Archeological excavations shedding light on the mysteries surrounding its historic city walls in Bursa's Iznik revealed the presence of numerous burials, demonstrating a longstanding burial tradition in the area 2,300 years ago.
Through meticulous archaeological excavations, researchers have made fascinating discoveries in the area between the city walls during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Notably, they uncovered the remains of a Roman villa and a building believed to have been built for controlling the fortification gate underneath the city wall.
Founded by Antigonius Monophthalmos, one of Alexander the Great's commanders, in 316 B.C., the city of Iznik serves as an extraordinary open-air museum that remarkably preserves the traces of various civilizations such as Bithynia, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman. The construction of the Iznik Walls, initiated in the fourth century, spans an impressive length of 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles) and features four main gates, 12 secondary gates and an overall length of 4,970 meters, as recorded by Strabo, an ancient writer. The walls were fortified and extended following attacks by the Goths, a Northern European barbarian tribe, in 258 B.C.
Despite enduring sieges and powerful earthquakes throughout history, the historical walls have survived to the present day. Recent archaeological excavations conducted by the Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Science and Letters Archeology Department in the Yenişehir Gate section of the city walls have unveiled the dual purpose of these formidable structures. Notably, the excavation unearthed numerous skeletons, indicating that the space between the inner and outer walls served as a cemetery during the Eastern Roman and Ottoman eras.
Leading the excavation efforts, professor Mustafa Şahin, the head of the Archeology Department, explained the significance of their findings. He stated: "We are conducting these excavations to comprehend and preserve. For instance, we discovered the remains of a building that could be a Roman villa. Oil lamps and similar artifacts dating back to the second century B.C. were found, indicating that the city wall passes directly above the villa. This suggests that some structures were sacrificed during the construction of these fortification walls."
Şahin further revealed: "Based on our discoveries, these burials do not belong to Byzantine soldiers who died during attacks or Islamic soldiers who were martyred. They indicate organized burials. We observe the construction of tombs and subsequent burials within them. Among the findings, an intriguing pattern emerges: slightly below ground level, we find tombs belonging to individuals of Christian origin, while just above, there is a tomb indicating Muslim burial practices."
Emphasizing that those interred in this area were ordinary individuals from the middle class, Şahin dispelled any notions of treasure within these tombs. "These graves are what we call 'frame tombs,' constructed by joining two concave tiles. They lack any extraordinary craftsmanship or valuables. Christians and Muslims alike do not bury their dead with precious items. Therefore, no one should assume that gold or treasures lie within these tombs. We should respect the resting place of those buried here and not disturb them needlessly," he added.
The ongoing archaeological excavations at Iznik's historical city walls continue to unravel the mysteries of this ancient site, providing invaluable insights into the city's rich history and the diverse cultures that thrived within its walls.
