Rector Yılmaz: “The work in the Savatra Ancient City is important”

Selçuk University Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Yılmaz visited the excavation area of the Savatra Ancient City. Yılmaz stated that uncovering the cultural heritage belonging to the Roman Empire is important for training young archaeologists and revitalizing tourism.

Selçuk University Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Yılmaz, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Haldun Soydal, Prof. Dr. Zeki Bayramoğlu, Rector Advisor Mustafa Ersöz, and Faculty of Arts Dean Prof. Dr. Ali Temizel examined the ongoing works supported by the Konya Metropolitan Municipality and Karatay Municipality at the 800-year-old historical Obruk Han, Obruk Lake, and Savatra Ancient City in Obruk Neighborhood. Rector Yılmaz received information about the conducted works from Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlker Işık, Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation and Restoration of the Faculty of Arts.

Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Yılmaz stated that the works carried out by Selçuk University at the Savatra Ancient City provide information about the cultural, social, and architectural structure of the ancient period. Yılmaz said, “Savatra is one of the rare and well-preserved ancient cities of the Roman Empire Period in Anatolia. The studies in this area are important both for revealing Turkey’s archaeological heritage and for gaining new insights into the daily life of the ancient world. The contributions of Selçuk University play a critical role in the protection, restoration, and uncovering of the remains of the ancient city. Especially, these studies provide significant information to examine the building techniques of the Roman Period, architectural arrangements, and how local culture blended with imperial culture. Additionally, they create an academic training area by involving students and researchers, allowing young archaeologists to be trained. I believe that such projects carried out by our university are of great importance for the protection of historical and cultural heritage as well as the revitalization of tourism,” he stated.

The excavation works, which started in 2021 under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlker Işık, Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation and Restoration of Selçuk University Faculty of Arts, have reached very important findings. In 2022, a monument dating back to the early period of Turkish history before Islam, which has the word “Turk” on it and is inscribed with “Türkoğlu” in Greek alphabet, was found. This inscription, dating from the 9th to 11th centuries AD, serves as evidence of the Turkish presence in Anatolia before 1071. In 2023, a collective child grave dated to the 4th or 5th century AD, a victory wreath estimated to be 1,800 years old, an altar with soldier and banner reliefs, churches, and well graves were uncovered. This year, new structures related to the church and graves have also been reached.