The Koressos Gate of Ephesus Ancient City will be unearthed

The Koressos Gate, one of the three major gates of Ephesus Ancient City, will be unearthed through excavation efforts. Excavation and restoration works in Ephesus, one of the largest tourism, trade, and port cities of the ancient era, have been ongoing for 161 years. The excavations, conducted under the “Eternal Ephesus Legacy for the Future” project by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, have been made continuous throughout the year. Support from the Ministry in terms of budget, team, and technical equipment has given momentum to the excavation and restoration works.

Martin Steskal, Excavation Director of Ephesus Ancient City and a faculty member at the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, shared that he first had the opportunity to work in Ephesus in 1999 as an archaeology student. Steskal stated that excavation work would continue in the field until the end of October, followed by the examination of the found artifacts. He mentioned that this summer, excavation works were conducted at the Koressos Gate, Serapis Temple, and Domitian Square, and restoration work on the wall paintings in the Terrace Houses was ongoing.

Steskal noted that they began working at the Koressos Gate, an area that had not been previously excavated. He said, “This is a very important excavation site. Ephesus had three major gates, and the Koressos Gate is the third large gate. We started working here two weeks ago and will continue throughout the entire summer.”

“The Celsus Library, the first ancient structure restored in Turkey, will be taken into maintenance after 50 years”

Steskal also mentioned that the conservation and restoration work on the Celsus Library would begin in October, stating, “The Celsus Library, the first ancient structure restored in Turkey, will be taken into maintenance after 50 years.”

Highlighting the advantage of working with Turkish scientists, Steskal said, “We are working very well with the coordinator. He is an excellent archaeologist whom I have known for many years. We will see how the new concept develops. Working together will be to our advantage.”

“We Aim to Strengthen These Efforts with the Coordination”

Prof. Dr. Serdar Aybek, a faculty member of the Archaeology Department at Dokuz Eylül University and coordinator of the “Eternal Ephesus Legacy for the Future” project, stated that the aim is to unearth and open to visitors the monumental structures in the central points of Ephesus. Aybek said, “We have started cleaning works at the central points and monumental structures of the ancient city. We are currently inside the Vedius Gymnasium. Alongside this, cleaning activities are being carried out in the stadium and on Harbor Street following the completion of excavations. Arrangement works will be carried out as part of the project.”

Aybek expressed that they work in harmony with the excavation team, adding, “The excavation in Ephesus Ancient City is a project that has been ongoing for many years by the Austrian Archaeological Institute. We aim to strengthen these efforts with coordination. We act jointly and work harmoniously.”