In the southwestern heart of Turkey, an ancient treasure of exceptional, remarkable, both by construction and its historical significance, was discovered.
Archaeologists working in the ancient city of Stratonikeia-a huge metropolis located in the province of Muğla and included in the preliminary list of UNESCO World Heritage-have brought to light a significant portion of a rare library from the Roman era, offering a new perspective. on the intellectual and architectural greatness of the time.
Known as the “city of gladiators” and as one of the largest marble cities in the world, Stratonikeia is the subject of uninterrupted archaeological research since 1977. Currently, the works are coordinated throughout the year by Professor Bilal Söğüt from Pamukkale, the leader of the team from Stratonikeia.
The library, located at the intersection of four main arteries in the center of the city, was initially built during the Hellenistic period and later rebuilt in the Roman era. The mosaics added in the fourth century AD. It shows that the edifice continued to play an important role in late antiquity. According to the inscriptions discovered on the spot, the library was built by a craft craftsman from Ephesus – the cultural center of the old Aegean world.
“We excavate this five -year building already,” said Professor Söğüt. “I discovered key sections, including the main entrance, the southern porch, the central court, the reading room and the adjacent rooms. All of these indicates the existence of a library of considerable magnitude and importance.”
In the 7th century, a strong seismic activity caused massive damage in the region. Although the city has fallen after that moment, the remains of the library survived-a silent testimony of cultural continuity and the search for knowledge over the centuries.
The team of archaeologists not only completely mapped the library plan, but also reconstituted its structural evolution over time. “Now we understand how this building was modified in various times, how it was restored after disasters and how it continued to serve the society,” said Professor Söğüt.
What makes this discovery truly remarkable is its architectural plan. The researchers have established that the Library in Stratonikeia does not resemble any other known library in Anatolia. In fact, this seems to have served as a model for a library built later in North Africa, thus providing priceless information about cultural exchanges in the Mediterranean basin.
“We intend to rebuild some of the columns and structural elements of the library, so that visitors can feel the original greatness of the edifice,” added Professor Söğüt. “This is not just a building – it is a proof of the perennial value of knowledge.”
Stratonikeia continues to reveal, layer by layer, the social, architectural and intellectual complexity of ancient anatol. As the restoration and conservation works advance, it is expected that the recently discovered library will become a central point for both academic research and cultural tourism.
