The underground corridor discovered in the 1500-year-old church ruins in Saraçhane is in the world press
The underground corridor of the same period, which was unearthed during the excavation carried out in the remains of the 1500-year-old St. Polyeuktos Church in Istanbul, was also featured in the world press.
The mysterious corridor was found about a month ago in the excavation area opposite the building of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) in Saraçhane.
While the excavations were continuing, the US-based world-famous popular science website Livescience and The Science Times also reported on the find.
It was also seen that the archaeological discovery was reported on Greek-based websites. Greek Reporter and Greek City Times news sites emphasized that the find belongs to the Byzantine period.
The church, named after St. Polyeuktos because it was dedicated to him, was first destroyed and then plundered in the 11th century. Precious parts and columns of the church were smuggled to Venice.
In the 1960s, excavations began in the Church of St. Polyeuktos, with the emergence of some historical artifacts belonging to the church during the construction of the underpass. The last excavation work started on 8 June 2022.
Making a statement to Livescience, IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat stated that this corridor was covered again and the entrances were filled in order to protect it from possible looters and deterioration. However, according to Polat, IMM officials are working to ensure that the public can see these unique finds in the near future.
It Was The Biggest Church Before Hagia Sophia
According to the University of Oxford, St. Polyeuktos’ Church was built between 524 and 527 AD, during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian.
The building was one of the most magnificent churches in Istanbul, which was called Constantinople at that time. It was the largest church until the completion of Hagia Sophia, which was built as a cathedral in 537.
Polat reported that the church was abandoned after it was badly damaged in an earthquake in the 11th century and was finally destroyed in 1204 during the looting of the city by the Crusaders, who came mainly from Western Europe.
IMM officials think that a better understanding of this structure will give important clues about the earthquakes that shook Istanbul.
Crusaders, whose main target was Jerusalem, played a role in the separations in the Byzantine Empire at that time.
British historian Jonathan Phillips states that an emperor supported by the Crusaders “were left empty-handed” by being overthrown as a result of an uprising and ” they started to plunder the city”.
Tunnel Connecting Rooms
The newly discovered underground tunnel connects the two large rooms.
One of these rooms is the part where bread and wine are prepared in the Christian liturgy.
According to archaeologists, some of the underground chambers are still decorated with mosaics, stone inlays and carved marble blocks.
Archaeologist Ken Dark, who works at King’s College London, one of Britain’s respected institutions and conducts excavations in Istanbul from time to time, said that the remains of St. Polyeuktos are one of the best documented archaeological remains in the city:
“Hopefully, re-displaying the remains of this historically important and once magnificent church, raises awareness of it to a much wider audience.”
Recent Discovery in Saraçhane Archaeological Park
Making a statement right after the church tunnel was found, Polat also announced that the Saraçhane Archeology Park would be opened to the public.
The latest discovery in the archaeological park was the 1700-year-old Pan statue.
In the announcement made on his Twitter account on June 1, Polat said, “We unearthed the 1700-year-old Pan statue in our Polieuktos excavation in Saraçhane, in the heart of Istanbul. We see that we have reached the lost Roman Palace section of Istanbul with the statue we found earlier.”
Istanbul is a history and tourism paradise. Together, we will raise it to the level it deserves, to the level that is in the focus of world tourism.
Pan is seen in Greek mythology as the head of nature, forests, fields, shepherds, mountains and bushes.
He is also considered the protector of shepherds and shepherding activities.
It is stated that the statue was taken by the Directorate of Archeology Museums and put into the museum warehouse, and a precise dating will be after the necessary expert examination. (Independent Turkish)
