AA Photo
Divers have begun exploring shipwrecks off the coast of the western province of Muğla’s Bodrum district following a campaign opening the protected underwater site.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry granted special permission for the dives in coordination with the Bodrum Chamber of Shipping and local centers. The treacherous shallows around Yassıada hold 11 sunken ships on ancient routes, including five overlapping Roman and Byzantine vessels. Divers reported seeing ancient amphoras preserving their original glory on the seabed.
Documentary producer Tahsin Ceylan filmed the artifacts alongside Bodrum Coast Guard dive teams, specialist instructor Ahmet Yaşar and underwater photographer Mehtap Akbaş Çiftci. A recently sunken Lebanese cargo ship resting at a depth of 20 meters covers a Rhodes wreck dating to the second century, offering a rich marine ecosystem and a visual feast.
Underwater Archaeologist Aşkın Canbazoğlu said he worked at the site between 1981 and 1983 for the Culture Ministry.
“We have always tried to open the area to tourism because it is one of the most important places in the archaeology world,” he said.
Crews excavated a Roman wreck from 1961 to 1964, while operations resumed in 1974, leading to the recovery of an Ottoman vessel in the 1980s. Experts completed excavations on three ships in total, with the site now needing international promotion. The Yassıada shallows gained international fame in the 1960s when scientists pioneered modern underwater excavation techniques on its ancient shipwrecks.
