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Excavations have resumed at the Roman Baths in the ancient city of Tyana, located in the town of Kemerhisar in Türkiye’s central province of Niğde’s Bor district, following a 20-year hiatus.
The work, conducted under the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry’s Heritage for the Future Project, aims to identify earlier phases of the baths and uncover associated structures, such as a palaestra (an exercise area or courtyard) or a gymnasium (a center for physical and intellectual education).
Archaeologists also hope to uncover evidence of cultural activity dating to well before Roman rule.
Osman Doğanay, head of the Tyana Excavation Team and a professor in the Department of Archaeology at Aksaray University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, told state-run Anadolu Agency that excavations at the Roman Baths had resumed after a two-decade hiatus.
Doganay noted that at least two other baths are believed to exist in the ancient city beyond the complex currently being excavated, adding that efforts to locate them would begin.
Tyana was a major metropolitan center in Cappadocia during the Roman period, and the baths under excavation were built by Emperor Caracalla in AD 213, he said.
“Changes were also made to the structure of these baths during the reigns of emperors who succeeded Caracalla. We can confirm this with certainty,” Doğanay said.
Excavations at the baths began in 2002 and continued for four years, uncovering numerous remains and artifacts. Researchers have since established the structure’s layout and confirmed that it was a public bathhouse, he said.
Located on the southern slopes of Tyana Mound, the baths were positioned to receive the greatest amount of heat, Doğanay said.
He added that archaeologists believe the complex received a significant portion of the water carried by aqueducts from the Roman Pool, citing water pipes discovered during excavations between the pool and the baths.
HH Bronze Age layer discovered beneath baths
Doğanay said the primary objective of the current excavation season was to identify earlier phases of the bath complex. Much of the work this year has focused on clearing layers of rubble and debris from the site.
Test excavations extending nearly 2 meters below the surface revealed that the baths had been built over a Bronze Age layer, he said.
“In our upcoming work, we will uncover all the sections of the baths and determine whether structures associated with sporting activities, such as a palaestra and a gymnasium, are present.
“At the same time, we expect to find important evidence of the city’s cultural heritage dating to periods long before the Roman era,” Doğanay said.
He added that measures were being taken during the excavations to protect the structure.
The team also hopes to make the historic Roman Baths a new regional tourist attraction.
“There is no comparable bath complex of this kind in the Cappadocia region. As part of our efforts to promote Tyana as a destination for tourism and contribute to the regional economy, we are working to include the Roman Baths in visitor routes through the ancient city and establish the complex as a destination in its own right,” Doğanay said.
