RomeRoman to Early Byzantine · Örenşehir, İncesu, Kayseri province, Turkey
Roman and Byzantine mosaics found at what officials call central Turkey's largest mosaic site
Excavations at Örenşehir in İncesu, Kayseri province, have exposed more mosaic floors and building remains from a complex built and used in several phases.
In brief 3 key points
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- New Roman and Early Byzantine mosaic floors found near Kayseri
- Officials call the complex Central Anatolia's largest known mosaic structure
- The complex's full extent and the buildings' uses are still being studied
Archaeologists in central Turkey have found new mosaic floors and building remains from the Roman and Early Byzantine periods. The finds come from the Örenşehir neighbourhood of İncesu, in Kayseri province. Local authorities describe the site as the largest known mosaic structure in Central Anatolia.
The excavation shows that the complex was built and occupied in several phases. The remains date from the Roman imperial period and the Early Byzantine era that followed. The published report does not give exact dates for the individual phases. It also does not describe what the new mosaics show or name the excavation director.
Kayseri is the ancient Caesarea, capital of the Roman province of Cappadocia, which Rome annexed in AD 17. In antiquity the wider region lay between major settlements and routes crossing Anatolia. The province also has remains from the Hittite, Byzantine and Seljuk periods, among others.
What the buildings were for is still open
The Örenşehir Mosaic Structure has been officially designated an archaeological site because of its cultural and historical importance. Excavations are continuing. The team wants to establish how far the complex extends and what its individual buildings were used for. Archaeologists also hope to learn how the site changed over time and how it related to the settlement around it.
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According to HeritageDaily, the surviving floors are evidence of mosaic craft and building traditions in the region in late antiquity. Further work is expected to expose more architecture and mosaics in parts of the complex that have never been excavated. The finds are also giving researchers a clearer idea of the size of the ancient settlement beneath modern İncesu.
Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr Memduh Büyükkılıç recently visited the excavation to inspect the latest finds. He was joined by Şükrü Dursun, the Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism, and Gürcan Senem, head of the municipality's Department of City History, Promotion and Tourism. Dr Can Erpek of Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University and Kayseri Museum Director Gökhan Yıldız also attended. Municipal officials and the local neighbourhood headman came too.
Specialists working at the site briefed the group on the progress of the excavation. Büyükkılıç called Kayseri an "open-air museum", referring to the number of archaeological and historic sites across the province. He thanked the archaeologists, conservation specialists and local residents who worked on the project. He said the remains should be preserved for future generations.
A protective cover and a museum link planned
The municipality is working with Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on measures to protect the newly exposed remains. Plans include a cover over the excavation. It is meant to shield the mosaics and architectural features from environmental damage.
Authorities are also looking at visitor facilities. The aim is to open the site to the public while conserving the archaeology for the long term. Officials are examining whether the excavation could be connected with the existing City Museum in İncesu. Artefacts recovered during the excavations could then be displayed there.
The project is part of wider efforts to promote cultural tourism and awareness of Kayseri's archaeological heritage. Excavation of the complex is ongoing.
Sources (1)
News reportsfrom Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey) and Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University
Edited by Guiseppe Weijermars
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