A project has been launched to record the archaeological heritage of the Middle East and North Africa, arguably the most significant region in the world for its archaeological remains. It is under increasing threat from massive and sustained population explosion, agricultural development, urban expansion, warfare, and looting.Google Earth image shows piles of rubble where the Great Mosque's minaret once stood at Aleppo in Syria. This is regarded as one of the finest mosques in the world [Credit: University of Oxford]
The new project, entitled Endangered Archaeology, has been launched at Oxford and Leicester Universities, funded by the Arcadia Fund. The researchers are using satellite imagery and aerial photos, such as Google Earth, to record and monitor the most endangered, and often undocumented, archaeological sites across the Middle East and North Africa. Nearly all the archaeological remains are made of stone or earth and are visible from the air.
They include tombs, settlements, forts, towns, cities, and field and irrigation systems of all periods – from prehistory to the 20th century. Many of the countries are currently inaccessible on the ground due to ongoing conflicts. Recent work in Jordan by Professor David Kennedy and Dr Robert Bewley has already shown the scale and intensity of development, and that the methodology works, which is why it is being applied on a larger scale across the region.
Project director Dr Bewley, from Oxford University’s School of Archaeology, said: 'This exciting project is very timely as the threats to the region’s most important archaeological sites are increasing at an unprecedented pace and the situation is only going to become more critical if we don’t act now.'
The research team estimates that across the Middle East and North Africa there could be as many as 3-5 million archaeological sites, many of which are under immediate threat, and even more are likely to become endangered in the future. Information about the historical context and condition of each of the sensitive sites will be made available in an open-access database. The information can then be used by everyone, but especially by local archaeologists and volunteers in each of the countries.
Where possible, the project will cooperate with local authorities responsible for the protection of sites, Departments of Antiquities or similar agencies. It is hoped that through the project, a network of local 'wardens' will be created to manage and preserve the landscape and sensitive sites.
Professor Andrew Wilson, the project’s Principal Investigator, said: 'The project will provide tools and strategies for the future conservation and management of threatened heritage, both individual sites and entire archaeological landscapes. This region contains the world’s richest concentration of significant archaeological remains spanning prehistory, the Persian, Greek, Roman, and Islamic empires.'
The project’s website http://ea.arch.ox.ac.uk will be available next month and the database with images and contextual information will follow later in the year.
The remains of an ancient city have been put up for sale in Turkey, it's reported. Bargylia, which dates back to the fifth century BC, is on the north of the Bodrum peninsula, a popular holiday spot. It's being advertised by a real estate agency just like a holiday home, although the site is protected from building work, the BirGun news website reports.Bargylia dates back to the 5th century B.C. and is located near Güllük Bay on the northern coast of the Bodrum peninsula [Credit: Hurriyet]
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.
In Turkey's northern province of Tokat’s Sulusaray district, a settlement of 3,500 people located on top of the ancient city of Sebastopolis, is set to be moved to another location so that the site can come to light.
Ruins at Sebastopolis [Credit: AA]
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.
Ankara has embarked on a series of restoration projects on Armenian churches in Turkey, amid criticism that the country’s remaining Armenian cultural and historical heritage not destroyed during World War I has been left to ruin.
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.
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.
The ancient city of Sardis was the capital of Lydia, the civilization that invented money [Credit: AA]
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.
Workers at Syria s National Museum of Damascus carefully wrap statues and place them in boxes to be transported to a safe place, hoping to save the priceless pieces from theft or destruction.Some of the 700 Iraqi antiquities which have been in the care of Syria authorities are displayed at the National Syrian Museum in Damascus, on April 23, 2008 [Credit: AFP/Louai Beshara]
Since his 2012 appointment as head of antiquities in the midst of Syria s civil war, Maamoun Abdulkarim says just one thing has been on his mind -- avoiding a repeat of the kind of looting that ravaged Iraq s heritage after the 2003 invasion.
"The images of the looting of the museum in Baghdad and other Iraqi sites are always on my mind, and I told myself that everything must be done to avoid a repeat of that here," he told AFP.
Widespread illegal excavation and the destruction of artefacts and religious sites by jihadists from the Islamic State (IS) group have only added to the sense of urgency.
Before the Syrian conflict began in 2011, Abdulkarim was co-director of a French-Syrian mission working excavating the 700 so-called Dead Cities of northern Syria, which date back to Roman and Byzantine times.
