New surprises from the ancient city of Sagalassos: Men, Hermes and Tutu

@mesudedemirr

As the ancient city of Sagalassos in Ağlasun, Burdur, continues to be excavated, new surprises are being discovered. The excavation team's latest discovery is two life-size marble statues of the moon god Men and the messenger god Hermes, as well as a figure of the sphinx god Tutu.

Aygaz invited journalists to witness the Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project, which it has supported for 20 years.

Previous excavation director Prof. Dr. Jeroen Poblome from the Archaeology Department of KU Leuven University; new excavation director Prof. Dr. Peter Talloen, Head of the Archaeology Department at Bilkent University; and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Letters at Koç University Prof. Dr. Inge Uytterhoeven toured the excavation sites and shared their findings about the city, which is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Tentative List.

In 2024, preliminary restitution (modeling the original state) of the Gymnasium's west portico (a covered, columned, open gallery) was completed. Excavations at the Street Fountain continued, documenting collapsed architectural fragments. With the completion of these works, visitors will now be able to access the Upper Agora using the ancient city's original roads.

One of the findings discovered in recent studies was revealed by the re-examination of relief-decorated marble slabs found in the northern frigidarium (cold space) of the Hamam-Gymnasion in 2004.

These pieces are incised onto thin marble veneers. They are part of an Egyptianized wall decoration. The scene is dominated by the sphinx-god Tutu, standing on a horizontal stone. The iconography of the whole emphasizes the theme of divine kingship and protective powers. The composition features Tutu as a guardian god, Horus as the embodiment of royal authority, and Sobek as a manifestation of the Nile's power and Tutu's ally.

Professor Dr. Talloen stated that the plaques were made of Afyon marble, saying, "They painted the Sphinx for decorative purposes. Such iconography is unknown outside of Egypt. This scene sheds a unique light on the decorative program in sacred sites dedicated to Egyptian gods outside the Nile region."

Is it surprising to find examples of Egyptian art in a city 100 kilometers from the sea, nestled in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains? Roman-era trade routes made this possible. The people of Sagalassos traded with Egypt. They sold ceramics, agricultural products, and wine, and, for example, bought catfish. Talloen said, "Just like the products, people also went and borrowed ideas from Egypt. The people of Sagalassos didn't worship Egyptian gods. They carried them solely for decorative purposes."

Another significant discovery came from recent excavations of a fountain at the intersection where Southeast Street reaches the Upper Agora. Two marble statues of the gods Men and Hermes were found.

The statue of Men, located in front of the fountain, depicts the Anatolian moon god, known for his crescent moon on his shoulders and his Eastern attire of a tunic, trousers, cloak, and Phrygian cap. Its production in a high-quality Dokimeion workshop and display in a prominent fountain in the city highlight the statue's religious, aesthetic, and public significance.

Stylistic analysis dates this work to the mid- to late-second century AD. Professor Dr. Uytterhoeven said, "The Sagalassos Men is the oldest surviving full-size marble depiction of this god. Men statues are rare. There's one in the Afyon Museum. We all went there individually to see it. It's much smaller." The head of the statue has not yet been found. The professor stated that it was severed from the body by earthquakes and that it may be recovered during further excavations.

The statue of Hermes, also the protector of athletes and youth, was found in the Gymnasium (the city's educational center) just behind the fountain. Hermes statues are usually naked. However, the surface of the find was altered during the Christian period, and it was dressed. Experts date it to the mid- or late-2nd century AD.

Together, the statues of Men and Hermes reflect both local cult traditions and how broader Greco-Roman sculptural types were integrated into the urban and religious fabric of Sagalassos.

Uytterhoeven added that they found three more statue fragments at the new excavation site this year: "We're still uncovering pieces. We don't know which statue they belong to. We hope we can complete the pieces that are coming up. New statues may emerge from these."

Sagalassos, whose first traces of settlement date back 12 thousand years, was the centre of the region known as Pisidia in ancient times.

Students, interns, and junior and senior researchers from different countries are working together in the team excavating Sagalassos, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in Türkiye.

The team includes archaeologists, architects, engineers, and conservators, as well as experts in various archaeological materials such as ceramics, glass, bone, and coins, photographers, geophysicists and topographers, computer scientists, geomorphologists, geologists, anthrologists, DNA experts, biologists, palynologists, and archaeozoologists. The people of Ağlasun, whose genetic kinship with the Sagalassosians has been established, also provide support.

Within the scope of the excavation program planned until 2029, the restoration of the Agora Gymnasium and the anastylosis (reconstruction of demolished ancient buildings with original materials) of the Southeast Street and the Street Fountain located on the border of the street are aimed.

Sagalassos was one of the five major ceramic production centers of the Roman Empire. Research on the city, captured by Alexander the Great in a single attack in 333 BC, reveals that although initially a modest settlement, it evolved into a thriving city from around 200 BC onward, dominating vast territories. It prospered by accessing the distant markets unified by the Roman Empire. Faced with the political and economic challenges of Late Antiquity, it managed to adapt to change. During the Byzantine period, the city, focusing on its own local and specialized products, maintained its economic and political resilience, remaining a regional center.

The city has experienced numerous earthquakes throughout its history. However, it was severely destroyed by a powerful earthquake in the 7th century AD. While the earthquake didn't cause significant population changes, the settlement shrank after the earthquake because the residents of Sagalassos failed to repair the damaged structures, and, under the influence of Arab raids, retreated within its walls. In the early 1200s, when the Seljuk Turks conquered Isparta and Antalya, the city's last stronghold on İskender Tepe fell. According to recent research, the remaining population left the region en masse in the first half of the 13th century.

In the project carried out by an international consortium consisting of Koç, Bilkent, KU Leuven and Brussels Vrije Universities since 2024, restoration work on the Agora Gymnasium, Southeast Avenue and Street Fountain is progressing rapidly.

The Sagalassos excavations will be conducted by an international consortium, including Koç University, Bilkent University, KU Leuven University, and Vrije University Brussels, from 2024 to 2029. The consortium will work in conjunction with Bilkent University's Turkish Excavation Directorate. Aygaz will continue to be a key supporter of the project in the coming period. Aygaz General Manager Melih Poyraz said, "For 20 years, we have been thrilled to witness the ancient city being unearthed through sheer effort, as if by digging a well with a needle from the depths of history."