Visit ancient cities in Turkey by night

As of this year, 2025, major archaeological sites remain accessible until late in the evening, often after sunset. The idea is for tourists to avoid excessive daytime temperatures. These late opening hours, which will also apply to several museums, will apply until 1 October 2025. 

I can’t help wondering how safe such nighttime visits will be. Museums should not be a problem, but ancient sites are another issue. I can imagine admiring the temples, theaters, and statuary lit by floodlights, although with some cautiousness, but walking over uneven pavement may be quite hazardous. 

An excellent example is, for instance, Mount Nemrud, which will open already at 4 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Watching the sunrise or sunset from up there is a unique and unforgettable experience. But climbing the high-stepped stairs to the monument is a challenge by daytime, so much more so by dawn or dwindling light! 

Anyway, for the brave ones or daredevils, I am sharing the sites and museums that offer extended variable visiting hours. 

Closing times for archaeological sites and museums in 2025:

Istanbul
Galata Tower – 11 p.m.
Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum – 10 p.m.
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum – 10 p.m.
Archaeology Museums (excluding closed sections) – 10 p.m.

Adiyaman
Nemrud – 4 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Ankara
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations – 9 p.m.
Ethnography Museum – 9 p.m.

Antalya
Antalya Museum – 10 p.m.
Alanya Museum – 10 p.m.
Aspendos – 10 p.m.
Patara – 10 p.m.
Side – 10 p.m.
Nekropol Museum – 10 p.m. 

Aydin

Didyma – 9 p.m.

Denizli
Hierapolis – 11 p.m.

Erzurum

Erzurum Museum – 9 p.m.

Gaziantep
Zeugma Mosaic Museum – 9 p.m.

Izmir
Ephesos – 11 p.m. (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
Museum Izmir Culture and Arts Factory – 9 p.m.

Mugla
Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology – 10 p.m.

Nevsehir - Cappadocia
Zelve-Pasa Baglari – 9 p.m.
Derinkuyu Underground City – 9 p.m.
Kaymakli Underground City – 9 p.m.
Ozkonak Underground City – 9 p.m.

Samsun
Samsun Museum – 10 p.m.

Sanliurfa
SanliUrfa Museum – 9 p.m.
Haleplibahce Mosaic Museum – 9 p.m.

Origin of the tin ingots from Uluburun

It largely remains an open question of how much Alexander knew about the lands he set out to conquer. The answer or answers keep amazing me. 

Imagine that Alexander was familiar with the trade routes of the precious minerals like copper and tin that existed nearly one thousand years before he was born. Today, we would say it is rather obvious, but is it? 

Merchants were always very innovative and perseverant in exploring and finding new markets for their goods to be sold at the highest prices. The shipwreck of Uluburun was a true eye-opener, exposing the variety of wares from distant countries that were traded mainly around the Mediterranean. 

In my earlier blog, The flooded remains of Kekova Island and Uluburun, I mentioned that the ship was on its way from Egypt to the Black Sea when it sank off the coast of Uluburun in modern Turkey. It carried, among others, 10 tons of copper ingots from Cyprus and an unspecified number of tin ingots from Persia. 

It was lengthy to bring the cargo from the Uluburun ship to the surface, as it took 22,430 dives. The precious finds are now safely exhibited inside the Museum of Bodrum Castle, surrounded by lively reconstructions of the ship’s haul. I somehow missed spotting the tin ingots as I focused on the copper and glass ingots instead. 

It is common knowledge that copper and tin are needed to make bronze. Since the second millennium BC, bronze has been in high demand to create tools and objects of prestige, but most of all for weapons. It is noteworthy that the Uluburun ship held enough metal to supply swords to 5,000 soldiers! 

A recent study published in The Past established that two-thirds of the 105 tin ingots originated from the Taurus Mountains in Turkey, and one-third were traced back to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. These two countries are roughly 3000 kilometers east of Uluburun! 

[Map: provided by Michael Frachetti/Washington University in St. Louis]

During the Bronze Age, the mines of Central Asia were local operations led by small mobile villagers. Tin from the Musiston mine traveled over rugged and rough terrain to Haifa - a distance of more than 3,000 km – before it was shipped across the Mediterranean.