Members of the press look at some of the 700 Iraqi antiquities which have been in the care of Syria authorities at the National Syrian Museum in Damascus, on April 23, 2008 [Credit: AFP/Louai Beshara]
Syria has been the home of many civilisations over the millennia, from the Canaanites to the Ottomans, and is rich in both artistic and architectural treasures.
Since his appointment, Abdulkarim and his colleagues have worked to protect Syria s heritage from a conflict that has killed more than 215,000 people.
So far, they have wrapped and stored some 300,000 items and thousands of manuscripts in secret locations protected from fires, shelling and floods.
The pieces come from 34 museums, including 80,000 items from Damascus alone.
Perhaps the most dramatic rescue yet was from the eastern city of Deir Ezzor last August.
Coins are put on display, some of the 700 Iraqi antiquities which have been in the care of Syria authorities at the National Syrian Museum in Damascus, on April 23, 2008[Credit: AFP/Louai Beshara]
After Mosul in neighbouring Iraq fell to IS in June, and the destruction began there, a decision was taken to evacuate the 13,000 artefacts remaining in Deir Ezzor.
Large parts of the city were in IS hands, but the airport and some districts remained under government control.
Yaarub al-Abdullah, the former director of antiquities for Deir Ezzor, said: "I worked for a week with two colleagues to wrap everything. We put it into a truck that came under heavy machinegun fire.
"We put the boxes on a military plane among dead and injured soldiers. It was terrible, but we managed it," added Abdullah, who now heads the National Museum.
A book is put on display, one of the 700 Iraqi antiquities which have been in the care of Syria authorities at the National Syrian Museum in Damascus, on April 23, 2008 [Credit: AFP/Louai Beshara]
Back in Damascus, Abdulkarim followed the operation with trepidation.
"I didn t sleep for a week after I took the decision to evacuate the artefacts," he said.
"If the plane had crashed, I would have lost three friends and gone to prison for losing 13,000 items," he said, with a smile.
He said an estimated 99 percent of Syria s museum collections had been preserved, thanks to his 2,500 employees, including those in opposition-held areas.
"They feel that protecting our heritage is a question of honour, like defending the honour of their mothers," Abdulkarim said.
But their work has come with a price: around a dozen of them have been killed in the conflict, including five during the course of their work.
Despite their best efforts, Abdulkarim fears thousands of artefacts have already been stolen across the country.
Even worse is the damage that has been done to 300 sites and 445 historic buildings.
In some cases the damage came in fighting. In others, it has come from illegal excavation, even with bulldozers, in places like Mari, Doura Europos, Apamee and Ajaja in the northeast, the Yarmuk valley in southern Daraa, and Hamam near Raqa in the north.
Damascus Museum employees wrap archaeological artifacts into boxes to protect them from being damaged on March 24 in the Syrian capital [Credit: AFP/Joseph Eid]
Ayham al-Fakhry, 39, fled his post as director of antiquities in Raqa in 2012, and laments the irreversible losses to Syria s rich heritage.
"Not only do you have the barbarity of the IS jihadists who destroy any representation of humans and Muslim mausoleums, but also the greed of mafia groups coming from Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey to buy pieces found by local residents," he said.
"They pay IS 20 percent of the estimated value and then the mafias take the objects to be sold in Europe or the Gulf," he said.
Despite international action to prevent smuggling antiquities from Syria, Abdulkarim and his colleagues say sanctions on Damascus have left them isolated.
"We felt like we had the plague," he said."Can there be an embargo on heritage? It belongs to the whole world."
Damascus Museum employees wrap archaeological artifacts into boxes to protect them from being damaged on Tuesday in the Syrian capital [Credit: AFP/Joseph Eid]
Recently though, there have been signs of change, with invitations to Germany and France for directorate staff and an award in Venice for their work.
Abdulkarim urged the international community to rally around those in Syria trying to save their heritage.
"There must be a international mobilisation to save culture and civilisation. It s not just our responsibility, but a collective one," he said.
The famous Egyptian statue Sekhemka will not leave the United Kingdom, the UK Culture Ministry announced.Sekhemka statue banned from leaving UK after a culture minister intervened saying that the statue was a gift to the council in 1880 [Credit: Ahram Online]
A 4,000-year-old statue was sold by Northampton Borough Council (NBC) last year despite an outcry from within the UK as well as other places, including Egypt.
