Merry Wanderer of the Night:
Turkey

In a written statement, Trabzon Metropolitan Mayor Orhan Fevzi Gümrükçüoğlu noted Trabzon was a city of civilization and culture, and they were trying to revive the historical venues in the city to bring in more tourists.

For this purpose, the restoration of the Kızlar Monastery, located in the Boztepe neighborhood overlooking the city, began in March 2014. “The restoration project of the monastery had been made in the past with the financial resources of the municipality. Then we handed over this historical site to the Culture and Tourism Ministry for five years to begin the restoration. On our insistence, the ministry initiated a tender for the restoration and the contactor company who won the tender is carrying out the restoration,” the mayor said in the statement.

Speaking on the importance of the monastery in terms of tourism in the region, Gümrükçüoğlu said, “When the work is done, the Kızlar Monastery will serve tourism and revive the cultural, artistic and touristic life of Trabzon. We believe the city will become a rising star in tourism.”

He also noted artisans in the city were very pleased with the restoration, adding, “The monastery will be a frequently visited spot for local and foreign tourists. This makes the locals and artisans of the neighborhood very happy. The monastery will contribute to Eastern Black Sea tourism when it is opened. It will be a center of attraction for tourists visiting Trabzon. The historical rock church in the monastery and the rare frescoes will come to the surface when the restoration is done. The cost of the restoration project is 1.57 million Turkish Liras.”

The monastery complex built on two terraces and is surrounded by a high protective wall. The monastery was founded in the reign of Alexios III (1349–1390). The monastery initially comprised the rock church on the south side the chapel in its entrance and a few cells. Inside the rock church there are inscriptions and portraits of Alexios III, his wife Theodora and his mother Irene.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [January 30, 2015]

Following three months of preparation, the police department simultaneously raided various addresses in villages and districts of the Central Anatolian province of Sivas, as well as in Nevşehir, Adıyaman and Kayseri on Jan. 13, and discovered historical artifacts.

A sculpted head in the image of the ancient Greek god Hermes was among the artifacts seized in Sivas. It has been claimed that the head had found a buyer for $1 million three years ago, who then attempted to smuggle it abroad, but operations at the time failed to find the head.

Cumhuriyet University academics have confirmed that the head of Hermes was the original one, but further examinations would be conducted in the coming days.

Along with the head of Hermes, three rings, a plate, 23 coins, six Ottoman-language books, a metal ashtray, two column pieces and four stones inscribed with various motifs were also among the findings during the operation.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [January 16, 2015]

The advert describes "a first degree archaeological site, facing the Bird Heaven Lake near Bogazici village, with full sea and lake view". Prospective buyers will need deep pockets - it's on the market for 22m Turkish liras ($9.6m; £6.3m). But those willing to splash out could find all sorts of treasures beneath the unexcavated ground. It's thought the site includes the remains of an amphitheatre, temple and Byzantine-era necropolis.

Archaeologists want the site and others like it to be bought by the government, to ensure they're properly looked after, but say the funding isn't available.

"Private ownership of those sites is obstructing archaeological work," says Binnur Celebi from the Archaeologists Association.

"However, the person or persons who acquire those sites can absolutely not conduct any construction activities."

The site even comes with a bit of Greek mythology. It's said that the mythical hero Bellerophon named it after his friend Bargylos, who died after being kicked by the winged horse Pegasus.

Source: BBC News Website [January 14, 2015]

The number of tourists visiting the ancient city of Sardis in İzmir’s Salihli district has increased three fold over the last five years, thanks to promotional work. The ancient city was the capital of Lydia, the civilization that invented money.

Salihli Tourism Association Chairman Mustafa Uçar said that excavations had started in Sardis in 1910 and accelerated again after 1958, unearthing many historical artifacts.

Uçar said the excavations covered an area of 3,000 square meters and shed light on 1,400 years of history between the 7th century B.C and the 7th century A.D., with artifacts from the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman cultures, among others.

He said among the findings were an acropolis, a gymnasium, a synagogue, a bath, a court building, houses, 85 graves where Lydian kings had been buried and the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven holy temples of Christianity, built in 300 B.C. by the ancient Greeks and renovated by the Romans in the 2nd century A.D.

