Altar and statues discovered during excavations at the Ancient City of Phaselis

Excavations carried out at the Ancient City of Phaselis, located in the Kemer district of Antalya, have uncovered an altar structure believed to be dedicated to Apollo, as well as small votive statues including human and lion figures.

Excavation work at the Ancient City of Phaselis, which dates back to 690 BC and was the last city of Lycia on the border of Pamphylia, has gained momentum over the last 2 years by being extended to 12 months under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's "Heritage for the Future Project".

New discoveries have emerged in the ancient city, which is described as one of the rare cities with 3 harbors containing ruins from the Persian, Alexander, and Roman periods, during excavations led by Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Aslan.

Prof. Dr. Aslan stated that the excavations in the region, which began in the 1980s, have progressed tremendously in the last 2 years, especially with the support provided to this area by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

Expressing that more data has begun to be reached in a short time, Aslan said, "In the excavations we are conducting at the Ancient City of Phaselis, we found an altar structure, that is, a sacred area, which we date to the Archaic period, and small votive figurines within it. These reflect a history dating back to 620 BC. It is a very, very important finding and group of finds. The findings we have discovered are of a quality that one might encounter once every 100 or 200 years. It is also tremendously valuable in terms of shedding light on the early history of the city."

Aslan noted that the statues were found in a broken state, and from this, they understood that they were broken and discarded for the purpose of being offered to the gods. Stating that a kind of sacrificial duty was performed, Aslan said, "All of the statues we found in the pit were recovered in a broken state; the reason is that they were broken and placed there as votives at that time. The fact that the structure is right next to the ancient harbor also carries a separate importance. It is likely that this harbor was used when the city was first founded, and the passengers and owners of the ships coming to and going from the harbor were likely making offerings here before setting out to sea, in order to reach their own countries safely."

Stating that the small votive statues within the structure consist of two groups, carved from stone or made of ceramic, Aslan said:

"In the group of finds, there are figures such as humans, lions, horses, mounted riders, and warriors. These are sensational findings according to the ancient periods of both the ancient city, our entire coastline, and the Eastern Mediterranean. For archaeologists, it is a very exciting find. It is a data group that excites us both because of the period, its rare occurrence, and the fact that we found it as a complex together with the structure to which it belongs and the place where it was dedicated."

Aslan stated that it is understood that the findings are of Cypriot and Egyptian origin. Explaining that this reveals the city's relations with Cyprus and Egypt in its early period, Aslan said, "Herodotus recounts that in the 650s BC, the Hellenion was established in the Egyptian city of Naucratis in several cities, including Phaselis; therefore, we are also finding the Naucratis and Cyprus connection. It is clear that they were also visiting the sacred area here, making their gifts and offerings, which we understand from the inscriptions and archaeological findings here were dedicated to Apollo."

Erdoğan Aslan noted that excavation work will continue rapidly without interruption to reach new findings.