# Professor Dr. Bilal Söğüt

The mystery of Stratonikeia's mysterious square is being solved

In the ancient city of Stratonikeia in the Yatağan district of Muğla, which is known as the city of gladiators and love as well as being the largest ancient marble city in the world, feverish work is being carried out in the biggest street of the ancient period and the square next to it, which is not known about the ancient period. 12 months of excavation work Excavations in the ancient city of Stratonikeia, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list and was founded in the 3rd century BC, continue for 12 months of the year under the direction of Pamukkale University Faculty Member Professor Dr. Bilal Söğüt and supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Muğla Governorship and Yatağan Municipality. The excavations carried out in 2023 gained intensity in the square, which is located at the entrance of the city, on one side of the northern entrance gate, and on the other side of the road to the ancient theater. Space with colorful mosaics found While excavation, restoration and conservation works were continuing at different points of the ancient city of Stratonikeia, this year, work intensified mainly in the square, which was located in the center of the city and where the public buildings were located at that time. Around the square, where the widest street of the ancient period is located, there is a bath, latrina (toilet), parliament building, an entrance gate that will be revealed after the excavations, and places. While colorful mosaics were found on the floor of one of the spaces, work continues in this area as well. Women are working In the excavations of the ancient city of Stratonikeia, women are working predominantly. In addition to the female archaeologists in the excavation team, many women from Yatağan and the surrounding villages excavate the soil, carry the soil with a wheelbarrow, and take part in the cleaning of the marble artifacts. The most important feature of the ancient city, where there is no area untouched by women's hands, is that visitors can watch the excavations from the section reserved for them. "The most central area of the city" Prof. Dr. Bilal Söğüt, Professor of Pamukkale University, Head of the Stratonikea and Lagina Ancient City Excavations, said, “We focused on a certain area in Stratonikeia this year. It started last year here. It continues with a special project. It is a project we carry out together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Muğla Governorship, and Yatağan Municipality. Here we work with women from all neighborhoods of Yatağan. The area we work in is the most central area of the city. On one side is the parliament building, on the other side is a street and this street is the widest street of the ancient period. A street where no cars have ever entered. Besides, there is Latrina, there is a bath. We know that there are public buildings and important units in the area between them. There is a door, but we currently do not know what is behind the door. Because for us, the last digging means the last word. When we dig, that's when we'll share the beauties here. That's why we continue to work feverishly here." West Street is completed Stating that the works on West Street, which is right next to the square and known as the largest and widest street of the ancient period, have been completed, Professor Dr Söğüt said, “We have completed our work on the Western Street. We are putting what we found in the columns belonging to the West Street in the excavations around. It is difficult to find all of them because they were used in different places in ancient times. But we put the existing ones in their place. In this way, we both excavate, restore and protect them. So there is a feverish work in the field. We carry out all of our work in this field in terms of protection and transfer to future generations.”