The ancient city had been overlooked for many years and rarely hosted tourists, said Uçar, adding that interest in the city has been increasing in recent years and it now draws tourists throughout the year.

“Eight to 10 buses of tourists come to Sardis every day,” he said, adding that ongoing excavations and promotional activities were the reason for the increase of interest in the ancient city.

“In recent years, both local management and non-governmental organizations attached great importance to the promotion of Sardis. Symposiums and conferences were held to showcase the importance of the ancient city and the status of the Lydian Kingdom in history. Catalogues and brochures were printed and delivered to travel agencies. The site was promoted in both in Turkey and abroad. As a result, tourist interest in the ancient city has increased every day,” Uçar said.

“The ancient city of Sardis hosted 22,000 people in 2010. This number increased to 27,000 in 2011, 30,000 in 2012, 43,000 in 2013 and 65,000 in 2014. The city is expected to welcome 100,000 tourists annually in the near future,” he said.

Uçar said that the traces of the Lydians, who had led the way for the invention of money, could be found only in Sardis, and expressed the importance of the Temple of Artemis to tourists.

“It is the fourth largest ionic temple in the world. It had remained underground for many years, which is why it is still in good condition. It draws lots of interest from tourists,” Uçar said.

Sources: Hurriyet Daily News [January 09, 2015]

A site in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat’s Sorgun district, which the ancient Hittites had used as a sculpture workshop, will be reorganized as an open-air museum by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry.

As part of the project, the Karakız, Kazankaya, Armutlu and Hapis Boğazı neighborhoods will be declared as first degree archaeological areas, according to local Mayor Osman Yılmaz.

The region was home to a large number of Hittite-era sculptures, some of which were unfinished, indicating that this may be why an atelier may have been located on the site, Yılmaz said.

“The first examination in this historical area was made in 1982 and it was taken under protection in 1987 as the Hapis Boğazı ruins. But no detailed work was conducted at the ruins until 2009, when the Yozgat Museum Directorate and Hittite University initiated joint works,” he added.

The mayor said there was a granite layer on a wide space in the region. “There are carved lion sculptures and pieces of various architectural structures in this area. We can see them over an area of 1.5 kilometers. We will preserve these artifacts in their original place and open them up to tourism,” Yılmaz said.

He added that the project, titled the “Open-Air History and Culture Park Museum,” would reorganize the area dating back to 1,200 B.C.

Following joint work with the Kayseri and Sivas Council of Monuments, the Culture and Tourism Ministry approved the project, Yılmaz said.  “The most important feature of this settlement is that it is close to Hattusha, the capital of Hittite in the center of Anatolia. There are relief sculptures in front of the big gates in the entrances of significant cities in Hattusha and its vicinity. There is a sculpture atelier here. The Hittites used granite materials in making massive sculptures. This place has historical importance,” he added.

Sculptures will be moved

Yılmaz said archaeological reports indicated that the area, where unfinished lion sculptures exist, served as an atelier in the Hittite era and many of the sculptures unearthed at Hittite settlements were made there.

As part of the project’s plans, the team made a change in the architectural plan of an area in the Karakız neighborhood and allocated it as an open-air museum.

“The sculptures in Kazankaya and Hapis Boğazı will be moved to a place in the Open Air History and Culture Park Museum. When the weather conditions is suitable, we will start moving the sculptures in spring, which is the first stage of the project,” Yılmaz said.

He also complained that treasure hunters had caused much damage to historical artifacts in previous year.

“Those who saw these sculptures made their own excavations in the region and damaged many of them. But with this latest project, these artifacts will be rescued from treasure hunters. This region is estimated to be the first sculpture atelier of the Hittites, and now it will be opened up to tourism,” Yılmaz said.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [January 07, 2015]

The ancient city of Ephesus in western Turkey is expected to enter the UNESCO World Heritage List this year, after 22 years of efforts.

Dating back to the 6th century B.C., Ephesus hosts around 2 million local and international tourists every year. Although it has been added to the UNESCO tentative list, along with 37 other sites in Turkey, it has failed to be included in the main list so far.

Selçuk Mayor Zeynel Bakıcı said his district was blessed thanks to its history, culture, nature, as well as many archaeological sites.

