Excavations resume in Bathonea

Excavations in the ancient city of Bathonea, located in the Küçükçekmece Lake basin in Istanbul's Avcılar district, have been resumed.

A sponsorship agreement has been recently signed in the excavation area of the ancient city of Bathonea, which has a crucial role in uncovering and preserving the historical and archaeological heritage of Istanbul, carried out by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and Kocaeli University.

Professor Şengül Aydıngün, the head of the excavations, said, "From the first year we entered this field in 2008, Bathonea attracted the attention of the world. Officials from the American Archaeological Institute visited us. We showed them some very small remnants in the field and the following year, they put them on the list of the world's best discoveries. Actually, Bathonea is not an ancient city but a port city. In the past, when Istanbul was founded, there was the city of Byzantium. Then Constantinople was founded. Just like today, Avcılar was a town connected to the center. It was a port settlement that provided great services to the city."

Nihal Metin, the Director of the Department of Excavations at the Culture and Tourism Ministry's General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, said, "The number of excavations has reached 170. The number of excavations is increasing due to the increase in the number of archeology departments and academics. But if you do not protect them, the excavation area can be damaged. Therefore, it is important for us to carry out proper excavations and document them, make scientific publications and announce them to world archeology."

During the excavations in Bathonea, traces of two ancient harbors called "Large" and "Small," dated to the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and an...