NBC sold the Sekhemka statue for £15.76m to an overseas buyer -- widely believed to be from Middle East -- in July to “help fund an extension to the town's museum and art gallery.”
Ed Vaizey, minister for culture, communications and creative industries decided to “place a temporary export ban” on the statue. He said the statue was "gifted" to the council in 1880.
The statue “will not be allowed to leave the country,” Vaizey said.
Arts Council England ruled earlier the sale breached the accredited standards for how museums manage their collections. Arts Council England banned Northampton Council from the Museums Association and accordingly has had a Heritage Lottery Fund bid rejected.
Vaizey’s decision is understood to be based on a recommendation by the reviewing committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), which is administered by Arts Council England.
The RCEWA said the statue was of "outstanding aesthetic importance" and was significant in the study of "the development of private statuary and funerary religion in Egypt and the history of human self-representation."
Save the Sekhemka Action Group praised the ban on exporting the statue. It said in a statement “Our group are obviously delighted that Sekhemka will not be leaving the UK.”
However, the group, which has been campaigning for the statue for many years, remains “deeply disappointed that the situation has been allowed to escalate.”
The statement described the NBC actions as “reckless” and “threatening” the future of Northampton museum.
Author: Marwan Sultan | Source: Ahram Online [March 30, 2015]
A 5,000-year-old ancient city on the shores of Lake Van is in danger of vanishing because it has not been taken under protection.The ancient city, part of which is underground and part of which is submerged beneath the lake Van, has all the traces of a city and settlement [Credit: AA]
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.
Mosaics from the late Roman era have been unearthed by an illegal excavation carried out in a wheat field in the central Anatolian province of Yozgat’s Sorgun district.The late Roman mosaics were damaged bytreasure hunters [Credit: Hurriyet]
The treasure hunters, whose identities are not yet known, excavated two spots in the wheat field, which is located five kilometers away from the ruins of Kerkenes.
As a result of the illegal excavation, the treasure hunters unearthed a mosaic structure and a wall one meter under the surface of the field. They had damaged a part of the mosaic, possibly while trying to find valuable treasures that may have been hidden under the mosaics. Following an examination of the area, the Culture and Tourism Provincial Director Lütfi İbiş said legal procedures would begin for the illegal excavations. “Mosaics from the late Roman era were discovered here. We will do our best to get the region declared an archaeological area,” he said.
Yozgat Museum Director Hasan Kerim Şenyurt said research and excavations had been continuing on the right side of the Kerkenes Mount since 1993. He said the ruins of Kerkenes could be considered the largest ancient city in central Anatolia.
“The field of the illegal excavations is outside the protected archaeological site. The 240x150 centimeter mosaics have round and diamond shapes. White, green, dark and light brown colors are seen in the small stones of the mosaics. We will work with the Kerkenes excavation team to unearth these mosaics completely,” Şenyurt said.
He said they had thought of protecting the mosaics where they are currently located, but that it would not be possible and the mosaics would be carried to the museum. “The mosaics will be damaged if they remain in the open area. It will be better for them to be protected in the museum,” he said.
Video footage, coincidentally found by a Turkish collector in a German flea market, which shows excavations on Mount Nemrut in 1965, as well as the life of locals in the region, has revealed a big scandal. The sculpted head of the King of Commagene, King Antiochus, which is now at the Gaziantep Zeugma Museum, was seized while being smuggled abroad by a German.
The footage, shot by German traveler Dr. Lothar Carlowitz, show the Nemrut ruins and excavations at the ancient city of Arsemia in the eastern province of Adıyaman. It is seen in the footage when the sculpture of Antiochus was discovered underground for the first time. The sculpture was cleaned and covered with a piece of cloth.
After the footage was publicly seen, Archaeology and Arts magazine editor Nezih Başgelen said he had used the sculpted head in a book that he had prepared. The footage shows the airfoil of a Turkish Airlines plane. The plane was included in the fleet on Nov. 18, 1946, and was out of the fleet by 1966, implying that the footage was shot sometime before 1966.
German professor Karl Dörner was the first one who went to Arsemia, where the sculpture was found, in 1953, and the footage shows his excavations, so it is definite that the footage dates back to between 1953 and 1966. He worked there until 1986 and released a book about these excavations in 1987, but the head is not mentioned in his book.
File of the sculpture lost in the museum
Under the light of this information, we followed the traces of the sculpture to the Gaziantep Zeugma Museum. Museum officials told us they did not know how the sculpture had come to the museum and it was first registered in their inventory in 1995. The file on the sculpture was lost and could not be found in the museum archive.
