Ancient Roman fountain uncovered in Türkiye's Assos

Photo: AA

The remains of a 2,200-year-old Roman fountain have been uncovered at the ancient site of Assos in the northwestern province of Çanakkale.

"According to our initial findings, we learned that it was a magnificent fountain structure. We know of many cisterns in Assos, but this is the first time we've come across a monumental fountain structure," said Nurettin Arslan, head of the dig site and a professor at Çanakkale's Onsekiz Mart University.

Underlining that the excavations at Assos have continued uninterrupted for 42 years, he said the current 30-people team, including scientists and academics from Germany, were planning this season to unearth multiple cisterns added onto the ancient city's gymnasium.

The fountain they discovered was in front of these Roman-era cisterns, explained the archeologist, adding that it had been seriously damaged during the Byzantine period.

"Despite this, once the initial excavation is complete, we can re-erect the existing pieces and allow visitors to grasp the scene or appearance in front of the fountain a little better," he said.

Assos, also known as Behramkale, was one of the most important port cities of its era and is a crucial cultural heritage site dating back from the period of Roman rule in the region. It includes an ancient theater, agora, necropolis, and protective walls.

Located 17 kilometers south of the present-day town of Ayvacık, it was added to UNESCO's Tentative World Heritage List on April 15, 2017.

According to UNESCO, Assos was also a major Greek city-state, and maintained its regional importance until the Byzantine Empire. (VK)