In the ancient city of Ephesus, a complex bathhouse, including a gymnasium and sports area, which was built in the Roman period over approximately 70 acres, is being restored. The excavation and restoration works in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ephesus Ancient City have been carried out continuously throughout the year under the "Eternal Ephesus for the Future" project launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The support provided by the Ministry in terms of budget, team and technical equipment has accelerated the progress of these works.
The excavation team is currently working on the intersection of the theater and Stadium Street, focusing on Port Street in the ancient city. Project coordinator and Professor of Archaeology at Dokuz Eylül University, Serdar Aybek, stated to Anadolu Agency (AA) reporters that since 2023, they have been conducting excavations at the Vedius Gymnasium, the theater, Stadium and Port streets, and the Cave of the Seven Sleepers. Aybek emphasized that they had reached the project's end-of-year goals and, despite being in December, the team of 70-80 people continues to work.
Aybek mentioned that they are working on the approximately 570-meter-long Port Street and are uncovering previously unexposed sections. He stated that they are nearing the end of this phase, and new, well-preserved areas are being revealed. He also added that in the next phase, efforts will continue with the leveling of ground elevations and the erection of columns in their original locations in coordination with the survey works.
Professor Serdar Aybek shared that they have refocused on the Port Bathhouse, which was first excavated in the 1890s. He pointed out that they had uncovered the largest Roman bath in the Anatolian territories of the Roman Empire. Aybek noted that during the Port Street excavations, they revealed the oval hall, courtyard, toilets and pools of the Port Bathhouse, one of Rome's most magnificent structures, which had been known since 1895. He stated that although there had been some damage over time, efforts were made to clean and restore these areas. Moving forward, they plan to fully address this magnificent Roman bath.
Aybek also pointed out that the restoration of the buildings and columns on Port Street will continue, emphasizing that this is one of the significant parts of Ephesus. He mentioned that the locations of most of the columns on the street are already known and that after quickly completing the protection projects and obtaining necessary approvals from the protection boards, restoration work will begin.
The Port Bathhouse, dating back to the reign of the Roman Emperor Titus Flavius Domitianus, consists of a complex bathhouse, gymnasium and sports area. The entrance to the bathhouse features a fountain decorated with bullhead carvings and floral motifs.
