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A 2,200-year-old bronze statue of a woman, accidentally caught in a fishing net off the coast of Marmaris in southwestern Türkiye, is set to go on public display for the first time since its discovery five years ago.
The statue was retrieved from the waters of Hisaronu Gulf on November 17, 2020, by fishermen aboard a trawler named Azimler. Described as a hollow cast bronze figure missing its head and arms, the artifact was promptly reported to the South Aegean Coast Guard Command and transferred to the Marmaris Museum the same day.
Once secured, the statue underwent an extensive conservation process. After being desalinized and stabilized to prevent deterioration, it was sent to the Izmir Regional Laboratory of Restoration and Conservation, where specialists worked to preserve its condition before it was returned to Marmaris for exhibition.
Although the figure reflects stylistic elements from the Hellenistic period of the 2nd century B.C., experts have identified it as a Roman-era artifact. The woman is portrayed wearing a khiton, a type of ancient tunic, and a hymation, a cloak common to both Hellenistic and Roman fashion traditions.
The statue will be unveiled to the public on July 4 as part of the exhibition The Woman from the Sea, organized under the project 102 Exhibitions in 102 Years: A Journey into Anatolia’s Cultural Heritage in the Light of the Republic. The initiative is led by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism in celebration of the 102nd anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
In addition to the statue, several other artifacts uncovered during regional excavations will also be displayed. The exhibition will take place in the newly designed gallery at Marmaris Museum, a space developed by the museum and furnished with support from the Marmaris Chamber of Commerce.
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