Tralleis ready to open to visitors

AYDIN

After dedicating his life for 23 years, Professor Murat Çekilmez is preparing to open the gates of the ancient city of Tralleis in the western province of Aydın to visitors, making a dream that began when he was a first-year archaeology student come true.

Çekilmez, now a faculty member at Aydın Adnan Menderes University (ADU), first joined excavations at Tralleis in 2002 as an intern. From that summer onward, he spent every vacation working at the site, trading leisure time for excavation trenches. After graduating, he pursued a master’s degree in archaeology at ADU, eventually becoming a professor and, in 2023, the head of excavations at Tralleis, a position he had aspired to since his student days.

Tralleis, located in the Efeler district of Aydın, has shaped Çekilmez’s entire academic and professional path. His passion for the ancient city is now focused on a new goal: opening the site to the public.

Speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, Çekilmez said excavations at Tralleis began in 1996.

“When I first joined the digs in 2002, I was overwhelmed with excitement. My dream back then was to one day lead this excavation and now I do,” he said. “Our next goal is to share Tralleis’s unique atmosphere with visitors. If all goes as planned, the site will be open to the public starting August 2025.”

He described working at Tralleis not only as an honor but as a mission rooted in preservation, research and public engagement. “We love this site deeply. Through excavation, restoration and landscaping works, we aim to make Tralleis a cultural landmark that represents Aydın on the national and international stage.”

Çekilmez noted that archaeological excavations require strict discipline, with workdays often stretching to 14 or 15 hours. He also emphasized the importance of the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s “Legacy for the Future Project,” which provided the funding for critical environmental planning works now underway.

Tralleis is believed to have been founded around 3,000 years ago by Thracians and Argives. It is historically significant as the site where the world’s first notated music was reportedly written. One of its most iconic structures is the well-preserved gymnasium complex, known locally as the “Three Arches,” which still stands today.