29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Hellenistic cremation tomb found in Istanbul’s Haydarpasa excavations

A brick tomb belonging to the Hellenistic period (330 BC – 30 BC) was found during the Haydarpaşa excavations, which shed light on Kadıköy’s history for four years.

The discovery is the only model from that period, apart from the Hellenistic platform unearthed at the excavation site.

Since 2018, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been carrying out archaeological excavations on 300 decares square meters in Haydarpaşa and its surroundings.

The excavations, which have been continuing for nearly four years, shed light on the history of Kadikoy from the 5th century BC to the early era of the Turkish Republic.

Rahmi Asal, Director of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, declared about the brick tomb unearthed during the excavations, that the sides and top of the tomb were covered.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



What makes the find particularly interesting is that the tomb was used for cremation.

Hellenistic cremation tomb
What makes the find particularly interesting is that the tomb was used for cremation. Photo: AA

“This is a very significant discovery. It is the only thing from the Hellenistic period found here, apart from the Hellenistic platform previously dug up. This is very valuable. It is one of the oldest finds in this area,” he told Anadolu Agency.

According to the preliminary analysis, the body was cremated inside the tomb, but the skeleton and other remains survived the blaze and have now been unearthed, Asal explained.

He said a terracotta goblet and a perfume bottle, both of them with visible marks of fire damage, were found with the skeletal remains.

“I have never seen this type of a cremation tomb from the Hellenistic period. Perhaps this will give us many more valuable insights,” he added.

At the same area 2400 of 18 thousand coins were taken of 70,000 finds carried from the area to the workshop continues, Asal said that 18 thousand coins were identified, 2400 were taken into the inventory, and that there are around 10 thousand coins that have not been cleaned yet; “We will work on the remains next month…The site contains a very intricate group of archaeological remains and finds. Each remains was touched from time to time for different needs and Phases were formed. It is not easy to detect it either…There was a lot of intervention because the train tracks pass through here. It has become a bit difficult to identify the remains, unfortunately.”, emphasizing that the area was known as the western port of Chalcedon in ancient sources, and this was also determined by concrete documents in the excavations.

Ancient artifacts are seen at the Haydarpaşa excavation area in Kadıköy, Istanbul.  (AA Photo)
Ancient artifacts are seen at the Haydarpaşa excavation area in Kadıköy, Istanbul. Photo: AA

Asal continued: “In addition, the port and trade life, private life, shopping methods, this is a military transit point and accommodation area during the Ottoman period. We have obtained very important details and realities about this region’s history with traces, pottery and coins belonging to the periods “.

A 5th-century church built in the name of St. Bassa was also discovered last year.

Rahmi Asal affirmed too that one of the two important findings determined by the researchers from ancient sources is the Church of St. Ephemia and the other is the Church of St. Bassa.

These artifacts shed light on the history of the 15-million megapolis and the Asian district of Kadıköy, where the ancient city of Chalcedon once stood.

Related Articles

Ancient eggshell in the Northern Cape hiding 300,000 years of history

12 July 2021

12 July 2021

Evidence from an ancient eggshell has revealed important new information about the extreme climate change faced by human early ancestors....

1100-Year-Old Rare Sealed Amphora Discovered on Shipwreck off Türkiye Coast

27 April 2025

27 April 2025

Underwater excavations near Kaş, Antalya, on Turkey’s southwestern coast, have yielded fascinating insights into ancient Mediterranean seafaring and trade. A...

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...

History, geography, and evolution are rewrites thanks to an incredible dinosaur trove discovered in Italy

2 December 2021

2 December 2021

A dinosaur trove in Italy rewrites the history, geography, and evolution of the ancient Mediterranean area. Italy is not exactly...

Turkey Adds New Sites to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

30 April 2021

30 April 2021

Two additional cultural objects have been added to Turkey’s World Heritage Tentative List, bringing the total number of cultural assets...

An unexpected shipwreck was unearthed at the Tallinn construction site

18 April 2022

18 April 2022

During the construction of the office building on Lootsi Street in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital on the Baltic Sea, a shipwreck...

New fortifications unearthed in Porsuk Mound excavations

11 August 2021

11 August 2021

In the excavations of Porsuk Mound, which is an important Hittite settlement and where traces of settlement remains can be...

The “food” thousands of years ago may be the ancestor of a Turkish dessert

25 July 2021

25 July 2021

The rock paintings and kitchen materials found in the cave, which were discovered by a shepherd and emerged as a...

Gaza bulldozers unearth Roman-era a burial site

1 February 2022

1 February 2022

Bulldozers digging for an Egyptian-funded housing project in the Gaza Strip have unearthed the ruins of a tomb dating back...

Klazomenai, ceramic center of ancient period was found the first seal belonging to the city

20 November 2022

20 November 2022

A seal belonging to the city was found for the first time during excavations in the ancient city of Klazomenai...

5700-year-old monumental Menga Dolmen reveals it as one of the greatest feats of Neolithic engineering

6 December 2023

6 December 2023

A new investigation tracing the source of the gigantic stones that make up the Menga dolmen in southern Spain reveals...

Archaeologists Uncover Oldest Greek Marble Altar in Western Mediterranean at Tartessian Site in Spain

7 July 2025

7 July 2025

The discovery of the Oldest Greek Marble Altar in the Western Mediterranean offers unprecedented insight into Tartessian culture and its...

Beehives of Saudi Arabia’s Thought to be Over 1,000 Years Old

20 July 2024

20 July 2024

Located in the majestic Sarawat Mountain range in western Saudi Arabia, the ancient beehives in the Maysan Governorate constitute a...

Queen of Seas Who Challenged Rome: ‘Queen Teuta’

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

Illyrian Queen Teuta is one of the most extraordinary figures of Illyrian antiquity and of Albanian heritage. She was also...

Authorities in New York have been accused by leading academics of repatriating fake Roman artifacts to Lebanon

19 November 2023

19 November 2023

Leading academics from France and the United Kingdom have accused New York authorities of returning fake Roman artifacts to Lebanon....