Only Foundations Remain of 2,100-Year-Old Zeus Temple After Looting Damage
A 2,100-year-old Zeus temple in Amasya, recognized as the only known example of its kind in Türkiye’s Black Sea region, has been reduced to little more than its foundation stones, after years of neglect and repeated illegal excavations that have gradually eroded what once stood on one of the area’s most commanding hilltops. Located near
Rare 1,500-Year-Old Knife Set Found Together in Hadrianopolis Reveals Deep Roots of Animal Husbandry
Archaeologists working at Hadrianopolis often referred to as the “Black Sea’s Zeugma” have uncovered a rare knife set found together in a single context, offering new insight into daily life in Late Antiquity. The discovery was made in a kitchen area within the Bath Complex, where four iron knives of similar type but different sizes
‘Death Gates’ Unearthed in Perge: Ancient Stadium Transformed into Execution Arena
Archaeologists working at Perge Ancient City have unearthed a striking architectural feature described as “death gates,” revealing that the city’s monumental stadium was later transformed into an arena used for executions, animal hunts, and staged spectacles during the Late Roman period. The discovery suggests that the structure was not merely reused, but deliberately redesigned to
A Lost City Revealed by Chance: Ara Güler’s Photographs Brought Aphrodisias to the World
In 1958, the ancient city of Aphrodisias had yet to enter global awareness when Ara Güler took a wrong turn on a rural road in southwestern Türkiye.He was on assignment, covering a dam project in Aydın province. But an unexpected detour led him to the village of Geyre—and to something far older than anything he
2,000-Year-Old Medusa Mosaic at Kibyra Reopens to Visitors in Türkiye
In the ancient city of Kibyra, located in Burdur’s Gölhisar district, one of the most remarkable surviving works of Roman stone craftsmanship has been revealed once again. The 2,000-year-old Medusa mosaic, protected throughout the winter months, has now reopened to visitors with the arrival of the new season. Seasonal conservation and reopening Each year, the
Ancient DNA Reveals 16,000-Year-Old Dogs in Anatolia, Rewriting the Origins of Domestication
A quiet stretch of central Anatolia is now offering one of the clearest answers yet to a long-standing question: when did wolves become dogs? New genetic evidence from the Pınarbaşı site in Türkiye shows that early dogs were already living alongside humans around 16,000 years ago—far earlier than previously confirmed. The discovery places Anatolia at
Türkiye’s Only Pyramid-Type Tomb Enters New Conservation Phase in Marmaris
Conservation and environmental improvement works have begun at Türkiye’s only pyramid-type tomb in the Turgut neighborhood of Marmaris, one of the region’s most significant cultural heritage monuments and a rare Hellenistic funerary structure located in Muğla Province. The project is being carried out by the Marmaris Chamber of Commerce (MTO), which both prepared and funded
A Kingdom in the Shadow of Assyria: The Topada Inscription and the Politics of War in 8th-Century Anatolia
In central Anatolia, near modern Nevşehir, the Topada Inscription preserves one of the most important royal inscriptions of the 8th century BCE. Commissioned by Wasusarma, king of Tabal, and carved in Hieroglyphic Luwian, the monument documents a regional war involving eight rival kings and reflects the shifting balance of power under the expanding shadow of
Was Göbeklitepe Really About Male Power? New Study Reframes Taş Tepeler Rituals
For decades, the towering stone pillars of southeastern Türkiye have been read through a familiar lens: power, dominance, fertility cults, and the early emergence of male authority. The monumental sites of the Taş Tepeler region—especially Göbeklitepe—have often been interpreted as visual declarations of masculinity carved in stone. But what if that assumption says more about
2,800-Year-Old Inscriptions from Körzüt Reveal Urartu’s Conquest Strategy and Divine Legitimacy
Newly uncovered 2,800-year-old cuneiform inscriptions from the Körzüt Fortress in eastern Anatolia provide rare, first-hand evidence of how the Kingdom of Urartu justified military expansion through divine authority. Dating to the reign of King Minua, the texts document not only conquest but the ideological language that bound warfare, religion, and state power together. Körzüt Fortress