The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is conducting an excavation in the ancient city of Cedreae (Kedrai) on Sedir Island, also known as Cleopatra Island, in Muğla, where a Temple of Apollo, theater and remains of a necropolis attracts around 150,000 local and foreign tourists every year. An excavation team of 25 people, including 15 prisoners, has been working to unearth the buried secrets of the ancient site.
Access to the island can be complicated for the team as there are no bridges linking it to the mainland. As a result, the team travels from the 20th kilometer mark of the Marmaris-Gökova highway to a pier to board a boat for the half-hour journey to the island. This complicated route is a testament to the team's devotion to their project.
This is the first excavation at Cedreae Theater, a structure that features the Karia region's style found in a small number of cities. Sabiha Pazarcı, the General Director of Museum of Muğla said after the theater's excavation and cleaning, which once had a capacity of about 2,500 people, important data about the lower section of the seats and orchestra will be revealed.
According to Pazarcı, work at the site should be complete by the end of the month.