Bakıcı added that it was a "great deficiency" that the ancient city had not been on the UNESCO list up to now but said his team "believed the problem will be solved this year."

The first submission to UNESCO was made in 1994 but was rejected in 2000 and failed to later get results.

“It was a great deficiency that Ephesus is not on this list. But we know where this deficiency comes from. This is why we are now collectively working with the Culture and Tourism Ministry, municipality, museum and the excavation team, as well as with academics. Now all the changes and rearrangements that UNESCO had asked for have been done," Bakıcı said.

"We have finished the reconstruction plan for protection and the land management plan has been approved. Unless something very important goes wrong, the ancient city of Ephesus will become a part of the UNESCO World Heritage permanent list. The 22-year-old dream of Ephesus will come true in June,” he added.

Selçuk is home to the 8,500-year-old ancient city of Ephesus, as well as one of the seven wonders of the world, the Temple of Artemis; the Virgin Mary House; the Church of Saint John, and Şirince village.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [January 06, 2015]

Nigde Culture and Tourism Director Tansel Tokmak said the 108-centimeter high and 186-centimeter wide inscription was from the late Hittite period, adding, “This region is rich in terms of the abundance of mineral. The inscription, which is estimated to have been written in the 8th century, is known as the first mining license in history. The first scientific work on the inscription was made by Professor Mustafa Kalac in 1973. He said measures should be taken to protect it. In 2013, museum archaeologists examined the piece and said 8 percent of the inscription had been damaged.”

Tokmak said they had initiated worked to take the necessary measures for the protection of the inscription. “It will be taken under protection. In the next level, the inscription will be copied and exhibited at the Nigde Museum as the ‘Bolkar Mine Inscription,’” he said.

Nigde Museum Directorate archaeologist Mustafa Eryaman said mining activities in the region dated back to 2,800 years ago, and continued in the Roman, Byzantium, Seljuk, Ottoman and Republican eras.

“The inscription, translated by Kalac, writes that King Warpalavas gave the administration of the Bolkar Mountains to Prince Tarhunzas and wishes for the mountain to be productive,” said Tokmak.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [December 25, 2014]

The restorations are part of the government’s bid to show that it is improving the rights of Turkey’s Armenian community. For some observers, the past year’s intensified restoration efforts of about a dozen churches throughout the country are no doubt related to the upcoming 100th commemoration of the World War I killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

The government’s efforts to reconcile with Turkey’s small Armenian community dates back a few years, with the reopening of the Akdamar (Akhtamar) Church near the southeastern city of Van. The 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross on Akhtamar Island in Lake Van was reopened in 2007 as a museum.

Ankara spent 2 million Turkish Liras on extensive restorations of the church, and in 2010 a religious ceremony was held there for the first time in 95 years.

In addition, the word “Armenian” could not be found anywhere on the church’s original information signboard, but it was renewed last year in order to emphasize that the church was a part of Armenian heritage in Anatolia.

Similar changes are expected to be made during the renewal of other signboards where “Armenian” has been omitted.

Today, the Armenian community in Turkey, which numbers around 70,000, is almost entirely concentrated in Istanbul.

In a historic first, the Turkish government last year offered condolences for the mass killings of Armenians in 1915, which then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said had “inhumane consequences,” expressing hope that those who had died were now at peace.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [April 11, 2015]

Knidos, believed to be the hometown of Eudoxus, a Greek astronomer, mathematician and student of Plato; Greek physician Euryphon; Greek vase painter Polygnotos and Greek architect and engineer Sostratos, is located at the crossroads of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

Research reveals that a physician and his students had established the second largest medical school of its time in Knidos. One of the most important discoveries of its time, the gnomon, first developed by Eudoxus, can still be found in the ancient city.

The head of the Knidos excavations, Selçuk University academic Professor Ertekin Doksanaltı, said the city’s excavations restarted in 2013 after many years of waiting.

He also said the Southern Aegean Development Agency (GEKA) provided 705,000 Turkish Liras of financial support for the Knidos’ restoration and environmental project in 2013, adding that the total budget of the project was 941,000 liras.

He said the team had accelerated its work over the past two years in order to more quickly revive the ancient city, which is very important for the future of Datça district. The excavations of the church (known as “Church D”) and theater will be completed and their structures restored this year, he said.

