Türkiye’s top archaeological finds of 2025

ISTANBUL, 24 December (BelTA - Anadolu) - Archaeological excavations across Türkiye in 2025 yielded some of the most remarkable discoveries of recent years, spanning humanity’s earliest symbolic expressions to major finds from the Classical, Roman, Byzantine and medieval periods.

From prehistoric ritual centers in southeastern Anatolia to ancient cities along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, the year’s discoveries shed new light on early belief systems, social organization, migration routes and urban life across millennia.

Here are all the major archaeological discoveries across Türkiye in 2025:

January

- Excavations at the ancient city of Herakleia in Milas, in Türkiye’s southwestern Mugla province, revealed mosaics at the base of a Roman bath – which locals had previously used as a stable – depicting crocodiles, dolphins, flamingos and eels.

The mosaics were uncovered in the bath’s cold room, which archaeologists describe as the best-preserved Roman structure in the area.

- Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Assos, located in Behramkale, a village in the Canakkale province, uncovered a 2,200-year-old mosaic and a 1,800-year-old monumental tomb.

The mosaic is among the earliest examples from the Hellenistic period in Anatolia and was likely part of a gymnasium, later converted into a residential area during the Byzantine era.

The tomb was identified as a heroon, a monumental burial structure for a prominent family in Roman-era Assos.

- Izmir was also home to a remarkable discovery at the ancient city of Metropolis. Archaeologists unearthed nearly 2,000 bronze statue fragments that could reshape understanding of the site’s past.

Found in an area believed to have functioned as an ancient junkyard, the pieces provide insight into cultural and religious transformations in the region during Late Antiquity.

February

- Five sculptures from different periods were uncovered during excavations at the ancient city of Perge in Antalya.

Among the findings is an approximately two-meter-high (6.5-foot) statue of Aphrodite depicted with Eros riding a dolphin, which preliminary evaluations date to the 2nd century as a Roman imperial period replica.

Nearby, archaeologists also uncovered a 187-centimeter-tall (73-inch) statue of a standing, draped woman showing stylistic traits of the Roman Severan period, as well as another similar robed female statue found in two fragments.

- Archaeological work at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pergamon in the western Izmir province revealed a large Mosaic House complex and various artifacts.

The elite residence, identified as a peristyle house, features mosaic floors dating to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. A roof tile inscribed with the word “Basilike,” meaning “royal,” suggests the structure may have been used by Hellenistic-era rulers.

March

- A marble statue of Hermes, the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology, as well as fragments of statues depicting Aphrodite, Eros, Artemis and Nemesis were unearthed during excavations in the ancient city of Aspendos in Antalya province.

April

- Archaeologists in Türkiye’s western city of Aydin uncovered Roman-period cremation urns near the ancient city of Tralleis. The urns, found intact, contained human ashes and bone fragments, marking an exceptional discovery of this funerary practice in the region.

- An underwater excavation off the coast of Kas in Antalya revealed a sealed amphora recovered from a shipwreck dating back about 1,100 years.

The Abbasid-era trade vessel, dated to the 9th or 10th century, is believed to have departed from Gaza carrying olive oil and possibly wine before sinking during a storm in the Mediterranean.

May

- Excavations at the ancient city of Syedra, near Alanya in Antalya, uncovered a well-preserved mosaic dated to the 5th century.

Beneath the mosaic floor, archaeologists found a well-preserved, five-meter-high (16-foot) cistern, lit by a reused funerary container from the necropolis that had been modified to serve as a window.

- At the Epipalaeolithic cave settlement of Kizilin in Antalya’s Dosemealti district, archaeologists uncovered Anatolia’s oldest known stone human figurines, dated to about 19,000 years ago.

The discovery provides insight into symbolic expression toward the end of the Paleolithic period.

June

- More than 100 Turkish-era arrowheads were unearthed during excavations at a castle in the ancient city of Becin in Mugla, southwestern Türkiye, a site on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List.

- A wooden burial chamber believed to belong to a member of the Phrygian royal family was uncovered at the ancient city of Gordion in Ankara.

