A team of experts is set to arrive next month at Bayburt Castle, where excavations are expected to begin in mid-June as part of a new project aimed at bringing its layered past to light.
Long favored as a secure base due to its strategic position along the historic Silk Road, as well as its fertile surroundings and proximity to water sources, the northeastern province of Bayburt has drawn attention for its network of fortresses and watchtowers built across successive eras.
Among the city’s five registered castles, Bayburt Castle stands out as the most prominent, rising on steep cliffs overlooking the city center.
Also known as Çinimaçin Castle for the purple and blue tiles once adorning its exterior, the site will undergo systematic archaeological excavation under the auspices of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, led by Istanbul Medeniyet University.
Governor Mustafa Eldivan said the castle, with a history spanning roughly 3,000 years, has hosted multiple civilizations and bears distinct traces of Seljuk and Ottoman, as well as broader Turkish-Islamic heritage.
Unlike many fortifications, prior excavations suggest it functioned not only as a defensive structure but as an integrated “city-castle,” supporting civilian life alongside military use.
Evidence of both a mosque and a church points to a complex and sustained settlement, according to Eldivan. “We believe that this excavation will uncover diverse examples of both military and civilian architecture,” he added.
Artifacts recovered in earlier excavations remain in storage at Erzurum City Museum, while authorities are working to display both past and future findings at the Dede Korkut City Museum. Previous excavations at the site were carried out during the 2017-2018 excavation seasons by teams from the Bayburt Museum Directorate.
Officials expect the new excavation to reveal diverse examples of military and civilian architecture, enhancing the site’s cultural and tourism value.