Former directors of the museum said the sculpture’s head was seized in 1980s in the Gaziantep airport while being smuggled abroad by a German citizen and delivered to the museum by the police. But no one knows about this German citizen or the court process because the file is lost.
Now there are many questions to be answered: Where had this sculpture been kept for all these years? Who was this German in the Gaziantep airport? Was he in relations with the excavation team? Was it just a coincidence that German professor Dörner left Turkey after the sculpture was found? Was it normal that he did not mention such a significant piece of artwork in his book? Who destroyed or lost the file in the museum? Is there any connection between Carlowitz, who shot the footage, and those who seized the sculpture?
Works have been initiated to start archaeological excavations in the northern province of Tokat’s Horoztepe mound, which has turned into a tobacco farm despite being declared a first-degree archaeological area.Tokat’s Horoztepe mound, which has turned into a tobacco plant over the years, is to host archaeological excavations once again after many years [Credit: DHA]
The mound, located in the eastern part of the Erbaa district and is claimed to be home to the Anatolian civilization of the Hatti between 2500 and 1700 B.C., has been covered with earth over time and become a hill with an altitude of 325 meters. The first excavations were carried out on the mound in 1940. Many artifacts from the Hittite and Phrygian eras have been unearthed during past excavations.
It was also reported that the region had characteristics of the best known Alacahöyük mound in the Central Anatolian province of Çorum, although work has since ceased in the area.
Tobacco field
The field of roughly three hectares, which was owned by Yusuf Şerbetçi, who died a few years ago, and was then bequeathed to his inheritors, was declared as a first-degree archaeological site in 1996. But because archaeological activity did not start, the owners rented the field to five families, upon which tobacco was planted in the field.
Following the news that tobacco was planted on the field, officials took action.
Frankfurt Goethe University Director of Archaeology Dirk Wicke has come to the region with the invitation of the Erbaa Municipality and examined the mound. Examining the reports of the drilling works in Horoztepe, Wicke said they had found traces of the existence of three different civilizations in the mound, and it would be cleared during the excavations, which will start in August with the permission of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
The excavations are set to start in the necropolis (graveyard) area, owned by the Erbaa Municipality. After the Sivas Cultural Heritage Protection Board gives permission to the excavation, 40 graves will be unearthed before the excavations begin.
A long-term project
Erbaa Mayor Hüseyin Yıldırım said Horoztepe was very important for the district, and continued:
“As a result of the drilling works, the archaeological site, which was about three hectares, was increased to roughly nine hectares by the Sivas Cultural Heritage Protection Board. We wanted to unearth this area and started looking for an expert, but failed to find an expert to work here. We had two choices to make this happen; either with Turkish experts via the Culture and Tourism Ministry or with the museum. But since the museum does not have personnel for this work, we applied to foreign countries.”
Until retirement
Yıldırım said at the end, they invited Wicke to Turkey. “He came to Erbaa and examined the area. ‘Once I start excavations here, I will continue until retirement,’ he said. This will be a long-term project. We have finished our file on Horoztepe and delivered it to the ministry. We will receive permission around April.
Excavations will start in the necropolis first. We hope that it will be heard about all around the world,” the mayor said.
Artifacts unearthed during the first excavations in Horoztepe are today on display at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.
Seasonal excavations have started to revive two magnificent structures of a theater and a church in the 2,600-year-old ancient city of Knidos (Cnidus) in what is today Turkey's western province of Muğla.Ancient theatre, Knidos [Credit: Hurriyet]
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.
Knidos ruins [Credit: Hurriyet]
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.
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.
An area of 1.5 kilometers in Yozgat’s Sorgun district that served as a sculpture atelier in the Hittite era will be reorganized as an open-air museum, thanks to a new project [Credit: Hurriyet]
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.
Work is continuing at the ancient ruins of Ani, a 5,000-year-old Armenian city located on the Turkish-Armenian border in the eastern province of Kars, with an eye on including the site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.Restorations will continue this year at the ancient site of Ani, on Turkey’s border with Armenia, where new artifacts are continuing to come to light [Credit: AA]
Work has been continuing at Ani, which has been home to many civilizations throughout history and is today a major draw for tourists in the area, with the support of Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry.
Ani is located 40 kilometers from the city of Kars, where tourists usually base themselves during trips to visit the remote site.
