fought on the side of the Trojans and was one of the few Trojan warriors to survive the fall of Troy. After the war, he led a group of Trojan on a long journey, eventually landing in Italy where he founded the city of Lavinium.

Aeneas is best known as the protagonist of Virgil’s epic poem, the Aeneid, which tells the story of his journey and the founding of Rome.

1,500-year-old secret underground passage uncovered in Istanbul

1,500-year-old secret underground passage uncovered in Istanbul

1,500-year-old secret underground passage uncovered in Istanbul

During the ongoing excavations in the ruins of Saint Polyeuktos Church in Istanbul’s Saraçhane neighborhood, which was destroyed during the Latin invasion, a 1,500-year-old underground passage has been discovered.

A previously unknown underground passage about 20 meters (65 feet) from the nearby Haşim Işçan Passage was discovered.

The carved marble blocks and reliefs in the underground passage, which contains mosaics and stone inlays, have impressed researchers.

Mahir Polat, Deputy Secretary-General of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), stated that the structure is an excellent example of the city’s architecture that has withstood the test of time and the wrath of earthquakes.

“What is one of the most important aspects of this discovery of a 1,500-year-old passage? Dozens of tremors have passed in these 1,500 years in Istanbul, which is currently struggling with earthquake risk.

This structure has managed to survive all these earthquakes. Türkiye should learn the secret and have knowledge of this,” Polat explained.

The 1,500-year-old underground tunnels discovered in Istanbul, Türkiye. Photo: DHA Photo

Polat pointed out that the main structure of St. Polyeuktos was destroyed, but its infrastructure remains intact.

“The earthquake memory of the city is also here. If you want to see Istanbul’s earthquake memory, what happened in the Fatih district is a good example,” he added.

Reminding that civil engineers and scientific consultants who specialize in earthquakes also assisted in the municipality’s excavation works, Polat stated that the experts would also share a report documenting the earthquakes the area witnessed in the past.

“The mortar with a mixture known as Horasan mortar from the period.

We know it is important in terms of the technology of that period.

We also examined the surface samples of the structure, such as stone, plaster, and possible gypsum, in the laboratory to determine their composition and archaeometry,” Polat added.

During the excavation works in the area, apart from the statue, the teams also found 681 bronze coins, stamped bricks, marble pieces, ceramics, oil lamps, glass, and metal artifacts.

Ancient coins surface with Lake Iznik’s withdrawal in Türkiye

Ancient coins surface with Lake Iznik’s withdrawal in Türkiye

Ancient coins surface with Lake Iznik’s withdrawal in Türkiye

With the withdrawal of Lake Iznik in the northwest of Türkiye, the ancient coins found at the bottom of the water began to be found by the locals.

In Iznik, the world-famous historical city of Bursa, which is on the temporary heritage list of UNESCO and expected to enter the main list this year, a couple walking on the shore of Lake Iznik found a 2,000-year-old historical coin.

Locals began discovering ancient coins after the lake dried up, possibly from the historical basilica that was once submerged beneath Lake Iznik but rose above the water in 2014.

Ismail Yıldırım, walking with his wife and children, noticed that the coins were historical as the cash had figures of Jesus and relief inscriptions.

The Yildirim couple handed over the coins to Iznik Archeology Museum.

The museum officials, who examined the coins, stated that the coin, which is the figure of Jesus Christ, belongs to the 9th century, and the other coin belongs to the Hellenistic period.

Iznik, a district of northwestern Bursa province dating back to the 4th century BC, is significant for both Muslims and Christians, with many sites from the era of Bithynian, Roman, Seljuk, and Ottoman civilizations.

According to geographer Strabo, the ancient town was founded in 316 BC by Antigonos, the commander of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C). It is also reported that Lysimachos, another general of Alexander, took the city and renamed it after his wife Nicaea.

İznik enjoyed a period of expansion and prosperity under Roman rule.

During the Byzantine period, İznik grew in importance as a religious center, especially after Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 313 AD.

The first Christian Council, known as the Great Council of Nicaea, was held in 325 AD in İznik, with the participation of over three hundred bishops from various parts of the empire.

The ‘boiler room’ of the bath in the Ancient City of Metropolis was unearthed

The ‘boiler room’ of the bath in the Ancient City of Metropolis was unearthed

The ‘boiler room’ of the bath in the Ancient City of Metropolis was unearthed

The vault section, called the ‘boiler room’, which provides a heat source, has been unearthed in the historical bath of the ancient city of Metropolis in the Torbalı district of İzmir.

The ancient city of Metropolis, which was founded on a hill between Yeniköy and Özbey villages in the west of Torbalı Plain, is the first residential area of Torbalı, which is situated 45 kilometers east of Izmir. Metropolis means Mother Goddess city.

The excavations carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the Ancient City of Metropolis are supported by Torbalı Municipality, Metropolis Lovers Association, Sabancı Foundation, and İzmir Metropolitan Municipality.

 The first settlement traces around Metropolis date back to the Stone Age (Neolithic) Tepeköy, Dedecik, Kuşçuburun. Although the Hellenic community on the acropolis was founded after the ninth century BC, the city’s greatest growth occurred in the third century BC.

In the ancient city, where many monumental structures were unearthed, this year’s excavations are carried out around the Hellenistic theater, one of the city’s most important structures. With the works carried out for the last 2 years, the boiler room in the historical bath of the ancient city was also unearthed.

Head of the Metropolis Ancient City Excavation, Manisa Celal Bayar University Department of Archeology lecturer Professor Dr. Serdar Aybek said, “The building where the bath is located has a large area of 6 thousand square meters. This is an extremely large area, it needs meticulous work.”

The vaulted gallery we are in is one of the most important halls of the building. The area used as the ‘service corridor’. Along with its terrace, it is one of the most original examples of stone and brick architecture in Anatolia.

Aybek also added that the bath was built in different phases and dates back to 1800 years ago. First, while it had a small area in the 1st century AD; It was expanded in the 2nd century AD, and its halls were enlarged. Additional buildings such as the vault section have been included in the plan to heat the newly enlarged halls.

Stating that the vault section unearthed can be seen as the ‘boiler room’ that provides the heat source of the bath in modern terms, Professor Aybek said, “The ‘Hypocaust’ method, which is the central heating system established by the Romans, used.”

“The baths are heated by means of perforated bricks placed on both the floor and the wall. The boilers, which are the first step of heating, are located here.

The bath is heated by burning the region’s red pine trees in furnaces positioned below ground level, below the three pools in the main area of the bath,” he said.

Professor Aybek stated that it was a pleasant surprise that the vault section was still standing with its terrace: “We saw that the building was at terrace level and completely preserved. This part was completely unearthed through archaeological excavations.”

We uncovered the well-preserved structure by excavating about 9 meters of earth fill. This part reveals only a part of the bath.

This is one of the most important structures of the Metropolis here. It has facilities and management units such as sports and dining halls. This is the place that constitutes the most important attraction center of the city,” he said.