Photos reveal underwater treasures

ANTALYA - Doğan News Agency

Archaeologists make dives equipped with robots and sonar equipment.

Under a new project, archaeologists are working to document underwater artifacts at Kekova Island off the coast of Antalya.

The archaeologists make dives equipped with robots and sonar equipment to photograph underwater artifacts. They then mark the coordinates of their finds on a map. Each artifact is numbered and recorded. The project for underwater archaeological research at Kekova is supported by the Türkiz Group, part of Ahsel Holding.

The project is still ongoing at Kekova Island in the Demre district of Antalya. Numerous artifacts exist beneath Antalya’s waters, including ships in deep sea areas. The project is carried out with the permission of the Turkish Culture Ministry and the mayor of Demre.

The work continues at the now-submerged cities around Kekova, including the ancient cities of Simena, Teimusa and Aperlae. These cities have a history dating back to the fourth century B.C., and the area used to be among the most important cities in the Lycian region. Each city has a natural port, and they have become submerged due to hurricanes. During the project’s work at Kekova, the outlines of the underwater cities have been revealed using scientific methods and screening systems.

The project has also revealed submerged ships from the Byzantine and Roman eras around Kekova. There are total of three large ships underwater, archaeologists working on the island said. The imaging and documentation work is expected to continue for five more years.