The council building, two baths, and a temple will be restored in the ancient city of Tlos

The council building, two baths, and a temple in the ancient city of Tlos, one of the important settlement centers of the Lycian civilization, will be restored.

Excavations at the ancient city of Tlos, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, are being conducted under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Taner Korkut, a faculty member of the Department of Archaeology at Akdeniz University. The excavations are ongoing for 12 months.

The excavation director, Prof. Dr. Taner Korkut, stated that excavation work is being carried out on the acropolis elevation in the city center of Tlos, as well as around the remains of the classical period palace and the ancient theater. Additionally, work is ongoing at the nearby Girmeler Mound settlement.

Korkut stated that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has conducted the tender for the council building project, which is set to begin restoration in 2025. “In addition, the tender for the restoration project of the large bath, the gymnasium bath, and the Temple of Kronos will also be held this year. Starting in 2025 with the council building, we will begin efforts to restore the two baths and the temple as well. We are working intensively for 12 months in the ancient city of Tlos. Both excavation and restoration works are being carried out simultaneously. When you visit this city at the beginning of 2026, you will see a much more visually appealing ancient city structure.”

The restoration of the first section of the seating rows in Tlos’s ancient theater has been completed, and half of the work on the second section has also been finished.

Korkut stated that the goal is to complete the restoration of the interior of the theater by mid-2025 and to finish the restoration of the outer walls by the end of 2025. “Excavation work is also being carried out around the theater. The ancient theater can accommodate approximately 8,000 people for events, making it a quite magnificent structure. If we consider only the interior of the ancient theater, about 70% of its restoration has been completed. We are using only original materials and making arrangements in the seating rows without using any new materials. Excavation work is ongoing on the exterior as well. As a result, we aim to complete the restoration of the entire theater by 2025,” he said.

Cover Photo: Ali Rıza Akkır/AA