Doksanaltı said detailed aerial photos of the ancient city were taken from 90 and 120 degree angles.
The ancient city of Knidos was a coastal town, he said, adding that they had searched underwater for the existence of other cultural artifacts around the city.

“Church D, unearthed during the excavations, will be partly restored this season. The building survey, restitution and restoration projects of the structure have already been done,” he said.

Doksanaltı also said the same projects for the small theater would be finished this year. The theater, located on the southern side of the city, was first excavated in the 1970s.

Doksanaltı said Knidos was still magnificent. “Its famous ports that have survived with their round and square towers are still functional. The city, located on two hills that face each other, rises via terraces built on rocky land. The connection between the terraces is provided via stair streets,” he said.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [April 02, 2015]

Bitlis Eren University academic Associated Professor Mehmet Demirtaş said the ancient city was registered by the Culture and Tourism Ministry in 1986.

The ancient city, part of which is underground and part of which is submerged beneath the lake, had all the traces of a city and settlement, Demirtaş said, adding it should be protected from illegal excavators and those who want to use it for commercial purposes.

Demirtaş called for the ministry and the Van Cultural and Natural Heritage Preservation Board to take action. “The region has a history of 5,000 years. Lots of findings from the 3rd century B.C. have been unearthed there so far. There are two ancient cities in the district; one is in Şahmiran village and the other is this one on the coast of the lake. It is known as the ancient city of Tatvan. There are rock-carved niches, geometric shapes and paintings. These are the most common features of an ancient city and they were all registered in 1986.”

Demirtaş said many structures which had been unearthed during previous excavations remained underground because they were not taken under protection.

“[Potential excavation] work will completely unearth the ancient city. This place will be a focus of interest in the world. But there are those who want the area to be zoned for housing and build a holiday village or drill for water. Also, treasure hunters cause a large amount of damage to this area. A common project should be made for its  protection,” he said.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [March 25, 2015]

Sulusaray Mayor Halil Demirkol said the ancient city, which has been home to three civilizations, was located in the center of the district.

“After 22 years, excavations started in the ancient city in 2013. This year, 10 houses will be expropriated. Excavation works will continue this year, too. We are waiting for additional funds from the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The Special Provincial District is also supporting the works, too,” Demirkol said.

“The district is located on the site of the ancient city. We want to move it to an area of 500,000 square meters at the entrance of the district. The area has been allocated to Turkey’s Housing Development Administration (TOKİ). People will move to the houses to be built by TOKİ. Their current houses should be immediately expropriated to unearth the historic city beneath. But since the expropriation is a slow and expensive process, we plan to move the settlement to another place,” the mayor said.

Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Abdurrahman Akyüz said the ancient city was very important to Tokat.

“Excavation work was carried out here in the 1990s but it stopped for some reasons. After a 22-year hiatus, excavations started again three years ago and are continuing with the collaboration of Gaziosmanpaşa University, the museum directorate, the  Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Special Provincial Directorate. This is a long-term work. It may take 30-40 years to unearth the ancient city,” Akyüz said.

“Our governor, Cevdet Can, attaches great importance to Sebastopolis. The Prince of Wales, [Charles], visited here in the 1990s. Can sent an invitation letter to him to come to Tokat. This place could become an Ephesus or larger than it,” Akyüz said, referring to the site in İzmir that draws large numbers of tourists every year to its massive theater and library.

“It is believed that it was a rich city because hot springs were located near the places of rich people in the past. There is a hot spring around here. The district should be completely moved from here, and the area should be turned into an excavation site,” he said.

Ancient city of Sebastopolis

The ancient city of Sebastopolis was established in the 1st century B.C. The city was included in the Cappadocia region after being separated from the Pontus Galatius and Polemoniacus states at the time of the Roman Emperor Trajan between 98 and 117 A.D. It was known as one of the five largest cities in the Black Sea region 2,000 years ago because it was located on passageways and because of its thermal sources, which are still being used today.

As an indicator of its wealth at the time of the Roman Empire, Sebastopolis had the authority to print money. Scholars believe that the city lost its importance and was forgotten over time, largely due to big wars, destruction, disasters and changes to passageways.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News [March 19, 2015]