The archaeological excavation of the ancient city of Kastabala in Osmaniye Province in southern Turkey continues.
Kastabala-Hierapolis is one of the most important cities of ancient Cilicia. The city is located near the Ceyhan (Pyramos) River, overlooking a small plain. One of the Seleucos Kings, IV. Antiochos gave the name of “HIEROPOLIS”, meaning holy city because of the name of the goddess Artemis Perasia who worshiped for many years in the city.
The excavation is being conducted out by the Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, under the leadership of Faris Demir from the archaeology department of Osmaniye Korkut Ata University (OKÜ).
Faris Demir told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the ancient site will have a “stone exhibition” and a colonnaded street further down the line.
“The works in the theater are close to being completed, and the works on the colonnaded street will be completed soon as well,” he said.
The city is located 12 kilometers (7.45 miles) from Osmaniye city center with its walking path, theater, castle, and columns dating back 2,500 years.
Demir also said that the excavations in the amphitheater in the ancient city continue uninterrupted and they plan to complete the work here in a few years.
Demir stated that he believes Osmaniye will become a cultural center with the completion of the works in the amphitheater.
“The theater is a medium-sized one belonging to the Roman Period. Some 80% of it has survived to the present day. We think that Osmaniye will acquire an important place in the field of tourism and culture,” he said.
Noting that the archaeological excavations in the region will continue until the end of the year, Demir said that they have also started planning the cleaning and landscaping process for the area so that visitors can tour the city comfortably.
