Archaeologists, who have been excavating in Bursa’s Iznik district for a while, discovered a new Roman-era basilica that will shed light on history. In the olive field, 2,200-year-old sarcophagi consisting of dozens of tombs and a basilica estimated to be built 1500 years ago were discovered. It was also revealed that treasure hunters have been plundering the area since 1989.
As the Scientific Coordinator of the excavations in Hisardere Necropolis since 2019, Assoc. Dr. Aygun Ekin Meric said that 2 females and 1 male mummies were found inside the sarcophagi, which are thought to have been built in the 2nd century BCE.
“One of the sarcophagi has been preserved unharmed to this day, but in another one, a water bottle cap from 2008 was found, and that it was probably exploded by treasure hunters” Meric stated.
The area where the basilica is located, which is the greatest discovery of the last century in the region, is on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list.