April 2026 in Turkish archaeology

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.

East Terrace of Mount Nemrut
East Terrace of Mount Nemrut

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

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

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March 2026 in Turkish archaeology

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.

Syedra ruins and the Mediterranean coast
Syedra ruins and the Mediterranean coast

The Goddess of Many Faces — Unravelling the Mystery of Ephesian Artemis

Long before the great Artemision rose in Ephesus, the ground it occupied was already sacred. This was no sudden invention of Greek settlers, but rather a place layered with memory — like a manuscript written, erased, and written over again. To understand the Artemis of Ephesus is to abandon the idea of a single, fixed deity and instead step into a slow fusion of beliefs that unfolded across centuries.

Statue of Beautiful Artemis in Ephesus Museum in Selçuk
Statue of Beautiful Artemis in Ephesus Museum in Selçuk

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Third Military Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

The Third Military Gate of the Theodosian Walls, known in Greek sources as the Gate of the Third, takes its name from the quarter of the Triton that lay just behind it. Positioned between the Gate of the Spring (Silivrikapı) to the south and the Gate of Rhegion (Yeni Mevlevihane Kapısı) to the north, the gate is located precisely between towers 39 and 40 of the mighty land walls, in the Mevlanakapı Neighbourhood of the Fatih district of the city.

Third Military Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople can be seen on the right
Third Military Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople can be seen on the right

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