A good picture of the excavations of Halicarnassus’ city walls

The Hurriyet Daily News finally is able to give us a nice overview picture of the ongoing excavation site that exposes the ancient city walls of Halicarnassus.

In my previous post, Exploring the walls of Halicarnassus, I complained about the lack of concrete information. This time, at least, we have a description about the layout of these walls, commencing at the harbor of modern Bodrum. From there they ran towards what is known as Kaplan Tower and the Bardakçi area inside the old Military Camp. It continues to the Myndos Gate over a distance of 1.5 km, and via the Gümbet Junction to Göktepe on much higher grounds.

Once this section is completed, works will start on the eastern side of Halicarnassus. A story that will be continued, of course.

Exploring the walls of Halicarnassus

Once again, Turkey is trying to promote tourism (in spite of the pandemic!) to their many archaeological sites, and this time they are concentrating on Halicarnassus, today’s Bodrum. This kind of news has already aired in my previous blog, Putting Halicarnassus on the (tourist) map.

It is very regrettable that each time new excavation plans are published, they come with very little new information. Although mostly buried beneath the modern houses and constructions, the layout of ancient Halicarnassus is pretty well known.

The most striking monuments are the inevitable theater that offers an unequaled view over the harbor and the castle, and the Mindus Gate, which has been partially reconstructed (see: Halicarnassus, capital of Caria).

In this recent article published by The Hurriyet Daily News, they merely mention that the walls “cover a large area” (how large, I wonder?) and constitute a strong defense system with its 40 towers and four castles (where?). The article includes a picture of workmen digging or clearing the land around some big stone blocks (see above).

It is up to the reader to draw their own conclusions!

Making a fortune as a fisherman in antiquity

Even in antiquity it was possible to make a fortune being a “simple” fisherman.

The recent discovery of a villa in Halicarnassus dating to the 2^nd century AD is there to prove it and we even have the name of its owner, Phainos, whose reputation was famous in his days.

 

The villa is richly floored with mosaics depicting huge fishes and a fisherman – modesty was not a virtue in antiquity! At a depth of only three meters, archaeologists have also unearthed many marble slabs, some pottery, perfume bottles and, of course, fishing equipment. Moreover, a Roman bath and a group of ten tombs with human remains have also been discovered.

 

It is, however, strange to read that other villas and mosaics referring to Phainos were found as early as the 1890s. How did modern Bodrum handle these finds and where are they now, I wonder.

[Pictures are from Archaeology News Network]

How to purchase your own archaeological site

For a rough 35 million Turkish Liras, anyone can become the owner of the ancient Greek city of Bargylia, located 30 kilometers from Bodrum between Iasos and Myndos.

Legend has it that the city was built by Bellarophon after his horse Pegasus killed his dear friend Barglos. The theme of Pegasus on the coins of Bargylia refers to this myth.

This is a strange story, for it is known that the site has been looted repeatedly by illegal treasure hunters, knowing that no official or legal excavations were ever carried out. The reason for this ambiguous situation is that the land of Bargylia has been on private property since 1927, where officials are unable to protect its historical heritage. 

It is everybody’s guess what treasures have disappeared and how much has been left to discover. Property owners would like the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to expropriate the land or exchange it for another plot. Yet not all the co-owners want to sell.

On the side, it should be noted that Alexander the Great spent some time in Bargylia while taking control of the region. Together with all the neighboring land, it later became part of the Roman Empire.

Bargylia, which allegedly seems to include an amphitheater, a temple of Artemis (mentioned by Strabo), a bath complex from Roman times, and a necropolis from the Byzantine era, is riddled with holes left by illegal excavators. A single example has been recorded where a mosaic was destroyed and stolen by smugglers.

It is terribly worrying to see the remains of ancient sites being plundered and looted, but Turkey simply has too many of them. It is said that out of 192 archaeological sites in the province of Muğla alone, only 22 have been taken under protection, and that does not mean that treasure hunters can no longer access the sites.

