Rising where empires once met and clashed, the Yedikule Fortress — the Fortress of the Seven Towers — has long stood as one of Istanbul's most imposing landmarks. Built in 1458 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, it fused the grandeur of Rome with the ambition of the Ottomans, enclosing the mighty Golden Gate of the Theodosian Walls within its new ring of towers. More than just a fortress, Yedikule became infamous as a royal dungeon, a place where ambassadors, nobles, an...| Turkish Archaeological News
Marching north along the mighty Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople, the traveller soon encounters the Golden Gate — Chryseia Pyle in Greek, Porta Aurea in Latin, and Altınkapı or Yaldızlıkapı in Turkish. This was the second gate on the route, coming just after the modest First Military Gate, a small postern linking the land and sea walls.| Turkish Archaeological News
Extensive ruins of the ancient city Notion (Notium), meaning “southern” in ancient Greek, are picturesquely situated on a hilltop overlooking the Aegean Sea coast and Ahmetbeyli village. Notion once thrived as the bustling port for the nearby city of Colophon and the oracular centre of Claros, welcoming merchants, travellers, and countless pilgrims en route to the sacred oracle of Apollo at Claros. Today, the remnants of this ancient city lie quietly to the east of the modern town of Ahme...| Turkish Archaeological News
Text and photos by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.| Turkish Archaeological News
The Land Walls of Constantinople, one of the longest and oldest surviving defence systems in Europe, stretch for 7.2 kilometres and border the so-called Historical Peninsula of today's Istanbul on the west side of the city. Dating back to the first quarter of the 5th century CE and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, the walls comprise the Theodosian Walls, 5.7 km long, and the Blahernae Walls, which form the part extending from Tekfur Palace (Palace of the Porphyrogenitus) to...| Turkish Archaeological News
The Xylokerkos or Xerokerkos Gate of the Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople, now known as the Belgrade Gate (Belgrat Kapısı), lies between towers 22 and 23, around 750 meters to the north of the Yedikule Fortress. Its name derives from the fact that it led to a wooden circus (amphitheatre) outside the walls. The gate complex is approximately 12 meters wide and almost 20 meters high, while the gate itself spans 5 meters.| Turkish Archaeological News
Tucked beneath the sloping streets of Istanbul’s historic Zeyrek neighbourhood, just below the Zeyrek Mosque (once the Monastery of Christ Pantocrator), lies one of the city's most atmospheric rediscoveries: the Zeyrek Cistern. Recently restored and opened to the public, this Byzantine structure was originally part of the water system supporting the grand monastery complex above. Today, it offers travellers a quieter, more intimate alternative to the well-trodden Basilica Cistern.| Turkish Archaeological News
Ayakapı is a small neighborhood located on the shores of the Golden Horn in the Fatih district of Istanbul. During the Byzantine period, the district was known as Ta Dexiokratiana or Dexiokràtous. The district's most important historical structure is the Gül Mosque, built as a church during the Byzantine period and later converted into a mosque during the Ottoman period. Another important structure is the Ayakapı Bathhouse, built by the architect Sinan in 1582, also known as the Havuzlu H...| Turkish Archaeological News
A visit to Hasan Sezai Shrine gives us an excellent opportunity to take a closer look at the concept of Sufism as Hasan Sezai was one of the famous Sufi scholars who lived in Edirne. His recently restored mausoleum and adjacent mosque complex are the examples of the successful renovation of the buildings of the highest importance to the Muslim community of the city.| Turkish Archaeological News
Among remarkable archaeological discoveries announced in August 2025 in Türkiye, it is worth mentioning the identification of a remarkable mortuary structure in Çatalhöyük, dubbed the “House of the Dead,” where the remains of 20 individuals were ritually placed. A recent archaeological breakthrough in the ancient city of İznik, formerly known as Nicaea, unveiled richly decorated Roman mosaics and burial plots that may have belonged to a high-ranking Roman general. Finally, archaeolog...| Turkish Archaeological News
Your guide to the archaeology of Asia Minor!| Turkish Archaeological News
Text by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson. There are many ancient archaeological sites which have graffito carvings etched into the stone floors. I have seen them in many places, Miletus, the Sacred Road, the Temple of Apollo, and Ephesus to name a few and I suspect they would also be present in most Ancient Greek cities. I have always been curious to learn about these, what are they for or what do they mean?| Turkish Archaeological News
