Nöbetçi Eczaneler
One of the three major gates of Ephesus Ancient City, the Koressos Gate, will be unearthed through excavation works. Excavation and restoration works in Ephesus, one of the largest tourism, trade, and port cities of the ancient period, have been ongoing for 161 years. Under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s “Endless Ephesus: A Legacy to the Future” project, excavations have been made continuous throughout the year.
The Ministry’s support in terms of budget, team, and technical equipment has given momentum to the excavation and restoration works. Ephesus Ancient City Excavation Director and lecturer at the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Martin Steskal, told AA correspondent that he first had the opportunity to work in Ephesus in 1999 as an archaeology student.
Steskal stated that excavations would be carried out in the field until the end of October, followed by the examination of the unearthed artifacts. He mentioned that they conducted excavations at the Koressos Gate, the Serapis Temple, and Domitian Square this summer and continued restoration work on the wall paintings in the Terrace Houses.
Steskal highlighted that they began work on the Koressos Gate, where no one had previously worked, saying, “This is a very important excavation site. There were three significant gates in Ephesus. The Koressos Gate is the third largest gate. We started working here two weeks ago and will continue throughout the summer.”
Steskal also mentioned that the conservation and restoration work on the Library of Celsus would begin in October, saying, “The Library of Celsus, the first ancient structure in Turkey to be restored, will undergo maintenance after 50 years.”
Expressing the advantages of working with Turkish scientists, Steskal said, “We work very well with the coordinator. He is a very good archaeologist, and I have known him for many years. We will see how a new concept develops. Working together will be to our advantage.” He added, “We aim to strengthen these efforts with the coordination.”
Prof. Dr. Serdar Aybek, lecturer at the Department of Archaeology at Dokuz Eylul University and coordinator of the “Endless Ephesus: A Legacy to the Future” project, stated that the goal is to unearth and open to visitors the monumental structures at the central points of Ephesus.
Aybek said, “We have started cleaning works on the monumental structures in the central points of the ancient city. We are currently inside the Vedius Gymnasium. In addition, a cleaning activity is taking place after the completion of excavations at the city’s stadium and Harbor Street. As part of the project, works will be carried out for regulation.”
Aybek emphasized that they act jointly and work in harmony with the excavation team, saying, “The excavation in Ephesus Ancient City has been a long-standing project by the Austrian Archaeological Institute. With the coordination, we aim to strengthen these efforts. We act jointly and work in harmony.”