[Pictures are from The Archaeological News Network], except the Temple of Artemis, which is from Guncel 7/24]

Putting Halicarnassus on the (tourist) map

The Hurriyet Daily News recently published an article entitled “Mausoleum at Halicarnassus to be restituted” that made me raise my eyebrows. What did they mean by “restitute”? There certainly is no way to rebuild the Mausoleum since too many pieces have been lost over time.

On top of that, the rest of the article is pretty confusing, with plans and projects that are very vague. What transpires, however, is that the Bodrum Municipality wants to put the city on the map and most probably on the tourists’ map.

Of course, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus is recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and as I understand what the newspaper is trying to say, they intend to connect this monumental tomb built by King Mausolos in 353 BC to Bodrum harbor. I wonder how they can go about this, for it would mean the destruction of a good part of today’s residential area.

It is also odd to read that a team composed of a professional tour guide, an underwater archaeologist, an architect, a businessman, and a photographer had to be called to meet at the Bodrum Municipality in order to plan excavations to reveal more of Halicarnassus’ past. The projects that are discussed include more excavations of the eight-meter-long city wall and unearthing the 3,500-year-old hippodrome. The program also should tackle the restoration of the Jewish cemetery, the organization of a festival dedicated to Herodotus (International Herodotus Culture and Arts Festival), the illumination of the existing Myndos Gate, and last but not least, the collection of artifacts testifying of early Mycenaean occupation in the area (15^th-12^th century BC). By themselves, these are all excellent ideas, but it seems that is all there is, ideas tossed on the table without any strong argument to back them up or a plan to work them out.

Their intention to put Herodotus, the father of ancient history, who was born in Halicarnassus in the 5^th century BC, in the floodlights may simply be an additional PR for Bodrum.

It will be interesting to see which part of these projects, if any, will ever materialize.

A good reason to visit Klazomenai

Klazomenai (or Clazomenae) was one of the many Greek cities that dotted the coast of Ionia, i.e. the western coast of Turkey. Originally the city was located on an island and it is said that Alexander the Great connected it with the mainland by building a causeway whose remains are still visible. It makes me wonder if this was an exercise in view of the major dam he built about a year later when he besieged Tyre.

Klazomenai, founded about 6,000 years ago, underwent the same fate as so many of its neighbors, suffering in the 5th century BC attacks from the Lydians subject to Athens till they revolted during the Peloponnesian War. In 387 BC the city fell under Persian rule, to be taken by Alexander when he arrived here in 334 BC. In Roman times, it became part of the province of Asia, enjoying an exceptional immunity from taxation. Most people may however link the city to the philosopher Anaxagoras of Clazomenea who was born here around 500 BC and the first to bring philosophy to Athens.

Since 2000, diving excavations at modern Klazomenai, roughly 20 miles west of Izmir, revealed the presence of many ship remains ranging from the 7th century BC to Ottoman time. An Ottoman ship from the 17th century, for instance, was transporting an estimated thousand plates from the Dutch Republic – proof of the heavy commercial exchanges that existed at that time. Plans are to start removing the Dutch plates which are believed to be really valuable. In a second step, the remaining parts of the ship will be brought to the surface, requiring their own restoration and conservation. In the end, the archaeologists hope to exhibit the ship with its plates inside, just as it was found originally.

This operation is not a first, of course, for the diving and reconstruction of the shipwreck of Uluburun, now at the Archaeological Museum of Bodrum (see The shipwreck of Kizilburun) and recent excavations at Yenikapi during the construction of Istanbul’s Marmaray Project served as examples. The authorities hope to exhibit the Ottoman ship from Klazomenai in nearby Urfa in a specially monitored room.

The wide range of rescued artifacts needs desalination before being exhibited, as they would otherwise easily disintegrate - a lengthy and meticulous job. To this purpose a new advanced laboratory will be opening next year. Meanwhile another ship has been located by fishermen about 400 meters from the excavation site, so there is more work to do. Eventually, the entire pier of Klazomenai, which is still underwater offshore, could be unearthed.

