5 May 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

Archaeologists Unearth Carolingian Silver Treasure Hoard

6 May 2021

6 May 2021

A silver treasure hoard from the 9th century AD has been discovered in Poland‘s Osa and Drwęca basin. The hoard...

“Cardiff’s earliest house” unearthed during an archaeological dig may shed light on the city’s earliest inhabitants

15 July 2022

15 July 2022

Archaeological excavation in a city park in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, has uncovered what is believed to be the...

3,400-Year-Old Jade and Stone Workshop Site Discovered at Sanxingdui Ruins

26 July 2024

26 July 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered a jade and stone processing site that dates back over 3,400 years at the Sanxingdui Ruins in...

Scientists unlock the ‘Cosmos’ on the Antikythera Mechanism

13 March 2021

13 March 2021

Scientists may have finally made a complete digital model of the 2000-year-old Cosmos panel of a mechanical device called the...

Two unique mid-14th-century shipwrecks discovered in Sweden

22 April 2023

22 April 2023

During an archaeological dig in western Sweden this summer, the remains of two medieval merchant vessels known as cogs were...

Persian-era plaster walls were discovered during excavations at Zeyve Höyük in central Turkey

2 August 2022

2 August 2022

This year’s excavations at Porsuk-Zeyve Höyük (Zeyve Mound) near the Porsuk village of the Ulukışla district of Niğde, located in...

Ukrainian Stonehenge

6 July 2021

6 July 2021

It has almost become a tradition to compare the structures surrounded by stones to the Stonehenge monument. This ancient cemetery,...

Smoke archeology finds evidence Humans visited Nerja Cave for 40,000 Years

26 April 2023

26 April 2023

A new study by a team from the University of Córdoba reveals that Nerja is the European cave with the...

Researchers discover America’s oldest mine

23 May 2022

23 May 2022

Archaeological digs headed by Wyoming’s state archaeologist and including University of Wyoming experts have revealed that people began producing red...

Ancient Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals Offer Clues to the Origin of Writing

6 November 2024

6 November 2024

Researchers from the University of Bologna have discovered an association between proto-cuneiform and even older stone images engraved on ancient...

Excavations at Meir Necropolis have turned up funerary artifacts from two distinct eras of ancient history

16 May 2023

16 May 2023

An Egyptian team of archaeologists has uncovered a collection of structural relics dated to the Byzantine and Late Period in...

A first in 35 years! Child grave with bracelets and gifts found in ancient city of Kelenderis

25 June 2022

25 June 2022

During this year’s excavations in the ancient city of Kelenderis, founded on the Mediterranean coast in the southern province of...

Archaeologists deciphered the Sabaean inscription on a clay jar finds link between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

3 April 2023

3 April 2023

Archaeologists deciphered a partially preserved inscription that was found on the neck of a large jar dated back to the...

One Of The Largest And Most Significant Iron Age Hoards Ever Discovered In The UK Has Been Unveiled

26 March 2025

26 March 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, the Melsonby Hoard has emerged as one of the most significant Iron Age discoveries in...

Dartmoor mining discovery rewrites more than 1,000 years of history

18 July 2021

18 July 2021

A new discovery at a Dartmoor mine in England dates human activity there back potentially by more than 1,000 years....