
A 2500-Year-Old Persian Fire Altar Reflecting the Fire Cult in Central Anatolia
Discovered in the Bünyan district of Kayseri, Central Anatolia, in the 1930s, the Persian Fire Cult Altar, dating back to 500 BC, is a unique artifact used in Persian fire-related religious rituals. Initially transferred to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations for security reasons, this altar is known to be the only example depicting the Persian

Turkish archaeologists discovered the 2,400-year-old battlefield of Alexander the Great’s first Persian victory in Türkiye
Turkish archaeologists have successfully identified the exact location of the legendary Battle of Granicus, where Alexander the Great won his first significant battle against the Persians in Asia Minor. The discovery came after 20 years of research. In May 334 BCE, Alexander’s Macedonian army achieved a historic victory over the formidable Persian forces for the

A pot of ancient Persian gold coins unearthed in the ancient city of Notion
A pot of ancient Persian gold coins was unearthed in the ancient city of Notion, an important port city in Antiquity. Excavations at the ancient city of Notion in the Menderes district of Izmir province in western Türkiye, which first began in 1921, were resumed in 2022 by a team from the University of Michigan,

Dana Island, where warships were made during the Bronze Age
The island of Dana was a strategic place where ships were built, which were used in many sea battles, including the sea wars between the Greeks and Persians, since the migration of sea tribes during the Bronze Age. Dana Island (Greek: Πιτυούσσα, Pityoússa) is an island located along the coastline in the Silifke district of

2500-year-old Persian food was found in Oluz Mound excavations
At Oluz Höyük (Oluz Mound), with settlement layers dating back to around 4500 BC, 2,500-year-old food remnants were discovered in the palace kitchen from the Persian period. Bone fragments and cereal grains found inside a clay pot closely resemble a dish known as “keşkek” today. Prof. Dr. Şevket Dönmez, the head of the excavation and