Excavations at the ancient city of Sebastapolis in Sulusaray district of northern Türkiye’s Tokat province are bringing its historical fabric to light.
The exact date of its foundation is unknown and much of Sebastapolis lies beneath the district's modern settlement. During the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan, from A.D. 98 to 117, the city was separated from the provinces of Pontus Galatius and Polemoniacus and incorporated into the province of Cappadocia.
Considered one of the five largest cities in the Black Sea region and a wealthy center of trade and settlement with the authority to mint its own coins, Sebastapolis gradually lost its former prominence as major wars, destruction and natural disasters struck in later periods, while changing trade and transit routes further diminished its importance.
Excavations at the ancient city were launched by the Tokat Museum Directorate in 1987 and continued until 1990, later taking the form of rescue excavations. The work was then suspended for 20 years.
Excavations resumed in 2010 and efforts to expropriate buildings above the ancient city are ongoing. In the district, home to about 3,500 people, residents continue to live alongside the remains of its ancient past.
This year's excavations are being carried out by a 48-member team led by professor Davut Yiğitpaşa, a faculty member in the Archaeology Department at Ondokuz Mayıs University. The team includes 28 academics and students from different universities.
Tokat Governor Abdullah Köklü, who inspected the excavation area, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that work is progressing faster this year. Excavations are focused on the church and bath sections and are expected to continue for 14 weeks.
“If we can uncover more of the city, it will hopefully be an important step for Türkiye, both for tourism and for showcasing the ancient period,” Köklü said. He recalled that Britain’s King Charles had visited the ancient city of Sebastapolis in the past, bringing renewed attention to the site.
Köklü said excavations could expand to a larger area once expropriation work is completed.
“The size of the church, the baths we just visited and the bridges show that there was a very large urban settlement here. If this had been a small settlement, such enormous structures would not have been built. Part of a Roman road has also been found. Hopefully, as more of the site is uncovered, we will see for ourselves just how large this place was,” he said.
