Excavation work in the historical Zile Castle, where the renowned phrase "Veni, vidi, vici (I came, I saw, I conquered)" is attributed to Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, has reached completion.
Under the leadership of the Tokat Museum directorate, the scientific responsibility of Murat Tekin, associate professor in the Department of History at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University (TOGU) Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and the team consisting of associate professors Şengül Dilek Ful and Hatice Uyanık have been conducting excavation work in the castle for the past 2 years.
It has been revealed that the ancient theater in the castle, with a history of approximately 3,000 years, is designed as a "Roman theater."
Necmettin Eryılmaz, the director of Culture and Social Affairs of Zile Municipality, who supports the excavations, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Zile Castle is a historical fortress.
Eryılmaz explained that excavation work has been carried out stating: "We obtained very interesting findings in the excavations that started in 2022. With the contributions of Tokat Governorship and under the supervision of Tokat Museum, our TOGU professors conducted excavations here."
He also added: "With the support of the special administration, very interesting data emerged. Initially, only three steps were visible. Some were saying it's an amphitheater, others were suggesting it's a quarry. When we excavated here, an incredibly beautiful Roman theater emerged."
Eryılmaz mentioned that due to weather conditions, excavation work had been paused and said: "The steps and areas where dignitaries sat were revealed. Our professors indicated that some parts of the theater are under two houses. Therefore, an expropriation decision was made."
Pointing out that amphitheaters are generally found in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, Eryılmaz said: "It is interesting for such a rich and large theater to emerge in Anatolia. It is Tokat's first theater. We believe it will contribute significantly to regional tourism. We don't know what will come out. Mosaics are mentioned. The foundation stones are in the basement of the houses. Our only unfortunate aspect is that it goes under the inhabited area here. There is a history beneath the houses."
