Herakleia's Roman bath being unearthed

MUĞLA

Excavations are ongoing at a bath, the only surviving Roman-era structure in the ancient city of Herakleia in the western province of Muğla's Milas district.

During the works at Herakleia, located in the Kapıkırı neighborhood, various structures have come to light, providing valuable new insights into the ancient city.

The head of the excavations, Professor Zeliha Gider Büyüközer from Selçuk University said that Herakleia was an ancient harbor city situated on the shores of Lake Bafa.

Büyüközer explained that Herakleia lost its harbor city status over time due to the closure of the gulf's mouth by alluvial deposits carried by the Meander River, leading to a reduction in settlement size.

Büyüközer noted that they obtained data showing that long-term settlement in the ancient city continued until the mid-13th century A.D.

Stating that they started excavations in the city's Roman bath and reached significant findings in a short time, Büyüközer said: "The Roman bath is a very important structure for the ancient city. It is the only surviving structure from the Roman period in Herakleia. It was previously stated that the city lost its importance during the Roman period due to the closure of the gulf's mouth. However, the data obtained from our work over the past three years indicates that the city largely regained its significance during both the Roman and Late Antiquity periods. Therefore, we are excavating an important structure."

Büyüközer explained that the findings will help shed light on the city's Roman period in particular, adding: "Currently, we know of seven rooms in the bath. Excavations continue in the caldarium [hot room in Roman baths] section. Mosaics have been uncovered on the floors of two rooms. We expect to encounter similar floorings on the floors of other rooms as well."