Perga

The Kestros Fountain, believed to have been built by Roman Emperor Hadrian in the second century, has started flowing once again in the ancient city of Perge in the southern province of Antalya.

The Night Museum initiative, which aims to showcase the country's rich cultural history and unique historical sites to tourists in a completely new setting after dark, has concluded its inaugural summer season with remarkable success in tourism hotspot Antalya.

The night museum initiative, spearheaded by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, aims to enhance the tourism experience by allowing visitors to explore these sites in cooler evening temperatures during the summer.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced that more than 3,000 artifacts were returned to the country in 2023 within the scope of the works.

The dancing statue of Moses, one of the muses of ancient mythology, has been found in the ancient city of Stratonikeia in the western province of Muğla.

Significant structures in the ancient city of Side, located in the southern province of Antalya, have been revived during restoration works, with the city's Gymnasium (ancient school) standing out as one of the favorite sites of visitors coming to the region.

Almost all of the 240 scientific excavations, caried out under the direction of Turkish and foreign scientists and museum directorates with the permission of the Culture and Tourism Ministry started in July. By the end of 2023, the number of all archaeological excavations and research will be 750.

Within the scope of the works carried out by the Culture and Tourism Ministry's General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums on the return of historical artifacts smuggled from Türkiye in the past, efforts are underway to return the head of the life-size bronze statue of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus from Denmark. The body of the statue has been returned from the U.S.

The Antalya Archaeology Museum opened an exhibition on March 31 displaying a special section of 12 smuggled historical artifacts the U.S. returned to Türkiye following the efforts of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

Nine historic artifacts, including the Perge sarcophagus and the statue of Emperor Verus, that have been returned to Türkiye three months ago from the U.S., receive great interest from visitors at the Antalya Museum. Last year, 166,000 people visited the museum, according to figures.