A large-scale excavation and restoration work will be initiated in the ancient city of Hadrianapolis in the northern province of Karabük, as the archaeological site continues to draw increasing numbers of domestic and international visitors.
The ancient city, which served as a settlement during the Late Chalcolithic, Roman and Early Byzantine periods, has emerged as one of the region’s most important archaeological attractions in recent years. Excavation and restoration activities are being carried out under the direction of Professor Ersin Çelikbaş, head of the Archaeology Department at Karabük University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Çelikbaş said the 2026 excavation season has officially begun. While work is currently being conducted by a small team in a limited area, operations will expand significantly by the end of the month, when approximately 50 researchers and specialists will begin working across multiple sections of the site.
According to Çelikbaş, this year’s program includes both excavation and restoration projects aimed at uncovering new structures while making previously excavated areas accessible to visitors.
One of the most significant developments will be the first excavation of a structure identified through ground-penetrating radar surveys conducted by Professor Ercan Erkul of Kiel University, who has collaborated with the Hadrianapolis project in recent years.
“We plan to complete both the excavation and restoration of this structure and then present it to visitors, as we have done with other buildings at Hadrianapolis,” Çelikbaş said.
The newly identified structure is located immediately east of the Four Rivers Church, one of the site’s most notable monuments. Archaeologists estimate that it lies roughly one meter below the surface. Although radar data suggest the remains belong to an important building, researchers say it is still too early to determine its purpose before excavation begins.
“This year we will continue our work there and aim to complete both the excavation and restoration by the end of the year,” Çelikbaş said. “The project will help us understand the function of the structure while also making it accessible to visitors. We believe it could provide a significant scientific contribution to the region.”
The excavation team also plans to complete restoration work on a palace structure uncovered in front of the ancient city walls. Restoration of the building remained unfinished following earlier campaigns.
“We will finish the restoration this year and open the structure to visitors,” Çelikbaş said. “When visitors arrive, they will also be able to see the floor mosaics of the building we excavated last year.”
The project will bring together specialists from a variety of disciplines, reflecting what Çelikbaş described as a multidisciplinary approach. Researchers from Germany will once again join the excavation team as part of the international collaboration.
Archaeological excavations are expected to continue for approximately three months, after which the focus will shift to restoration efforts through the end of the year.
Alongside the ongoing archaeological work, Hadrianapolis is experiencing a sharp rise in visitor numbers.
Çelikbaş said the ancient city welcomed around 100,000 visitors in 2025 and is expected to surpass that figure this year.
“Visitor numbers have been increasing steadily at Hadrianapolis,” he said. “With the beginning of the summer season, both visitors and tour buses have increased considerably. The site’s designation as an official archaeological attraction has played a major role in this growth.”
He also credited promotional efforts by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, local authorities and the municipality of Eskipazar for helping introduce the site to a wider audience.
The site has become a regular stop on cultural tours of the Black Sea region, according to Çelikbaş, who noted that tour operators have increasingly incorporated Hadrianapolis into their itineraries.
“Students, cultural tour groups and organized tour buses rarely pass through the region without visiting Hadrianapolis,” he said. “We are also witnessing a significant increase in the number of visitors arriving from Europe.”
Foreign tourists from France, Germany and Romania are among the most frequent international visitors and Çelikbaş expects those numbers to continue rising in the coming years.
He added that infrastructure improvements have made the site more accessible to tourists, with walking paths, information boards, a visitor center and visitor facilities now available throughout the archaeological area.