Klazomenai was famous for its olive oil and its painted terracotta sarcophagi that ranged among the finest of its kind in the 6th century BC. It is interesting to hear that it was here that the only surviving example of a level and weights press was found. It has recently been reconstructed through a close collaboration of Ege University, a Turkish olive oil exporter and local artisans resulting in the production of high quality oil even according to our modern standards. It’s hard to imagine.

The city was also prized for its garum (fermented fish sauce generally used as a spice) a delicacy that was especially valued by the Romans.

Another story about Klazomenai has come to us through Aristotle, who mentioned that its citizens were financial pioneers in economic history. When they suffered from a shortage of grain and money around 350 BC, the city officials called on the people to pass a resolution to loan them their oil supplies against interest. It so happened that they could purchase grain against the pledged security of the value of their oil.

Enough fascinating stories to go around and it is up to us to prove what is historically correct and what is not. For instance, I have no way to check the sources used by Wikipedia about Alexander building a causeway here and I personally have not heard about it before. It is entirely possible that he stopped at Klazomenai on his march along the west coast of Anatolia, so … who knows … Maybe there is somebody out there who can tell me?

[Pictures: Remains of a vessel dating from the seventh-century B.C Greek perfume vase in the form of a head of a helmeted warrior from Archaeology News Network]

Latest find at Stratonikeia, Turkey

Turkey is an everlasting source of new discoveries. The country has such a rich past, of which only a few tourists seem to be aware, and then only with names like Ephesos, Miletus, Priene, and maybe Didyma or Halicarnassus, modern Bodrum. But there is so much more with constant new finds, some more spectacular than others. 

A while ago, I wrote about the amazing sarcophagus that was unearthed in the area of Milas (see: Sensational Archaeological find near Milas), and today it is the turn of Stratonikeia , roughly halfway between Milas and Muğla. Stratonikeia was part of Caria, a generally unknown kingdom, although in its heyday it was ruled by none less than King Mausolos, the builder of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus - one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

During their seventeen-month excavations, archaeologists have uncovered part of a road flanked by columns that led to the gate in the city walls. These walls are estimated to be 3,6 kilometers long, and for now, a stretch of 400 meters has been exposed. It seems that the walls were restored by King Mausolos some 2,400 years ago.

[Photo: AA, from Today's Zaman]

The main find in the area was this huge 2,000-year-old Hellenistic bust of a king that stood one and a half meters high and is two meters wide, showing features of a bull’s head and a goddess – signs of wealth and power. Previously, a chariot had been discovered, as well as a 1,500-year-old Byzantine mosaic. All in all, 460 artifacts, both Roman and Byzantine, have been collected by the archaeological team and are now transferred to the nearby Museum of Muğla.

After full restoration, the wall will be accessible to visitors, and so will the Museum once the finds have been treated appropriately.

For a great overview of Stratonikeia, please refer to this link at Peter Sommer Travels.

The shipwreck of Kızılburun, Turkey

It was only recently that I heard the name Kızılburun for the first time. I already know the shipwreck from Uluburun on Turkey’s southwestern shores where a huge amount of treasures was recuperated which are now exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Bodrum, but the cargo ships from Kızılburun?

It didn’t take too long before I found out that the promontory of Kızılburun, meaning as much as Crimson Cape, is located a few miles southwest of Izmir. It seems to be a rather dangerous point for maritime traffic since, beside the so-called Column Wreck I’m interested in, at least five more wrecks have been located in the same area, including an amphora carrier from the 4th century BC, two Byzantine wrecks and a medieval millstone wreck. Sailing in antiquity, although frequent, was certainly not without risks!

Remains of a late Hellenistic ship were first discovered here in 1993. The ship was sailing from Proconnesos Island (near old Constantinople) with freshly quarried marble intended for the Temple of Apollo in Claros (about 40 miles from Kızılburun), but it sank before reaching its destination. On board were eight drums for an entire column and its capital in Doric style - an estimated total load of at least fifty tons! Until now, there has been little or no information about the quarrying process, the long-distance hauling by sea, and the lively marble constructions that occurred during Hellenistic times in Asia Minor, now Western Turkey, but this finding is changing all of this. Luckily, this wreck could be dated thanks to the amphoras found with the cargo to the late 2nd or 1st century BC, which is quite interesting as in those days, architects generally preferred Ionic or Corinthian columns. Divers identified a wide range of smaller artifacts also, including black glass bowls, oil lamps, and several types of amphoras.