Text and photos by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson. As the Temple of Apollo in Didyma lights up for night visits for the first time after extensive work, so does the head of Medusa. With a light shining in her face she looks less than amused and who can blame her. I certainly cannot as I observe the unsympathetic additions that just do not echo this beautiful and sacred ancient site. The concrete pathways, the gravel, the metal fencing, and new ticket booth are eyesores against...| Turkish Archaeological News
July 2025 brought some excellent news concerning the archaeological discoveries made in the area of Türkiye. Major inroads were made into the better understanding of the earliest history of the region, for instance the archaeological excavations in Uluköy Cave, located in Mardin’s Kızıltepe district in southeastern Türkiye, revealed evidence of human presence dating back 400,000 years. Moreover, a 12,000-year-old architectural model, believed to be the oldest house model ever discovere...| Turkish Archaeological News
In ancient times, the word agora meant two types of places: the political centre of a city, where the buildings belonging to the public sphere were located and where important matters of city policy were discussed, or the centre of trade and services. The Agora of Smyrna, the remains of which can be visited in Izmir, belonged to the first of these categories.| Turkish Archaeological News
Text by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson. When we think about the ‘theory of evolution’ most of us automatically think of the 19th century biologist Charles Darwin and his amazing work, ‘The origin of species’, which was published in 1859. However, some 2400 years ago, before the birth of science, Anaximander, in the Ancient Greek city of Miletus was already pondering how humans and animals had evolved.| Turkish Archaeological News
Text by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson. The more I research and learn about the once magnificent city of Miletus the more awestruck I become. The ancient ruins are amazing but to learn about the pioneering insights and contributions of the ancient philosophers, cartographers, mathematicians, cosmologists, and scientists who lived there, gives us an extraordinary understanding of the ancient world which makes each visit feel even more surreal.| Turkish Archaeological News
This text is a fragment of "The Secrets of Bodrum and Ancient Caria" guidebook. Nearby Yatağan, overshadowed by the thermal power plant, lie the ruins of Lagina ancient sanctuary. Their location, among the surroundings heavily damaged by industrial activities, paradoxically matches the characteristics of the goddess who used to be worshipped there. It was Hecate, the dark goddess of the underworld, of Anatolian origins.| Turkish Archaeological News
This text is a fragment of "The Secrets of Bodrum and Ancient Caria" guidebook. Within the area of modern-day Turkey, the remains of two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have been preserved: the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Unfortunately, while visiting these places, you cannot count on such magnificent views as tourists enjoy when viewing the Pyramid of Cheops. In place of the Temple of Artemis now stands a solitary column, and where once stood th...| Turkish Archaeological News
The Menüçehr Mosque is most likely the first mosque built by the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia. This mosque, built at the edge of the gorge overlooking Arpa Çay (Akhurian River), is said to have been constructed by the emir called Manuchihr ibn Shavur. The Shaddadid dynasty, which ruled Ani from around the year 1072, began with him as the first ruler. However, the actual construction date and the origins of this structure are still stirring much controversy.| Turkish Archaeological News
The Ani Cathedral is the biggest building in Ani, which was the capital of medieval Armenia during the Bagratid era. It's located in eastern Turkey, near the border with Armenia. The building was completed at the beginning of the 11th century, according to the plan of the architect Trdat, and for almost half a century, it served as the residence of the Catholicos, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The cathedral is considered to be the largest and most impressive building in the city....| Turkish Archaeological News
The Yazılıkaya Rock Sanctuary is the largest known Hittite open-air religious site. Its main parts are two galleries located in rocky corridors. They were once separated from the outside world by a complex of temple buildings, of which only the foundations and the outline of the walls have survived to this day.| Turkish Archaeological News