Esen Fidanlik
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A new archaeological institute in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey, is set to shed light on Anatolia’s ancient history. The new Turkish Institute of Archeology and Cultural Heritage will provide insight into the rich past of ancient Turkish lands, where countless civilizations have sprung up and perished throughout history.
The institute was built with the coordination of the European Union, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality after the restoration of the 162-year-old Kendirli Church. Launched by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the organization is of great importance for regional archaeological studies.
The institute includes an archaeological laboratory, lecture halls, library, archives, study and teaching spaces where experts and scholars can contribute to scientific studies and research of ancient sites in Turkey.
Thanks to its proximity to many ancient cities in the region, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe, Karkamış and Zeugma, the institute is expected to contribute significantly to the scientific literature.
Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin said that Anatolia is like an open-air museum and therefore it was essential to establish such an institute, adding that Germany and Japan had founded similar institutes there. years.
“Our ministries and legislators provided assistance for the legislation,” she said, adding that the EU had also provided substantial support to make the institute a reality.
“A carbon analysis needs to be done to date the ancient cities. We could not conduct such analyses. However, now we will be able to conduct such studies in Gaziantep,” she said.
“The institute will break new ground in the context of cultural heritage and contribute to the diversity of cultural, religious, culinary, nature and caravan tourism in the region,” she said.