During the 2006 diving season, underwater archaeologists located more than a dozen large marble blocks, several steles, a marble pedestal, and a 230-pound lead anchor stock, beside smaller items like plates, pans, cups, jugs, etc. They also lifted a cluster of intact amphoras of the typical Lamboglia type, the largest group on board this vessel, beside another set of amphoras made in ancient Colchis near the Black Sea.

The most difficult task then was to raise the massive marble column drums, each weighing between 6.5 and 7.5 tons! A system was developed whereby nylon straps put around the drum were attached to heavy-duty balloons. That year, the divers were able to salvage four of the eight columns. The remaining four as well as the Doric capital were lifted a year later, in 2007.

Interestingly next to the drum pile, portions of the ship’s secondary cargo have been discovered, i.e. large blocks probably to be used as building material; marble items like two large basins with pedestals, a roughly worked out but fine hand basin, and an unfinished stele; also some pottery and amphoras originating from Eastern Greece, the Adriatic, and even Egypt!

The tie with Claros occurred in due course. The column elements pointed towards a monumental construction and after serious investigations, archaeologists were able to make the connection with the nearby Temple of Apollo at Claros. This is where I’m getting all excited for when I was in Claros a few years ago, I was utterly amazed by the size of one of the drums lying in the grass. I even took a picture of it, leaving my camera cover on top of it to show the sheer size! Wow! At that time, there were approximately a dozen archaeologists at work, digging and removing dirt from a building next to the very temple. It may be worth another trip one of these days, just to see what the latest excavations have been revealing. By then, there might be more news about the ship’s construction itself, but I suppose this will take quite some time.

Progress of the excavations around Kızılburun can be followed via the link of the University of Texas, updated in 2008, and the one of National Geographic, updated in Feb 2009. 

[picture of the divers is from National Geographic]

From Bodrum to Marmaris. Sunflower Guide

Just like the Sunflower Guide covering Antalya to Demre, this is another wonderful book in the same series.

Bodrum to Marmaris (ISBN 978-1856913683) generally covers the area known as Caria in which the coastal cities of Bodrum and Marmaris are central. Additionally, the book also provides a guide to Ephesus and Aphrodisias although this historical sites are much further to the north and no longer part of Caria. Again, we find plenty of useful hints about food and lodging, but also about the signs to look for while getting where you want to go. The sightseeing is arranged around several walks: Bodrum and the wider peninsula above the city, the Gulf of Gökova with Cleopatra’s Beach, Marmaris and surroundings including the Bozburun Peninsula, Datça and the Dorian Peninsula and finally excursions to Pamukkale and Hierapolis, Aphrodisias and even to Ephesus. A beautiful fold-out map of Caria is attached to the back cover providing clear detailed maps along the way.

Besides that, it contains an extensive introduction with all kinds of practical information, such as phone area codes, newspapers, buses, events, shopping, cafés, restaurants, night-life, laundry services, police, entrance fees and opening hours of the archaeological sites and parks, you just name it. A comprehensive history of Turkey and a list of useful Turkish words make this guide complete.

The book is a high standard teamwork of Michael Bussman and Gabriele Tröger, with walks by Brian and Eileen Anderson and Dean Livesley. The seasoned traveller can even check their online update service to make sure he/she has the most recent information when planning a trip to Caria.

Knidos. A guide to the Ancient Site by Christine Bruns-Özgan

Knidos (ISBN 9759798123), a most practical and complete little guide (115 pages) to the site of Knidos, located at the western tip of the Dorian peninsula, some 18 miles due south of Bodrum, Turkey.

It contains several aerial views to show the selected location of the city founded around 360 BC with its two well-protected harbors and the place where the first nude statue of a woman ever was presented to the Knidians in the shape of Aphrodite. This statue has been copied time and again for several centuries because of its indisputable beauty.

