Archaeological treasure in Düzce being uncovered

DÜZCE

The archaeological treasure in the ancient city of Prusias Ad Hypium, located in the Konuralp region of Düzce and referred to as "The Ephesus of the Western Black Sea," is being uncovered.

The excavation works in the 10,000-seat theater of the ancient city, dating back to the third century B.C., which have been continuing for approximately six years under the direction of the Konuralp Museum Directorate, have been completed.

In the excavation works, a Medusa head sculpture, a sculpture head of Alexander the Great, a sculpture of Apollo, a mosaic with lions, a portrait bust believed to belong to M. Iulius Proklos, who commissioned the construction of the stage building of the ancient theater, and a water storage pool estimated to belong to the Byzantine period were added to the cultural heritage inventory.

In the ancient city, which has endured severe earthquakes throughout various periods, excavation works in the theater — still remarkably intact — have been completed, and efforts will now focus on revealing the surrounding artifacts this year.

Finally, during the excavations where infrastructure systems made of fired clay pipes and a church ruin dating back to the Byzantine period were discovered, the artifacts yet to be uncovered are expected to shed light on history.

Konuralp region is full of archaeological treasures

Raşit Aydın, the art historian involved in the excavations in the ancient city, said that the excavation in the theater section lasted for six years, adding that the works surrounding the area, which had been interrupted due to unfavorable weather conditions, resumed at the end of April.

Aydın pointed out that the region is rich in historical artifacts, stating, "We expect to find a gymnasium [a large building in ancient Greece used for physical education of athletes, with surrounding colonnaded courtyards], a stadium, a Roman bath, and a large temple under the Konuralp region. The area under Konuralp is full of great archaeological treasures."

Emphasizing the importance of the theater in the ancient city, Aydın said, "The theater is a very magnificent and important structure. The largest structure we have above ground is the theater, but this area is archaeologically very rich. In last year's excavations, we found the bust of M. Iulius Proklos, a Roman philanthropist believed to have built the stage building. This really excited us. We also found small theater tickets here. These are important finds that show how the theater functioned and its importance in that period."

Noting that important carvers, wall and stonework artists from the period worked here, Aydın said, "The stone artifacts we obtained here are related to Greek and Roman mythology. Sculptures and sculpture heads are very important and high quality. This shows that very important artists and architects of the period worked here. These are very difficult artifacts. They are works that require detailed and long-term effort. These are works that demand fine craftsmanship."