1,700-year-old Pan statue unearthed in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A statue of the Greek god Pan, which is believed to be 1,700 years old and from the Roman era, has been unearthed during the excavations in Istanbul’s Saraçhane Archaeological Park.

In Istanbul’s Fatih district, another historical artifact came to light after the excavation works started on June 8, 2022, in Saraçhane Archaeological Park, where the Church of Saint Polyeuktos is located.

A statue of Pan, estimated to be approximately 1,700 years old, was found 260 centimeters below the ground during the excavations carried out by archaeologists.

The statue, which is 20 centimeters tall and 18 centimeters wide, was discovered without a left arm and lower body parts.

While it is estimated that the statue belongs to the Roman period, the exact period of the statue will be determined after the detailed examinations.

The statue was taken to the storage of the Archaeology Museums Directorate.

In Greek mythology, Pan is believed to be the god of the countryside, satyrs and shepherds.

Although this definition has a pastoral quality as it makes Pan directly related to nature, the fact that Pan is depicted as half-goat and half-human in all myths has made him a frightening figure in the public eye. So much so that Pan also inspired the word “panic.” as he was known to suddenly appear in the countryside and frighten people with his appearance.

In contrast to his appearance as the shepherd-god, Pan is sometimes depicted in the sources as a pleasant figure who wanders in the countryside and plays his flute.

Previously during the excavation works near the Saint Polyeuktos Church, another Roman statue that is thought to be 1,900 years old was found by Istanbul Municipality teams, and a 1,500-year-old underground passageway with marble-shaped building stones and relief decorations had come to light.