Archeologists find mysterious structure in Istanbul

Ömer Erbil - ISTANBUL

Archaeologists have found what they think is a mysterious structure, beneath which there are mass graves, in excavations in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district.

“It is something unique, something we have never seen before. So, we cannot name it,” said archeologists from the excavation team.

The marble structure has been found in the excavations, which started in 2018, near Haydarpaşa Trian Station.

According to the archeologists, the structure is certainly a sacred place that was once used for “religious purposes,” but it was not a church. The floor is filled with marble blocks made by fine craftsmanship.

“Under the marble floor, we found mass graves. There is no other structure form like this. So, we cannot give a name as to what it is,” a member of the team said.

The archeologists are confident that as the excavation works will continue, the mystery of the structure will be solved.

The structure is, however, not the only precious finding the archaeologists excavated from Haydarpaşa Train Station excavations.

Some 18,000 ancient coins dating back to 7th century B.C. have also been found in Khalkedon, the ancient name of Kadıköy.

“These coins symbolize that Khalkedon, which means Land of the Blind, was once a place of trade zone,” added the officials.

A breakwater and two water reservoirs have also been found at the site. The reservoirs are thought to be a spring water center called Hermegora, depicted by Dionysisos Byzantios in his famous book “Per Bosporum Navigatio,” which means “Cruise in the Bosphorus.”

The story of the name Khalkedon (Land of the Blind) dates back to 667 BC. Byzas from Megara, which is somewhere in today’s Greece, was sailing to find a land to settle for a colony. An oracle from the Apollon Temple in Delhi had told him that he was going to accommodate across from the “city of the blind.” Once he saw the Golden Horn, he thought it was a good place to settle. Across from the Golden Horn, he saw a settlement and remembered the prophecy. So, he called that place of settlement “Khalkedon.”