Known as the “City of Gladiators,” the ancient city of Stratonikeia in the southwestern province of Muğla’s Yatağan district continues to yield remarkable discoveries, with excavations revealing that one-third of all artifacts date back to the Turkish period.
The ancient city, which continues to undergo active conservation, is currently featured on UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List.
Professor Bilal Söğüt, head of the Stratonikeia and Lagina Ancient Sanctuaries excavations, said Stratonikeia is one of the rare settlements that preserves traces of continuous life from antiquity to the Republic era.
He noted that this year’s work is focusing on the ancient library, theatre, baths and Turkish-period structures, with ongoing efforts to uncover settlement patterns and traces of life spanning from antiquity to the present.
Söğüt said last year’s work included both ancient and Turkish-era structures.
“We uncovered 1,115 artifacts last year and delivered all of them to the Muğla Museum. This year we have started our work with the same efficiency and pace. Excavation and mosaic conservation works continue in the library, which is one of the most unique examples among ancient libraries in terms of analogy. We are also continuing work in the council building (Bouleuterion) and its surroundings, as well as in the bath areas. Last year we discovered a third bath in Stratonikeia. This year, we will deepen work in that area,” he said.
Söğüt said the artifacts uncovered include marble, terracotta, metal, glass and bone objects, reflecting daily, commercial and social life of the period.
Highlighting jewelry as an important group that reflects the social position of women in antiquity, he said:
“The artifacts uncovered in excavations form very unique pieces of daily life. Jewelry that points to the importance of women in antiquity always retains its significance. However, I must particularly emphasize that at least one-third of the finds belong to the Turkish period. We are carrying out intensive work on structures from the Menteşe Beylik period, the Ottoman era and the Republican period. In the excavations, we are uncovering original artifacts from different periods such as the Seljuks Seljuk Empire, Alaiye, Saruhanoğulları, Candaroğulları, Aydınoğulları and the Menteşe Beylik Menteşe Beylik.”
Söğüt added that all artifacts delivered to the museum undergo conservation and restoration processes before being prepared for display.
Library mosaics to be opened to visitors
He also said that excavations in an area previously not known to be a library revealed one of the rare architectural examples of the ancient period.
He noted that the structure holds a special place among ancient libraries in Anatolia in terms of layout and architecture.
Söğüt said the mosaics uncovered in the library are around 1,600 years old, adding that inscriptions from the early Byzantine period were also found.
From these inscriptions, researchers learned that the construction of the mosaics was supported by a bishop of the period.
He said the mosaics mainly feature geometric and floral patterns.
“We are facing one of the most beautiful works of the period, made with multi-colored stones. We are working to turn this area into a place where visitors can walk through and experience the atmosphere of the library,” he said.
