Turkey's 'City of Gladiators' awaits visitors with its new unearthed artifacts

By Durmus Genc

MUGLA, Turkey (AA) - A total of 378 new historical artifacts have been unearthed since the beginning of this year in the Stratonikeia ancient city located in Turkey’s Aegean Mugla province.

The city was included in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2015.

Also known as the “City of Gladiators,” the historical site was important in the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantium, and Anatolian periods as well as the Ottoman and Turkish Republic eras.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Bilal Sogut, the head of the Stratonikeia excavations, said: "Stratonikeia is a living archaeological city. There is no other living archeology city where the structures from the ancient period to the present are preserved as a whole."

Excavation works are underway in the site without pause throughout the year, Sogut stressed, adding that inscriptions in Greek, Latin, and Ottoman can all be seen on the same building and so the city reflects "cultural richness."

"This year, 378 pieces of artifacts, including architectural findings and sculptures, were unearthed during the excavations. We had a very fruitful season," he noted.

Sogut added that they will offer "time travel" to visitors with 3D technology in the historical site.