Local Culture and Tourism Director Hakan Doğanay said salvage excavations in Ani would be headed this year by Pamukkale University Classical Archaeology Department Professor Fahriye Bayram.
Doğanay said projects regarding the restoration of the ancient city’s walls have now been finished, with an eye to including Ani on the UNESCO’s heritage list.
“[Ani] may enter the UNESCO list during the meeting to be held in Oslo in 2016. We predict that 2015-2016 will be the years of Kars and the ancient ruins of Ani. The Culture and Tourism Ministry has provided us with great support on this issue,” he said.
“We will also bring over 21 new artifacts from various cultures, making the best use of cultural heritage in our region,” Doğanay added. “Ani is a treasure for us that should be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.”
Ani, which occupies 78 hectares of land and is surrounded by 4,500-meter-long ramparts, was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present-day Armenia and eastern Turkey.
Ani is protected on its eastern side by a ravine formed by the Akhurian River and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor Balley. The Akhurian is a branch of the Aras River and forms part of the current border between Turkey and Armenia.
Dubbed the “City of 1,001 Churches,” Ani stood on various trade routes, and its many religious buildings, palaces, and fortifications were among the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world at the time, according to specialists.
A tender will be initiated tomorrow for the restoration of St. John’s Cathedral, which is popular among tourists in the Şirince neighborhood of Selçuk in İzmir (Smyrna).The restoration of St John Cathedral in İzmir’s Şirince will start soon [Credit: Hurriyet]
As part of a protocol among the İzmir Building Survey and Monuments Directorate, Selçuk Municipality and İzmir Governor’s Office, the restoration of the church will be financed with funds from the governor’s office’s Investment Monitoring and Coordination Directorate, Selçuk Mayor Zeynel Bakıcı said in a statement.
“The restoration of the church will start soon. The church is highly popular among Christians and especially Catholics. It is important for tourists to worship in a healthier church. Şirince is progressing in terms of faith tourism,” Bakıcı said.
He noted that the bazaar in Şirince, which is famous for its historic Greek houses, would also be restored.
During this month of May, four bright planets will engage in a fascinating dance with each other in the morning sky. Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter will be involved in a series of conjunctions, joined at the end of the month by a very thin, waning crescent moon. We could even refer to this as a "celestial summit meeting," or more precisely, a series of summit meetings during May 2011. Twice during May three planets will converge to form a "trio." According to Belgian calculator Jean Meeus, a trio is when three planets fit within a circle with a minimum diameter of 5 degrees. Such a limit was one that Meeus chose more or less arbitrarily, but as he notes, "We have to make a choice." On Wednesday (May 11), Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will converge within 2.05-degrees of each other, followed just 10 days later by another trio, this time formed by Mercury, Venus and Mars, which will crowd within a 2.13-degree circle. Then late in the month, on three successive mornings, May 29th, 30th, and 31st, the waning crescent moon will arrive, sweeping past Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury stretched out across the eastern sky from upper right to lower left. Evil omen? Impending disaster? What might ancient sky watchers from 500 or 1,000 years ago have ascribed to such a series of gatherings as this? Most likely, they would have felt a mixture of fear and wonder. A fine example was a case in 1186 A.D. when an unusual gathering of the five planets visible to the naked eye resulted in a near-panic across the whole of Europe after religious leaders predicted that worldwide disasters would result! Even today, in our modern world, similar fears sometimes arise. You need only Google-search the date May 5, 2000, and you will find a number of different websites that predicted a variety of disasters attributed to the combined gravitational and tidal forces associated with a gathering of the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. One website proclaimed that it would be "one of the most exciting, powerful and transformative celestial events of our millennium according to astronomy and astrology experts." In many ways, these words sound all too similar to the hype and tripe that has been bandied about during these past few years concerning the Mayan Long Count calendar in 2012. Needless to say, we all survived the recent 2000 celestial summit and despite what you might hear or read in the coming days ahead, absolutely nothing cataclysmic will take place (at least nothing that can be directly attributed to this impending dawn gathering of the moon and planets). Tough to see The only tragedy regarding this display is that those living north of the equator will have a difficult time seeing it. At first glance there doesn't appear to be any problem concerning the visibility of these objects. Their elongations from the sun will range from 18 degrees to 26 degrees, which should place them all in dark