The chamber contained 88 mostly intact metal artifacts, including cauldrons and bronze vessels. Gordion was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.

- Archaeologists in Duzce province uncovered what may be the region’s oldest known church structure at the ancient city of Prusias and Hypium, shedding new light on early Christian history.

- For the first time, excavations at the ancient city of Magnesia in Aydin revealed Christian-period remains, including a frescoed building complex dated to the 5th century, indicating the presence of a religious structure during Late Antiquity.

- In the volcanic highlands of Karadag, surveys in the ancient region of Binbir Kilise, meaning “1,001 Churches,” identified 15 previously unknown religious structures.

Researchers also documented cisterns, open-air ritual sites, funerary inscriptions, grave remains and cave sites believed to have served as hermit cells. Several were marked with engraved crosses.

July

- Archaeologists uncovered rare artifacts from the Paleolithic era at Ulukoy Cave in the southeastern Mardin province, revealing the earliest known evidence of human activity in northern Mesopotamia.

Among the discoveries are obsidian tools, animal remains and stone weapons that provide new insights into prehistoric life and trade networks in the region, often referred to as the “cradle of civilization.”

- Archaeologists continuing excavations at the ancient city of Troy in northwestern Türkiye, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a history spanning 5,500 years, uncovered new evidence linked to the legendary Trojan War.

The team discovered 3,500-year-old sling stones in front of a palace structure dating to Troy Phase 6. These finds offer valuable insights into Bronze Age defense and attack strategies.

- Archaeologists uncovered human skeletons and ceramic artifacts in an ancient Urartian necropolis north of Cavustepe Castle in Van province, eastern Türkiye, shedding light on burial practices at the Iron Age site.

- In the country’s northwest, archaeologists began uncovering a 3,500-year-old, 110-meter-long (328-feet) stoa in the ancient city of Assos, located in the Ayvacik district of Canakkale province, reflecting architectural influences linked to Hellenistic-era Pergamon royalty. A stoa is a covered walkway or portico.

- Excavations at Urfa Castle in southeastern Türkiye uncovered a rock-cut tomb dating to Late Antiquity on Dambak Hill near Balikligol, marking the first such tomb found within the castle’s inner section and possibly linked to the ancient Kingdom of Osroene.

- During excavations in the village of Tadim in the eastern province of Elazig, archaeologists uncovered a 6,000-year-old temple site dating to the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, representing one of the earliest known ritual structures in the Upper Euphrates Basin.

- At the archaeological site of Buklukale on the western bank of the Kizilirmak River, excavations uncovered some of Anatolia’s earliest known glass artifacts, dating to the mid-second millennium BCE and highlighting early glass production at the Hittite-era settlement.

- Archaeologists in eastern Türkiye uncovered a massive Iron Age fortress linked to the Urartian civilization on the Tirisin Plateau in Van’s Gurpinar district, revealing remains of nearly 50 rooms and about four kilometers (2.5 miles) of stone walls at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,842 feet).

August

- Archaeologists uncovered a rare fresco of Jesus as the “good shepherd” and with Roman features inside an underground burial chamber near Iznik, western Türkiye, a key site in early Christian history.

- Excavations in the ancient city of Laodicea in southwestern Türkiye – part of UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites – uncovered a 2,000-year-old assembly building, believed to be the administrative heart of the ancient metropolis.

- A nearly 900-year-old ceramic ceremonial pot dating back to the Middle Ages was discovered in the ancient site of Harran in the Sanliurfa province, one of the world’s oldest settlements and another UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Site.

- At the ancient city of Sardis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Salihli district of Manisa province, archaeologists uncovered remains of an 8th-century BCE Lydian palace, adding to knowledge of the kingdom where the first state-backed coins were minted.


- September

- Archaeologists working at Perre Ancient City, one of the five main cities of the ancient Kingdom of Commagene, discovered a statue of the ancient Egyptian god Pataikos, believed to be the first of its kind in Anatolia.

- Excavations at Tavsanli Hoyuk in Kutahya province revealed 4,500-year-old idols made of marble, bone and clay, including seven human-shaped figures found near a hearth.

