Excavations have begun at the ancient city of Tralleis in the Efeler district of Aydın, southwestern Türkiye.
Speaking at the ceremony held within the ancient city, professor Dr. Bülent Kent, Rector of Aydın Adnan Menderes University (ADÜ), recalled that excavations at Tralleis were initiated by ADÜ in 1996 and continued by Atatürk University from 2017 to 2021.
Kent announced that this year, excavations would resume again under ADÜ, stating, "Tralleis Ancient City hosted many civilizations over the centuries. It is our common responsibility to unearth this unique heritage and pass it on to future generations. I believe this important work will contribute significantly to both the scientific community and our country's cultural richness."
Excavation Director professor Dr. Murat Çekilmez expressed their goal to open Tralleis to visitors as soon as possible, saying, "Especially in recent years, we plan to implement the night museum project presented by our Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, which has received great acclaim, at Tralleis Ancient City."
Following the speeches, protocol members initiated the excavation by striking the first shovel into the ground.
The program was attended by Aydın Governor Yakup Canbolat, AK Party Aydın deputies Mustafa Savaş, Ömer Özmen and Seda Sarıbaş, Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Ahmet Demir, AK Party Central Executive Committee Member Umut Tuncer, AK Party Provincial Chairman Gökhan Ökten and institution directors.
Tralleis Ancient City was founded approximately 3,000 years ago by the Thracians and Argoslans. The ancient city is also notable as the place where the first notated music in history was written.
