15 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

“Euromos”, The Luckiest Ancient City of Anatolia

The city in the region called Caria was known from the 5th century BC as Cyramos (Hyramos). During the reign of King Mausolus of Halicarnassus (4th century BC), the city was subordinated to Milas and lost its independence. At the same time, its name was changed to Euromos (meaning “Strong”), which resulted from the Caria Hellenization program implemented by Mausolus.

A Turkish excavation team is doing careful work to unearth a temple of Zeus in the ancient city of Euromos, a short distance from the city of Bodrum on the Turkish Riviera.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Abuzer Kizil, an archaeologist at Mugla Sitki Kocman University in southwestern Turkey near the Aegean, said that they brought artifacts to the surface in excavations they started in 2011, and aim to bring more historical remains to light.

Saying that cleaning, drilling, mapping, and excavation has been carried out in the ancient city’s temple, agora, theater, bath, and city walls in recent years, Kizil said Euromos’ location makes it “among the luckiest ancient cities of Anatolia.”

Kizil said that Euromos is one of the important cities of Caria, adding that they are planning important projects for the temple.

He said the local temple to the ancient Greek god Zeus is one of the best-preserved temples in all of Turkish Anatolia.

Euromos ancient city
Restoration work continues at Euromos. Photo: AA

Kizil said that initially, they did partial excavation and cleaning work in the temple and documented the same area, adding that they prepared a project for serious restoration.

After funding comes through, the work will begin, he explained.

He said to address one of their biggest problems, a slope at the north facade of the temple will be re-done and strengthened in case of an earthquake.

“The Temple of Zeus will take its rightful place,” he said. “It will be one of the best, most interesting, and most-visited temples in Anatolia.”

He underlined that they want to preserve the materials they unearthed during years of work, underlining that the site has great importance for promoting the region and tourism in Turkey.

The Temple of Zeus Lepsynos was built in the 2nd century BC, near Selimiye in Milas District.

In recent years, special work has been initiated to include the ancient city of Euromos, which includes Zeus Lepsynos, one of the best-preserved temples of the ancient period, built in the 2nd century BC, to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

Related Articles

A 1,600-year-old church has been discovered in Turkey’s ancient city of Priene

19 October 2021

19 October 2021

A 1,600-year-old historical church was unearthed during the excavations in the Ancient City of Priene, located in the western province...

The ‘boiler room’ of the bath in the Ancient City of Metropolis was unearthed

11 August 2022

11 August 2022

The vault section, called the ‘boiler room’, which provides a heat source, has been unearthed in the historical bath of...

Ceremonial meals may have been served in the 4500-year-old structure unearthed in the Yumuktepe Höyük in Southern Turkey

3 November 2021

3 November 2021

A 4,500-year-old structure containing a jar, many pots, and food fossils has been unearthed at the Yumuktepe Höyük (mound) in...

At a dig site in western Turkey, a centuries-old Byzantine fortress will be revealed

24 December 2021

24 December 2021

Excavation of vast Byzantine-era fortifications considered to be about 900 years old has begun at a dig site in western...

Archaeologists have discovered a 2800-year-old Urartian Castle in eastern Turkey

17 June 2021

17 June 2021

Archaeologists discovered the ruins of a castle going back 2,800 years on a mountain 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea...

Roman girl adorned with 1800-year-old jewelry found in a lead coffin on Mount Scopus

9 April 2023

9 April 2023

“After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and the exodus of the Jewish population, late Roman Jerusalem—renamed Aelia Capitolina—had a...

13th-Century skeletons Unearthed in Annaea Mound

8 May 2021

8 May 2021

At the historical Kadıkalesi archaeological site in Turkey’s western Aydin province’s Kuşadası district, a total of five skeletons thought to...

Two rock chambers thought to be dining rooms unearthed at ‘House of Muses’ in southeastern Turkey

27 July 2021

27 July 2021

House of Muses, a Roman-era house named after the muse mosaics found in the area located in the ancient city...

8,000-year-old Cave paintings found in Türkiye’s İnkaya Cave depict life and death

10 September 2023

10 September 2023

A number of cave paintings dating back some 8,000 years have been found in İnkaya cave in the Marmara province...

A tiny 2,300-year-old votive vessel presented to the gods by the poor was found in the Ancient City of Troy

27 August 2022

27 August 2022

A 3-centimeter in size tiny vessel made of clay was found in the ancient city of Troy located at Hisarlik...

Urartian graves in eastern Turkey pointing out novel burial traditions

21 September 2021

21 September 2021

The excavations in Cavuştepe castle continue with the excavations in the necropolis this year. Two new tombs from the Urartian...

Archaeologists Uncover Large Roman-Era Complex Beneath Modern Melun

18 June 2025

18 June 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered significant remnants of the ancient Roman city of Metlosedum, now modern-day Melun, in a recent excavation revealing...

Sacred Hill of Moon God Sin “Sogmatar”

23 June 2022

23 June 2022

Sogmatar, Şanlıurfa is 53 kilometers from Harran. It is located in Yağmurlu village, where there are important springs in the...

Unique Gems found in Claterna, known as the ‘Pompeii of the North’

18 November 2023

18 November 2023

Italian archaeologists have unearthed 50 unique jewels during ongoing excavations at Claterna, the ancient Roman site known as the ‘Pompeii...

The World’s oldest and first swords ever discovered

11 March 2023

11 March 2023

The 5,000-year-old swords found 43 years ago during the excavations in the old mud-brick palace structure in Malatya Arslantepe Mound...