Kastabala’s columned street being restored to former glory

OSMANİYE

Restoration work has commenced on the colonnaded street of the ancient city of Kastabala in Osmaniye, one of 11 southern provinces heavily damaged by last year’s devastating twin earthquakes that claimed over 53,000 lives.

Known as the “Ephesus of Çukurova,” the 2,700-year-old ancient city’s damaged columns rise again as a result of combined efforts of the local culture and tourism authorities and officials from the Osmaniye Korkut Ata University.

Within the scope of the collaborative project, they diligently repair and reinforce the demolished columns and restore them back to their original appearance. Through rescue excavations, they also meticulously unearth the remaining portions of the cobblestone road.

Burhan Torun, Osmaniye’s director of culture and tourism, stated that the ancient city of Kabala was one of the most significant cities of its time, underlining that they will continue excavation and restoration efforts at full speed in a bid to shed light on the site’s rich heritage.

"In cooperation with the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums and our university, we are working to restore the columns along the site's entrance that were damaged and destroyed in the earthquake. We are also restoring other areas that were affected," Torun explained. “In terms of landscaping, excavation, restoration and project works, our teams are collaborating with around 45 workers on the site.”

Torun further noted that they also installed an illumination system through a solar power system at the site as part of the ongoing restoration. "We are standing at an outright ancient city, complete with its theater site, castle, church ruins and bathhouse.”

He especially elaborated on the discoveries made on the theater site, stating, “Pan goat figures, half goat and half person, are among the artworks discovered in the ancient city's theatre site.”

Unveiling their plans to open the theater site to the public with various intriguing events following the completion of excavation and restoration works, Torun urged both local and foreign visitors to pay a visit to the ancient site.

Professor Dr. Turgay Uzun, rector of Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, echoed Torun’s sentiments, emphasizing their intention to organize activities at the site in the future. He also unveiled plans to organize concerts at the theatrical site, deeming the ancient theatre at the site one of the most well-preserved ancient theaters in the region.

“This site will undoubtedly become a prominent tourism cetner. We are confident that the region will contribute [to the tourism] significantly, particularly in the area of historical tourism,” he said, inviting all history enthusiasts to travel to the site.

Kastabala, the oldest and only sacred city of Cilicia, is located in the center of the Luvi and Hurrian cultural region, the indigenous people of Anatolia.

The ruins of an approximately 2,500-year-old temple, thought to be dedicated to the goddess Kubaba, unearthed at the site was also among the most exciting archaeological discoveries in Türkiye last year, according to archaeology magazine Arkeofili editors. The temple ruins are dated to 540 B.C., that is, to the Archaic Period, according to the architectural decoration, consisting of Ionic fluted column drums, Ionic column capitals and large smooth ashlar blocks.