Sebastapolis Ancient City, in Sulusaray, district of Tokat, remains undamaged in earthquakes

The Sebastapolis Ancient City, located in the Sulusaray district of Tokat, remained undamaged despite the earthquakes that occurred in the region with magnitudes of 4.7 and 5.6. Following the earthquakes, the ancient city was captured by drone footage.

The excavation efforts to uncover the ancient city began in 1986 with drilling excavations conducted by the Tokat Museum Directorate, located 69 kilometers away from Tokat city center. These efforts continued in subsequent years as rescue excavations. After a hiatus in 1991, the excavations resumed in 2013. The ongoing excavation work at the ancient site is supervised by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akın Temür, a faculty member of the Archaeology Department at Ondokuz Mayıs University, within the framework of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Sebastapolis Ancient City is believed to have been established in the 1st century BC according to some sources. During the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan, in the years 98-117 AD, the city was separated from the Pontus Galatius and Polemoniacus provinces and included in the province of Cappadocia. It is noted that 2,000 years ago, Sebastapolis was one of the five largest cities in the Black Sea region.

Despite its once-significant status, marked by its authority to mint coins—a rarity among cities of its time—Sebastapolis gradually lost its importance due to major wars, destruction, natural disasters, and changes in trade routes. Over time, it was forgotten.