Enhanced with plenty of pictures and drawings, this book takes you step by step through the streets of Knidos, stopping at those temples, churches and other monuments that have so far been excavated. It dates from 2004 and is by far the most update and most comprehensive guide to take you around this unique site. The British archaeologist Charles Newton spent time digging here as one of the very first and obviously his best pieces went to the British Museum, but other statues and artifacts have been moved for safe-keeping to the museums of Bodrum and Marmaris. The pictures in the booklet show exactly what you have to look for.

Although Knidos is accessible by land, the best approach in my eyes in by boat – a unique experience to drop the anchor in the same harbor as the one that has been used for more than two thousand years!

An introduction to Caria, Turkey

It is quite amazing to realize how little we know about the ancient regions of Turkey. In Greece, we are quite familiar with Attica and Macedonia, for instance, but in Turkey, that knowledge is still very remote. Ask any of the millions of tourists who flock to Antalya each year and close to none will be able to tell you that they actually are in ancient Pamphylia.

Well, I have been among those ignorant travelers for years, I must admit, as it is only since I intensively followed the trail of Alexander the Great after crossing the Hellespont (modern Dardanelles) that I became aware of the distinctive areas. They slowly fell into place: the Phrygians with their typical hats, the Lydians with King Croesus, and mostly Ionia with cities like Ephesus, Priene, and Miletus. So my puddle of awareness slowly grew as I marched alongside Alexander the Great to the East.

This time, I find myself in ancient Caria, where Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum) once shone with its famous Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. However, unlike the situation in our modern times, clear borderlines generally did not exist, and the limits of these more or less independent regions were rather vague. At times, a river or a mountain range may have defined the limit, but otherwise, many border towns were often alternatively ruled by the strongest ruler on either side.

In any case, although I had visited several inland cities in southwestern Turkey that belonged to Caria, I still had no clear image. Caria remained an abstract region. Strange, to say the least.

It is generally accepted that Caria covered the area from the Meander River in the North to today’s Lake Köyceğiz above Caunos in the South. The Carians, curiously enough, do not fit in with their neighbors in any way, neither culturally nor linguistically. There are many theories about their origin, but as they say themselves, they have always lived on the mainland and have always been called Carians. Homer in his Iliad mentions that they were “barbarous of speech” and it seems that even today’s Turkish in that region is labeled as being “harsh”. They were excellent seafarers, though serving in many foreign armies, and were, for instance, highly prized (and probably well paid) by the Egyptians. It is said that it was the Carians who taught the Greeks to put crests on their helmets and showed them how to affix handles on their shields, which, till then, were simply slung over the soldier’s shoulder.

Caria’s greatest ruler certainly was Mausolus, who lent his name to the word “mausoleum” after the tomb he built for himself. This is definitely a “must-see” for every visitor, yet what is left is a very disappointing sight, I would say. The ancient Mausoleum stood in the very heart of the city, but today’s site looks more like a bomb crater amidst the low houses. I thoroughly admire the efforts of historians and archaeologists to bring these unique remains back to life, but it is asking a great deal of our imagination to picture this once so grandiose building on this spot. What is left here are only crumbs. For twenty centuries, the Mausoleum withstood many wars and natural disasters, but the repeated earthquakes turned out to be fatal, and when the Knights of Rhodes arrived here in 1402, they found ready building material for the construction of their fortified castle, the very one that we call St John’s Fort in the middle of the harbor. The story goes that the Knights still found an untouched coffin in the base of the Mausoleum, but postponed opening it till the next day. Yet the next day, the tomb had been plundered. It is said that both Mausolus and his wife Artemisia were cremated, meaning that there could only have been an urn with their cremated remains, but that is something we will never know for sure. The Knights were kind enough to save some of the friezes that were lying around and used them to decorate the walls of said castle. This is where the British archaeologist, Charles Newton, found them in the mid-19th century to recover them and ship them to the British Museum, together with part of a wheel (two meters in diameter) from the quadriga on top of the Mausoleum and the statues of King Mausolus and Queen Artemisia. In a later shipment, he loaded the blocks of marble and green stones that were to be transhipped in Malta. This load, however, never left the Maltese docks because the stones were considered of less importance and amazingly enough, they were used in the construction of the city’s new docks in the 19th century (see Remains of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Malta?).