- Archaeologists discovered a rare human statue at Gobeklitepe, the ancient sanctuary in southeastern Türkiye, found mounted horizontally on a wall between structures B and D and believed to have been placed as a votive offering at the 12,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site.

While similar examples had been found earlier at Karahantepe, another groundbreaking Neolithic site in southeastern Türkiye's Stone Hills region, this newly uncovered piece at Gobeklitepe is especially significant for understanding Neolithic rituals and beliefs.

- Archaeologists at the ancient city of Troy uncovered a 4,500-year-old golden brooch from the Early Bronze Age, along with a remarkable jade stone, in the Troy II settlement layers dating to around 2500 BCE.

The brooch is one of only three known examples worldwide and the best preserved.

October

- Archaeologists uncovered a T-shaped pillar bearing a carved human face at Karahantepe in southeastern Türkiye, marking the first such example ever found. The discovery was made during excavations under the Tas Tepeler (Stone Hills) Project, which investigates early Neolithic monumental sites in the region.

Previously known T-shaped pillars are interpreted as human figures based on carved arms and hands, but the newly found example at Karahantepe is the first to feature a clearly defined human face.

- About 60 rock-cut tombs dated to around 2,200 years ago were uncovered at the ancient city of Colossae, an unusually dense burial complex.

- A Roman-era settlement was unearthed near the village of Oymakli in Adiyaman, southeastern Türkiye, exposing grape-processing installations, cisterns, grinding stones and building foundations from the 4th century, indicating the site served as a large-scale wine production center.

- Excavations at the ancient city of Kaunos in Mugla, in southwestern Türkiye, revealed a Roman hospital-turned-Christian sanctuary within the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List site, where archaeological remains spanning multiple periods continue to be uncovered.

- A 5th-century floor mosaic featuring Greek inscriptions, along with plant and animal figures and geometric motifs, was brought to light during excavations at the historic Urfa Castle, located in Türkiye’s southeastern city Sanliurfa.

- Excavations at the ancient city of Olympos in Antalya province uncovered a roughly 200-square-meter (2,150 square-feet) bath structure dating to Late Antiquity and belonging to a bishop’s civil residence.

November

- Archaeologists discovered a temple of Zeus in the ancient city of Limyra in Antalya province along Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast, locating the long-sought Classical-era sanctuary after decades of research.

- Excavations at Perre Ancient City in Adiyaman, southeastern Türkiye, uncovered a 1,500-year-old Roman-era residential area, including a 154-square-meter (1,658-square-foot) living space with a tandoor oven and adjoining rooms, indicating domestic use.

- Archaeologists in the Iznik district in the northwest uncovered part of a well-preserved 3rd-century mosaic floor, featuring figural and geometric motifs, believed to belong to a Roman-era public building or elite residence.

- Excavations in the ancient settlement of Sefertepe in southeastern Türkiye uncovered two striking human-face reliefs, dating back approximately 10,500 years, that are shedding new light on the artistic diversity and regional styles of the Neolithic period.

- Archaeologists uncovered an approximately 1,800-year-old headless male statue embedded in the wall of the ancient stadium at Blaundos in the western Usak province, a structure dating back about 2,000 years.

- At the Iremir Mound in Van, eastern Türkiye, excavations revealed 5,000-year-old carbonized barley grains from the Early Bronze Age, together with kitchen-related remains such as an oven, pottery, grinding stones, and animal bones, suggesting the site was an important agricultural center.

December

- Excavations in Hadrianopolis, in the Karabuk province, uncovered a 4th-century reception hall with rare mosaics depicting peacocks, geometric patterns, ribbon designs, an eight-pointed star and previously unrecorded motifs, about 80% preserved.

- A marble sculpture head believed to date back to the Hellenistic period (323-31 BCE) was uncovered in the ancient city of Metropolis.

- Archaeologists at Ephesus, in Türkiye’s Aegean region, uncovered a 1st-century marble bathtub from the Terrace Houses, which offers insight into Roman bathing culture. They also found a fragmented male statue carved in separate pieces, dating back around 2,000 years. It was found face down, reused as a paving stone.