Restoration work covering the ground and columns on all four sides of the Zeus Lepsynos Temple in the southwestern province of Muğla's Milas district is expected to be completed next year, officials have said.
The project, carried out by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, is underway at the ancient city of Euromos in the Selimiye neighborhood, where excavations continue alongside reinforcement of the temple, which dates back to the second century B.C.
Associate Professor Abuzer Kızıl of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University’s archaeology department and head of the Euromos excavations told state-run Anadolu Agency that fieldwork under the Heritage for the Future Project has been completed at the site.
Noting Euromos’ advantageous location, Kızıl said the ancient city was one of the most important settlements of Caria. He added that excavations this year focused mainly on the city’s bath complex and theater, with work at the theater supported by sponsorship from DenizBank and restoration at the baths carried out under the Heritage for the Future Project.
Kızıl said restoration of the Zeus Lepsynos Temple, one of the best-preserved ancient temples in Anatolia and a symbol of the city, is ongoing. “This is one of Türkiye’s most important restoration projects. We aim to complete the work in 2026,” he said, adding that the ministry allocated significant funding and that nearly 70 percent of the temple’s blocks have survived.
Before restoration began, the temple blocks were scattered across the site, Kızıl said, noting that they were first recorded, classified and documented. Nearly 1,000 blocks were individually measured, inventoried and catalogued before restoration work started.
Saying the project follows international restoration standards, Kızıl stressed that both ancient techniques and modern technology are being used, saving considerable time. Once completed, the project will make a major contribution to archaeology and world cultural heritage and is expected to significantly boost tourist numbers in the region.
Explaining that columns on the northern façade had begun leaning forward, Kızıl said they were removed and the infrastructure and foundations on all sides were reinforced. “Without a solid foundation, the superstructure cannot be stable or withstand a possible earthquake,” he said, adding that the columns on all four sides will be structurally linked, making the temple both more imposing and more earthquake-resistant.
Noting that ancient monuments are part of humanity’s shared heritage, Kızıl said their primary goal is to restore the Zeus Lepsynos Temple to its former glory.
