Excavations uncover sacred area, votive statues in ancient Turkish city

By Hatice Ozdemir Tosun

ANTALYA, Türkiye (AA) - Excavations at the ancient city of Phaselis in Türkiye's southern Antalya province have uncovered a sacred area and votive statues.

Phaselis is renowned as one of the few cities with three harbors, and it contains remnants from the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods.

The excavations, directed by Professor Erdogan Aslan, have led to significant findings dating back to around 620 BCE.

Aslan shared with Anadolu that much data had been gathered in a relatively short time during the digs. He stated, "In our excavations at Phaselis, we uncovered an altar structure, dating back to the Archaic period, which is a sacred area, along with small votive statues."

"This is an extremely significant discovery and collection of artifacts."

"The findings we uncovered are of such rare quality that they might only occur once every 100 or 200 years. They are incredibly valuable in shedding light on the early history of the city," he said.

*Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli