A Nearly Intact Medusa Mosaic at Ancient Kibyra Is Temporarily Closed to Protect It from Winter Damage
Anyone visiting the mountain-ringed plateau of Kibyra in southwestern Türkiye is usually greeted by an unexpected survivor: a vividly colored Medusa mosaic crafted from precision-cut marble. This winter, however, the famous artwork is hidden from view—not because of secrecy, but because it is simply too rare to risk exposure to cold, rain, and frost. Archaeologists
A Roman Mosaic Found 11 Years Ago in Iznik Is Finally Being Revealed: The Askania Figure Emerges
A remarkable discovery in northwest Türkiye is resurfacing after more than a decade. In 2014, workers laying a sewer line in Iznik (ancient Nicaea) briefly uncovered part of a Roman mosaic floor before the area was sealed and placed under protection. What appeared to be a single decorated panel has now, after 11 years, turned
Rare Aramaic Inscription Discovered in Rural Ardahan Undergoes Expert Analysis in Kars Museum
A rare Aramaic inscription uncovered in a remote village in Ardahan has been transferred to the Kars Archaeology and Ethnography Museum, where specialists have begun a full epigraphic assessment. The stone, preserved in remarkably good condition, represents the first documented example of an Aramaic text from the Kars–Ardahan highlands — a discovery that is already
A Rare Find at Kastabala: Philosopher Mask Appears Where It Normally Shouldn’t
In the heart of southern Türkiye, a quiet corner of the ancient city of Kastabala has produced a discovery that breaks with what archaeologists normally expect from Roman stage buildings. A newly uncovered stone mask—depicting an elderly thinker with sharply modelled features—has emerged from the theatre’s façade. And according to the excavation team, philosopher masks
Luwian-Hittite Inscription Reveals the Ancient Name of the İvriz Spring for the First Time
A newly published epigraphic study has resolved a long-standing question regarding one of central Anatolia’s most prominent sacred water sites. The re-analysis of a Luwian-Hittite hieroglyphic inscription on a Tarhunza stele discovered near İvriz (Ereğli, Konya) in 1986 confirms that the spring’s ancient name was “Sallusa.”The findings, presented in the latest issue of Gephyra, provide
A Newly Uncovered 1,500-Year-Old Roman Dwelling Sheds Light on Daily Life in Ancient Commagene’s City of Perre
The 2025 excavation season at Perre has revealed one of the most informative architectural discoveries yet: a 1,500-year-old domestic complex built during the late Roman occupation of the ancient Commagene region. The find delivers a rare, ground-level view of how households functioned in a city positioned at a vital crossroads of trade and military movement.
Ancient Hytos Harbor Emerges as Sea Recedes in the Gulf of Erdek
A rare coastal retreat has revealed the submerged structures of one of Kyzikos’ key ancient ports, offering a brief look into the maritime power of the Propontis. An unusual drop in sea level along the Düzler coastline in Erdek, western Türkiye, has exposed the long-hidden remains of the Hytos Ancient Harbor—a crucial maritime hub of
Nemrut Mountain Turns White: Ancient Colossal Statues Reveal a New Winter Face
A sudden wave of snowfall has transformed Mount Nemrut in Türkiye’s Adıyaman province into a stark winter landscape, giving the world-famous colossal statues a striking new appearance. Perched at 2,206 meters and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mountain’s Hellenistic-era monuments—carved for the Kingdom of Commagene—took on an entirely different character under a
After 43 Years of Searching, the Long-Lost Zeus Temple Emerges at Limyra
Archaeologists working at Limyra in Türkiye’s Antalya province have finally located the long-missing Temple of Zeus — a sanctuary known from epigraphic sources since 1982 but never identified on the ground. The discovery, made in cooperation with the Austrian Archaeological Institute, is poised to reshape long-held interpretations of the ancient city’s sacred topography. A Lycian
