“Ancient Secrets Unearthed: 1,800-Year-Old Hermes Statue Found Amidst Türkiye’s Greco-Roman Ruins”
An Ancient Hermes Statue Becomes The Region’s Latest Stunning Archaeological Find
The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been conducting its Heritage to the Future Project since July 2024 with the intent of unearthing artifacts that reveal the country’s rich, vibrant history. The goal is to ensure that this is a “Golden Age of Turkish Archaeology,” and the Turkish government has committed the equivalent of $33.4 million to the project.
Over the past several months, there have been numerous groundbreaking discoveries, including that of a “mosaic house” in Pergamon, a 1,600-year-old drinking filter in Hadrianopolis, and a Roman bathhouse in Milas.
AA PhotoThe Hermes statue’s fragments, discovered near the south gate in Aspendos.
The project’s latest discovery comes from Aspendos, an ancient city best known for its Roman theater, constructed in the second century C.E., during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, by the noted architect Zenon. Additionally, the city’s ruins hold the remains of a basilica, agora, baths, and an 11.8-mile aqueduct system.
Excavations at the ancient city unveiled an impressive five-and-a-half-foot marble Hermes statue in a state of remarkable preservation. Hermes is shown here dressed in a cloak and holding a purse and kerykeion (staff), with a ram — a symbol of strength and courage in Greek culture — next to his left foot.
The statue was found at the ruins of a nymphaeum, a fountain shrine dedicated to the nymphs of Greco-Roman mythology, near the city’s south gate.
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