15 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

1800 Years Old Roman Milestone Used as Seat at Turkish Mosque

A milestone from the Roman Emperor Gordianus III period, which dates to 239 AD, was discovered in the Fatsa district of Ordu province in northeastern Türkiye.

Roman milestones, or “milliarium,” were significant landmarks along the extensive road system of the Roman Empire. These stone markers made it easier for travelers to find their way through the extensive and intricate network of Roman roads by showing the distance to the closest town or city.

These milestones, which were typically placed one Roman mile apart (1,480 meters or 4,850 feet), were marked with details like the road’s name, the distance to the next destination, and occasionally the name of the emperor or the official in charge of building it. Many of these milestones have survived and provide valuable insights into the engineering, culture, and history of ancient Rome.

It was determined that the 1800-year-old milestone was used as a seat by the mosque congregation and citizens for years.

  The stone discovered near the Laleli Central Mosque in the Bolaman neighborhood of Fatsa district was noticed by Aydın Bal, a literature teacher at Fatsa Cahit Zarifoğlu High School.

Photo: DHA

The authorities who took action upon Bal’s notification were Fatsa Municipality Culture Director Cevat Erbil and Ordu University Art History Department Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seçkin Evcim examined the stone and determined that it was a milestone from the Roman period.

The inscription on the stone was translated by Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Sami Öztürk, an epigraphy and linguistics expert from Marmara University. The emperor’s name was honored and this road was rebuilt by him, according to the translated stone inscription.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seçkin Evcim stated that they think that the stone was erected for the construction of a natural harbor road between Bolaman and Yalıköy during the Roman period and said, “The stone found in the second mile of this road was erected for the construction of a natural harbor road between Bolaman and Yalıköy. Unfortunately, the stone was not in its original place; it was found in the 1970s while the mosque’s foundation was being laid and then it was tilted on its side and used for seating.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evcim stated that a milestone was discovered for the first time in Ordu and that the stone was taken to the Ordu Museum with the support of Fatsa Municipality. Since the stone is not in its original position, additional research will be evaluated in the future.

The history of Fatsa goes back to antiquity, when the coast was settled by Cimmerians, and Pontic Greeks in the centuries B.C. Under Nero, the kingdom became a Roman province in A.D. 62. In about 295, Diocletian (r. 284–305) divided the province into three smaller provinces, one of which was Pontus Polemoniacus, called after the Roman client-king Polemonium I, which was its administrative capital.

Cover Image Credit: DHA

Related Articles

Archaeologists discover traces of ancient Jalula, the city that witnessed the famous battle of the same name 1386 years ago

23 November 2023

23 November 2023

The  Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) has announced the discovery of the boundaries and various structures of...

Archaeologists discover Ice Age human footprints in the Utah desert —may be more than 12,000 years old.

26 July 2022

26 July 2022

Daron Duke and Thomas Urban, a Research Scientist with Cornell University, discovered 88 preserved human footprints on alkaline plains at...

Explore 1,400-year-old ruins, submerged in Eastern China – Atlantis of China

10 June 2023

10 June 2023

Deep in Qiandao Lake, between China’s Five Lion Mountains, lie the mysterious ruins of two ancient cities, dating back to...

Archaeologists Find Mysterious 2,800-year-old Channels in Jerusalem

30 August 2023

30 August 2023

Archaeologists excavating in Jerusalem have uncovered a network of mysterious channels dating back to the days of King Joash and...

New study investigates the development of the Scandinavian gene pool over the latest 2000 years

5 January 2023

5 January 2023

A new study resolves the complex relations between geography, ancestry, and gene flow in Scandinavia – encompassing the Roman Age,...

2.3-meter sword found in 4th-century tomb in Japan

27 January 2023

27 January 2023

The largest bronze mirror and the largest “dako” iron sword in Japan were discovered at the Tomio Maruyama burial mound...

A wash-basin decorated with 2500-year-old Mythological creatures and Chariot races was discovered in Izmir, Turkey

28 September 2022

28 September 2022

Unique ceramic figures were discovered in the excavations carried out this year in the ancient city of Klazomenai in the...

Isotopic Evidence reveals surprising dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups in Morocco

30 April 2024

30 April 2024

It has long been accepted wisdom that hunter-gatherer societies lived primarily off of meat. But fresh data from an innovative...

A 4000-Year-Old Trading Port was Discovered in Istanbul

4 May 2021

4 May 2021

Archaeological excavations carried out on a peninsula in the middle of Istanbul Küçükçekmece Lake unearthed a very important 4,000-year-old trade...

500-year-old board game discovered carved into a stone slab in a Polish castle

12 September 2023

12 September 2023

A board game carved into stone was discovered by archaeologists investigating the castle at Ćmielów in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in...

Rare textiles and dwellings discovered in the submerged Neolithic settlement near Rome

6 June 2023

6 June 2023

Underwater archaeologists have discovered rare, well-preserved textiles, basketry, and cordage from the early Neolithic period in an area near Rome,...

1,500-Year-Old Christian Ivory Reliquary Box Discovered in Austria

27 June 2024

27 June 2024

Archaeologists have discovered an exceptional Christian ancient ivory reliquary box in Austria that is thought to be around 1,500 years...

The Colchester Vase: New Analyses Uncover Evidence of Gladiatorial Combat in Roman Britannia

23 February 2025

23 February 2025

The Colchester Vase, dating back to A.D. 160–200, is not just a ceramic artifact; it is considered a unique graphic...

Torrential Rain Reveal 2500-Year-old Small Bull Statue

19 March 2021

19 March 2021

After heavy rains near the ancient Olympia site, a bronze bull statue of a bull believed to be at least...

The sensational second discovery in Croatia: Greek-Illyrian Helmet 2500 years old

16 April 2024

16 April 2024

Archaeologists found a 2500-year-old Greek-Ilyrian helmet during excavations in the Gomila area in the town of Zakotorac on Croatia’s Pelješac...