In Sinop northern Türkiye, with the contributions of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish Historical Society, new excavation seasons have begun at the Balatlar Complex.
Over the past 14 years, excavations have unearthed 1600-year-old mosaic pavements, remnants of churches, baths, sculpture fragments and various animal figurines. This year, the goal is to discover new artifacts.
Governor Mustafa Özarslan inspected the excavation site at the Balatlar Complex and received information from professor Dr. Gülgün Köroğlu, Head of Excavations and faculty member of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University’s Department of Art History.
Özarslan noted that since the start of the excavation in 2009, significant historical artifacts have been recovered for the scientific community.
Emphasizing the importance of valuing such a valuable treasure, Özarslan stated:
“We do not see these historical artifacts merely as objects that bring money. They represent our wealth and Sinop’s richness. Therefore, we highly value all the artifacts unearthed here as cultural heritage. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism provides comprehensive support to our excavation. Hopefully, we will complete the excavations soon and begin restoration work. The priority is the preservation and sustainability of this complex.”
Last year, during excavations at the Balatlar Building Complex in Sinop, pebble mosaic floors from the Hellenistic period were unearthed, revealing them to be part of a “dining room of a wealthy family.” These discoveries underscore Sinop’s rich history, suggesting it may rank among the world’s most important ancient cities.