skies. Unfortunately, during May, as seen especially from mid-northern latitudes, the ecliptic is oriented at a shallow angle relative to the eastern horizon at dawn. As a result, the moon and planets will rise into view during late twilight and will lie very low to the east-northeast horizon by sunrise. To see them, you'll have to make sure not to have any potential obstructions to your visibility such as trees or buildings in that direction. But coming above the horizon so near to sunrise will also mean that you'll have a fighting chance of catching only Venus (magnitude -4) and Jupiter (magnitude -2) with unaided eyes. Whether you will be able to glimpse zero-magnitude Mercury is debatable, and certainly binoculars will be needed if you have any hope of seeing Mars (magnitude +1). The crescent moon will also prove to be a visual challenge, being only 2 percent illuminated on May 31. Low-lying clouds or haze near the horizon on any given morning will only reduce your chances of success. In contrast, those of our SPACE.com readers in the Southern Hemisphere, where the ecliptic at dawn appears at a somewhat steeper angle, will see this ever-changing array somewhat higher and in a somewhat darker sky; more like mid-twilight as opposed to late twilight in the north. Indeed, those living in far southern locations such as Cape Town, South Africa; Melbourne, Australia; or Dunedin, New Zealand, will have a much better chance of seeing and enjoying this month-long dance of the planets. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York. (S)
A 2,800-year-old Hittite inscription, which is on a rock in the Bolkar Mountain in the Central Anatolian province of Nigde and claimed to be the world’s oldest mining license, will be taken under protection.The inscription, discovered in Bolkar Mountains, is claimed to be the world’s oldest mining license. Works have been initiated to take it under protection [Credit: AA]
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.
A large number of historical artifacts, including the head of a 2,000-year-old Hermes statue, have been seized during an operation by the Sivas Police Department Directorate of Anti-smuggling and Organized Crime Branch.The head of Hermes was seized after a three-month operation [Credit: DHA]
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.
Syria has retrieved more than 120 antiquities looted from cemeteries in the millennia-old oasis city of Palmyra following years of destruction and war pillaging, its director of museums said Wednesday.Syrians ride their bikes in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, March 2014 [Credit: AFP/Joseph Eid]
Looters have breached tombs and Roman temples have been damaged in Palmyra, once a vital stopping point for caravans crossing the Syrian desert carrying spices, silks and perfumes, said Ahmad Deeb told Reuters in his office in Damascus.
Clashes between the army and rebels have damaged historical sites and buildings throughout Syria, during the four-year-long conflict that has also killed 200,000 people.
"Special authorities in Palmyra have done great work during the last year when they returned more than 120 antiques, the most important of which were tombstones that were secretly excavated," Deeb said.
Unfortunately, some of the looted artefacts have been moved outside Syria, he added.
Syria is a cultural treasure trove and home to six UNESCO World Heritage sites. Four of these sites, including Palmyra and the Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers, have been used for military purposes, the United Nations says.
Nearly two dozen funeral busts and the headstone of a child from the necropolis at Palmyra were looted in November, according to UNESCO. From the 1st to the 2nd Century, the art and architecture of Palmyra married Greco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences, UNESCO says.
Satellite imagery shows that 290 cultural heritage sites in Syria, which has a history stretching back to the dawn of civilization, have been damaged by the civil war, the United Nations' training and research arm said in December.
To preserve its history, Deeb said all Syrian museums were emptied two years ago and the artefacts were put in stores. A list of antiquities smuggled from archaeological sites have been documented on a "red list" distributed to Interpol, he said.
Deeb estimates that more than 1,500 items may have been stolen from museums in Raqqa, a city in northeastern Syria now controlled by ISIS militants, and Deir Atiyah in northern Damascus. Some of are still in Syria, he said.
As jihadis who adhere to a hardline school of Islam have grown in power, they present a new threat to Syria's heritage. Shrines and tombs in areas under their control have been targeted and destroyed as idolatrous symbols.
More than 750 archaeological sites have been attacked, Deeb said. The U.N. Security Council last month banned all trade in antiquities from the war-torn country.
The restoration of the Kızlar or Panaghia (ie., Virgin Mary) Monastery, one of the most important tourist spots in the Eastern Black Sea region, will soon come to an end and local officials are confident the site will boost local tourism.Trabzon’s famous Kızlar or Panaghia Monastery has been undergoing a restoration process for nearly a year. The work is almost done and the monastery will soon open to tourism [Credit: Hurriyet]
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.
