Archaeologists unearthed marble blocks with architectural figures during the excavations they carried out in the ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium in the northwestern province of Düzce. The artifacts are believed to date back to the Roman period.
According to a statement by the Düzce Municipality, many blocks that are estimated to belong to the building of the theater stage have been discovered in the archaeological digs in the ancient city. Of the blocks decorated with floral and mythological elements, the most striking one depicts the hunter Actaeon, who was killed with his own dogs by angering the Goddess Artemis in mythology. Actaeon, who was torn by three dogs, is installed at the top of the block decorated with floral ornaments.
It was reported that archaeologists have started cleaning the blocks featuring beautiful decorations unearthed from the orchestra section of the theater building. Other blocks waiting to be restored will be exhibited in the stone park for visitors until their process starts.
The ancient city of Prusias ad Hypium was known as “Hypios” and “Kieros” in earlier periods. It was captured by Prusias I of Bithynia, and the people of Bithynia named the city in honor of their king.
However, Bithynia went bankrupt due to the opulent lifestyle of its citizens. The people of Bithynia bequeathed the kingdom to the Romans, which started the Latin influence on the city. The city was already rich in terms of architecture but flourished more under the Romans. It became known as Prusias ad Hypium.
The city then passed into the hands of the Byzantines and the Ottomans. Under the Ottoman rule, it was handed over to Konuralp Bey, one of the first Turkish commanders who served in the establishment of the empire, by Osman Ghazi, the founder of the empire. This is how the region of the city received its current name, Konuralp.
