At the Threshold of Night — The Sacred Procession of Hecate

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 05/15/2026 - 15:21

Text by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

The crowds leave the Delphinium and begin their journey through the city. The Pilgrims have travelled here from all over the Hellenistic world, to celebrate and honour their gods. In some places, the road is 15 meters wide to accommodate such a massive crowd. The procession to the oracle is finally underway, and the atmosphere is electric with excitement and anticipation.

It is late afternoon, and the day is slightly overcast with a gentle breeze. The setting sun breaks through the clouds, warming the air. The varied temperatures of springtime are a combination of the sweltering heat of the summer to come, and the last chill of winter.

The Delphinium in Miletus where the procession began

"Women of the Ottoman Court" - my new book by ASLAN Publishing House

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 05/11/2026 - 11:34

For many readers, the story of women in the Ottoman Empire begins and ends with a single name: Hürrem Sultan, known in Europe as Roxelana. She is remembered as clever, dangerous, romantic, or ruthless — depending on who tells the story. Her rise from concubine to legal wife of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent has become legend. Yet Hürrem, extraordinary as she was, represents only one voice in a far larger and richer chorus.

"Women of the Ottoman Court" invites the reader beyond the familiar myths and into the lives of forty-one women who lived, married, and died at the heart of one of the world's longest-lasting empires. Over more than five centuries, these women — concubines, consorts, mothers, sisters, and daughters of sultans — helped shape Ottoman politics, culture, and daily life.

April 2026 in Turkish archaeology

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 05/01/2026 - 08:47

April 2026 proved to be a significant month for archaeology in Turkey, as discoveries and restorations spanned millennia — from prehistoric ways of life to Ottoman heritage — revealing just how layered the region's past truly is. Highlights included the unveiling of a monumental marble Athena in Laodicea, new churches redefining the Byzantine pilgrimage landscape of Binbirkilise, and fresh insights into early diet and ritual at Karahantepe. At the same time, finds like a 5,000-year-old loaf of bread from Küllüoba Höyük and a rare Byzantine gold hoard from Sivas are reshaping our understanding of daily life and crisis in the ancient world. Alongside these discoveries, major restoration and heritage efforts — from Mount Nemrut reopening to visitors to ongoing work at Aspendos — underscore a growing commitment to preserving and presenting this legacy, even as threats like looting and environmental damage continue to challenge it.

Early Ottoman Bodrum - A Castle, a Harbour, and a Life Lived Behind Walls

Submitted by Iza on Sun, 04/26/2026 - 10:32

When Halicarnassus entered the Ottoman world, it did not yet resemble a town in the modern sense. It was, above all else, a castle with a harbour — a maritime outpost clinging to the edge of the Aegean. The earliest Ottoman voice to describe it belongs to Piri Reis, the celebrated corsair, navigator, and cartographer whose Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of the Sea) mapped the Mediterranean with an accuracy astonishing for its age.

A 17th-century drawing depicting Evliya Çelebi travelling on horseback

March 2026 in Turkish archaeology

Submitted by Iza on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 08:06

March 2026 once again highlights Türkiye as one of the world's most dynamic archaeological landscapes, with discoveries ranging from prehistory to the Ottoman era. New genetic evidence from Anatolia has pushed the domestication of dogs back to around 16,000 years, while a 5,000-year-old piece of bread from Küllüoba Höyük offers a rare glimpse into Bronze Age ritual life. Along the coasts, retreating waters revealed a 3,500-year-old "King's Road" near Bodrum, and underwater remains near Fethiye gained protected status. Excavations and surveys also brought to light lost Seljuk inscriptions in Antalya and a remarkably preserved 1,500-year-old mosaic with a playful inscription at Syedra. At the same time, restored monuments — from Roman infrastructure in Laodikeia to Ottoman-era structures — are reconnecting visitors with the past. Efforts to recover stolen artifacts and safeguard endangered sites further underline the urgency of preservation. Together, these discoveries reveal a landscape where history continues to emerge in both extraordinary and deeply human ways.