17 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Turkey’s second ancient lighthouse found in the Bathonea

The excavations in the ancient Greek city of Bathonea, located in the Küçükçekmece Lake basin in the Avcılar district of Istanbul, with the discovery of underwater architectural remains of the second ancient lighthouse in Turkey after the ancient city of Patara.

The excavations in Bathonea, are being done by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and Kocaeli University under the supervision of Professor Şengül Aydıngün, aiming to reveal and preserve the historical and archaeological heritage.

The early Hittite traces found in the excavations of the Ancient City of Bathonea, where many unknown important structures of Istanbul and issues waiting to be enlightened, are brought to light, are described as the biggest discovery in the studies. With this discovery in the excavations, Hittite traces were found for the first time on the European continent.

The Bathonea ancient city also bore traces of the Thracian/Phrygian tribes, the existence of which was contested until these findings proved they migrated from the Bosporus to Anatolia 3,000 years ago.

Professor Şengül Aydıngün, the head of the excavations, said, “From the first year we entered this field in 2008, Bathonea attracted the attention of the world. Officials from the American Archaeological Institute visited us. We showed them some very small remnants in the field and the following year, they put them on the list of the world’s best discoveries. Actually, Bathonea is not an ancient city but a port city. In the past, when Istanbul was founded, there was the city of Byzantium. Then Constantinople was founded. Just like today, Avcılar was a town connected to the center. It was a port settlement that provided great services to the city.”

Aerial view of the ruins of the great port. Photo: Murat Öztürk
Aerial view of the ruins of the great port. Photo: Murat Öztürk

“We can say that the Bathonea excavations host one of the largest scientific teams in our country, composed of internationally powerful scientists.”

“In addition, I would like to underline the great importance of physical labor in archaeological excavations, and we express our gratitude to every worker who wields a shovel, throws soil, and carries wheelbarrows; their contributions are very valuable. We also express our thanks once again to Mercedes-Benz, with whom we are delighted to be together, and we hope this beautiful collaboration continues for many years.”

The social benefit programs it carries out as a supporter of the Bathonea Ancient City excavations, Mercedes-Benz Türk plays an essential role in uncovering and preserving the historical and archaeological heritage of Istanbul.

During the excavations in Bathonea, traces of two ancient harbors called “Large” and “Small,” dated to the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and an ancient lighthouse, have been discovered.

Aerial view of the remnants of an ancient lighthouse found at the farthest corner of the major harbor. Photo: İstanbul tarihi
Aerial view of the remnants of an ancient lighthouse found at the farthest corner of the major harbor. Photo: İstanbul tarihi

Excavations have begun since 2011-2012, revealing ancient harbor structures, a large open cistern believed to have been commissioned by Emperor Constantine the Great (A.D. 330), the remains of a castle, a large palace complex with mosaic-covered floors, underground water channels, and ancient roads.

Also, traces of a Viking neighborhood have been unearthed in the ancient city. “We unearthed seven clues that indicated the Vikings once lived here,” said Blazei Stanislawski, a Polish Viking expert who joined the team after he first learned that Vikings lived in Bathonea.

Small objects, ceramics, and amphoras discovered within these structures have revealed evidence of intense maritime trade between various ancient centers from the western to eastern Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, Sicily, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon, Phoenicia, Syria, and the Aegean Islands) from the sixth to sixth centuries B.C.

The Journal of the American Archaeological Institute, the British Independent Newspaper, and the Heritage Key included the excavation site in the “Top 10 List of the World’s Most Important Archaeological Discoveries” in 2009.

Related Articles

Neolithic Twin of Knossos: First 8,800-Year-Old Architectural Remains Unearthed on Gökçeada

28 August 2025

28 August 2025

Archaeologists excavating the Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound on Türkiye’s westernmost island in the Aegean Sea, Gökçeada (Imbros), have uncovered something never before...

Researchers Define the Borders of El Argar, the First State-Society in the Iberian Peninsula

18 March 2025

18 March 2025

Recent research conducted by scholars from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology...

Drone photos reveal Venice of the Fertile Crescent

16 October 2022

16 October 2022

A drone survey of Lagash, a site located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, revealed that the 4,900-year-old settlement was...

Ancient rubbish dump under Hatshepsut temple reveals hundreds of artifacts

24 November 2021

24 November 2021

Polish archaeologists uncovered a 3,500-year-old dump while working on the reconstruction of the Hathor Goddess Chapel, which is part of...

Roman-era Mixers and Millstones Made with Geology in Mind

22 September 2021

22 September 2021

A study on stone tools from an outpost of the Roman Empire has found that for ancient bakers and millers,...

Are There Stone Age Megastructures on the Baltic Sea Floor?

11 June 2025

11 June 2025

The western Baltic Sea may conceal far more prehistoric cultural heritage than previously believed — including monumental underwater structures created...

A rare Byzantine gold coin discovered in Norway, probably brought from Constantinople

9 December 2023

9 December 2023

A metal detectorist exploring the mountains in the municipality of Vestre Slidre in southern Norway discovered a rare histamenon nomisma...

The Headless Corpses of Somersham was Victims of Roman Executions

30 May 2021

30 May 2021

Excavations at Knobb’s Farm in Somersham, Cambridgeshire, unearthed three small late Roman graves on the outskirts of an agricultural village....

Detector finds rare Merovingian gold ring refers to a previously unknown principality

22 February 2024

22 February 2024

A metal detectorist has unearthed a very rare, 1,500-year-old Merovingian gold ring made of 22-carat gold at Emmerlev in Southwest...

Egyptian mission discovered five ancient water wells in North Sinai

1 March 2022

1 March 2022

A team of Egyptian archeologists working in the Tell El Kedwa discovered five ancient wells which are believed to be...

The Ancient City of Yijin Among the Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries in China

3 February 2021

3 February 2021

Located in Hangzhou’s Lin’an District, Yijin Ancient City among the top 10 archaeological discoveries in China in 2020. Yijin Ancient...

Second Rare Inscription Honoring Justinian and Theodora Unearthed in Kosovo’s Ancient City of Ulpiana

3 August 2025

3 August 2025

In a discovery that sheds new light on Kosovo’s ancient roots, the country’s Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku, announced via...

Saudi Arabia’s “Gates of Hell” and Mysterious Structures

30 March 2024

30 March 2024

The region of Saudi Arabia, where the mysterious neolithic structures called the “Gates of Hell” are located, has around 400...

2,500-Year-Old Phoenician Shipwreck Being Rescued By Spanish Archaeologists

6 July 2023

6 July 2023

A 2,500-year-old Phoenician shipwreck has been found underwater in the southeastern Spanish region of Murcia. An extraordinary Phoenician shipwreck dating...

The ruins believed to belong to Noah’s Ark date back to 5500-3000 years BC.

26 October 2023

26 October 2023

Rock and soil samples taken from the area where the ruins of ‘Noah’s Ark‘ are believed to be located in...