Greek-Inscribed Late Antique Mosaic Unearthed in Türkiye’s Hatay Province
A Late Antique floor mosaic bearing a Greek inscription has been uncovered in southern Türkiye’s Hatay province during foundation excavation work at a site severely damaged by the February 6, 2023 earthquakes. The discovery once again highlights the extraordinary archaeological depth of Antakya, ancient Antioch, even amid large-scale post-disaster reconstruction. The mosaic was found in
2,000-Year-Old Lion-Headed Gargoyle Damaged at Termessos, the City Alexander the Great Could Not Conquer
At the ancient city of Termessos, one of the most dramatic mountain strongholds of ancient Anatolia, a 2,000-year-old lion-headed gargoyle has been found broken, raising renewed concerns about the protection of archaeological heritage sites in Türkiye. Located at an altitude of around 1,150 meters in the Taurus Mountains near Antalya, Termessos is famously known as
Noted by an English Traveler in 1835, Burdur’s Serençay Canyon Preserves Late Roman Settlement
In the rugged interior of southwestern Anatolia, a narrow canyon carved by nature also carries the marks of human survival and belief. Serençay Canyon, located in Türkiye’s Burdur province, was already attracting attention in the early 19th century, when an English traveler recorded its rock-cut landscape in 1835. Nearly two centuries later, the same canyon
At Termessos, Archaeologists Restore Two Monumental Tombs After Millennia
High on the rugged slopes beneath Mount Güllük, one of Türkiye’s most dramatic archaeological landscapes has begun to reveal its monumental funerary architecture once more. Termessos—protected for millennia by its steep terrain and remembered as the mountain city that even Alexander the Great could not conquer—is now the focus of an ambitious restoration campaign that
Turkish Excavation Team Makes Major Progress at the Ancient City of Syedra
Syedra, rising above the Mediterranean on the steep ridges near modern Alanya, is undergoing one of the most dynamic archaeological transformations in southern Türkiye. Under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ertuğ Ergürer of Alaaddin Keykubat University, the excavation project has advanced at an unprecedented pace, exposing large parts of the ancient settlement and reshaping
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
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
Traces of Ancient Trade Emerge in the Excavations at Xanthos, the Lycian Capital
Archaeologists excavating the UNESCO-listed ancient city of Xanthos, once the administrative heart of the Lycian Civilization in Antalya’s Kaş district, have uncovered evidence shedding new light on commercial life in antiquity. The findings reveal that the settlement’s trading activities stretched much deeper into history than previously assumed. Overlooking the fertile plains shaped by the Eşen
Letter of Roman Emperor Caracalla Discovered in the Walls of a 1950s House in Türkiye
A forgotten imperial inscription surfaces in a rural home near the ancient city of Takina In southwestern Türkiye, archaeologists have identified stones from a 1950s house that once formed part of a monumental Roman inscription — an imperial letter written on behalf of Emperor Caracalla (r. AD 198–217). The stones, taken decades ago from the
13,000-Year-Old Bone Tools and Beads Unearthed in Direkli Cave Reveal Early Anatolian Craftsmanship
Archaeologists working at Direkli Cave in Kahramanmaraş, southeastern Türkiye, have uncovered bone tools and ornamental beads dating back approximately 13,000 years — offering a vivid glimpse into the technological and symbolic sophistication of the region’s prehistoric inhabitants. A Window into Late Epipalaeolithic Anatolia The discoveries, made under the direction of Prof. Dr. Cevdet Merih Erek