Ancient ruins to open to visitors in Sarayburnu

ISTANBUL

Street and house ruins from the Early Byzantine and Late Roman Period, unearthed during the excavations at Marmaray's Sirkeci Station in 2009-2011, will be opened to visitors by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) in the second stage of Sarayburnu Park at the Istanbul Historic Peninsula Model Exhibition.

While the municipal teams are landscaping in Sarayburnu Park, archaeologists continue to clean and organize the bricks and paving stones in the area where nearly 2,000-year-old works will be exhibited.

The area, located right next to Sarayburnu Port and consisting of two parts, includes street sections, external and internal walls, columns, water channels, paving stones, a well and an ornamental pool.

İBB Green Areas and Facilities Construction Deputy Manager Okan Yılmaz said, “Sarayburnu is one of the oldest parks in Istanbul, which is home to the first statue of Atatürk in public space, built in 1928. Archaeological work continues in the other part. We will open this section as an archaeology park to visitors. There is no ongoing excavation work here, this is a project of bringing together the remains from the eastern shaft of Marmaray, Sirkeci Station unearthed between 2009 and 2011."

"One side belongs to ruins from the Early Byzantine Period in the fourth and fifth centuries, and the other side belongs to the Late Roman Period of the second and third centuries. This used to be a parking area. We have made an arrangement where only archaeological remains can be exhibited. People can visit and see the ruins after the work is completed. It is one of the rare works in the country,” Yılmaz added.

Street and house ruins from the Early Byzantine and Late Roman Period, unearthed during the excavations at Marmaray’s Sirkeci Station in 2009-2011, will be opened to visitors by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) in the second stage of Sarayburnu Park at the Istanbul Historic Peninsula Model Exhibition.

While the municipal teams are landscaping in Sarayburnu Park, archaeologists continue to clean and organize the bricks and paving stones in the area where nearly 2,000-year-old works will be exhibited.

The area, located right next to Sarayburnu Port and consisting of two parts, includes street sections, external and internal walls, columns, water channels, paving stones, a well and an ornamental pool.

The Municipality Green Areas and Facilities Construction Deputy Manager Okan Yılmaz said, “Sarayburnu is one of the oldest parks in Istanbul, which is home to the first statue of Atatürk in public space, built in 1928. Archaeological work continues in the other part. We will open this section as an archaeology park to visitors. There is no ongoing excavation work here, this is a project of bringing together the remains from the eastern shaft of Marmaray, Sirkeci
Station unearthed between 2009 and 2011.”

“One side belongs to ruins from the Early Byzantine Period in the fourth and fifth centuries, and the other side belongs to the Late Roman Period of the second and third centuries. This used to be a parking area. We have made an arrangement where only archaeological remains can be exhibited. People can visit and see the ruins after the work is completed. It is one of the rare works in the country,” Yılmaz added.

Archaeologists clean and organize the bricks and paving stones in the area where ancient works will be exhibited.