Despite all the efforts made in recent decades, we are still not entirely sure what the Mausoleum really looked like. Although we have detailed descriptions from witnesses like Pliny and Vitruvius, they don’t give a good overall view, yet plenty of facts and figures to go by. The fact is that the most talented artists of that time were called upon. Skopas, Leochares (the same architect who built the famous Philippeon in Olympia for Alexander’s father!), Bryaxis, and Timotheus were appointed to decorate one side of the Mausoleum each, assisted of course by hundreds of craftsmen of all kinds. The Mausoleum is said to have been 148 feet high, resting on a square base with a stairway leading to the first platform. The outer wall of that platform was decorated with statues of gods and goddesses, while on each corner, a warrior on horseback was guarding the tomb. On top of this platform stood an imposing square mass which was girded with a band of reliefs representing the battle of centaurs and Amazons with Greek soldiers. This section was then crowned by 36 columns, alternated with more statues, behind which a massive block supported the pyramidal roof, where the quadriga with Mausolus and Artemisia was placed. During my last visit, it suddenly dawned on me that this Mausoleum has, in fact, close ties with the Pyramids in Egypt, as in both cases the actual tomb is hidden deep inside a massive stone construction.

Except for a few dozen lost blocks and column drums, nothing significant is left on the spot to see, with one single frieze that found shelter in the small museum next to the very ruins. For those who are really interested, it is worthwhile to take a closer look at St John’s Castle itself to locate the recuperated stones and column drums from the ancient Mausoleum in its walls. Finally, I would highly recommend a visit to the British Museum in London, to admire the magnificent statues of Mausolus and Artemisia, the horse head with its iron bit still in place, the lions that once watched over the lower staircase, and, of course, the many friezes created by the four great artists, were it only to make the (mental) picture complete.

Click on the Label Caria 2012 to read the full story

Ancient theatre discovered in Bodrum

In the summer of 2011 an ancient theater was discovered in Bodrum. Personally I find theaters always fascinating places to linger, so imagine what this new find in the Myndos area of Bodrum will have to tell us!

[foto from World Bulletin]

Bodrum is, of course, ancient Halicarnassus and Myndos in antiquity was its close neighbor. The theater was constructed around 400 BC, so in my eyes it becomes a structure that Alexander the Great most probably has seen when he besieged Halicarnassus in 334 BC. According to archaeologists it is a huge theater, yet how big will only be revealed after further investigation.

This short message appeared in World Bulletin of August 15, 2011. When more information becomes available, I’ll keep you all posted.

Sensational archaeological find near Milas

Every day new archaeological discoveries are being made, either in Turkey or anywhere else in the World. Most of them never reach the news. Illegal finds immediately disappear in the obscure circuits of the black market, while legal finds are simply moved to the storehouses of the museums. But from time to time, there are exceptions, like this grave that was unearthed in the summer of 2010. 

It all started apparently with illegal diggings, but when faced with an impressive sarcophagus, the find could no longer be hushed, and the appropriate archaeological services were called in. This happened in Zeus-Karios, near Milas, only miles away from Bodrum – well, relatively speaking, of course.

 

[picture from the Hurriyet Daily News]

Mylasa, as Milas was called in antiquity, was known for its sanctuary dedicated to Zeus-Karios, a god honored by the Carians, Lydians and the Mysians alike, according to Herodotus. In later years, Strabo confirmed this brotherly sharing of the god by the Lydians and the Mysians. 

So now they found this sizable sarcophagus made as early as 390 BC for King Hecatomnos, nobody less than the father of King Mausolos – yes, the one from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (today’s Bodrum). Such exciting news! Archaeologists are talking about one of the most important discoveries in modern times. The find is compared to the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great from Sidon, now at the Museum in Istanbul. 

The measurements alone are more than impressive, 2.75 meters long by 1.85 meters wide – it’s enormous! This sarcophagus needs cleaning, and more analysis is required, but I can hardly wait to see it myself! Meanwhile, we have to settle for the few rare pictures, as seen on this link.