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Archaeologists in southwestern Türkiye are uncovering the architectural structure of an ancient library in Stratonikeia or Stratonicea, a well-preserved marble city in Mugla’s Yatagan district.
Known as the “City of Gladiators,” Stratonikeia is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and is regarded as one of the largest marble-built cities from antiquity.
Excavations at the site have been ongoing since 1977 and now continue year-round.
The library is situated at a central crossroads where four main streets of the ancient city converge. It was initially constructed during the Hellenistic period and later reorganized under Roman rule.
According to archaeologists, it remained in use through the fourth century A.D., at which point intricate mosaics were added to its floors.
Professor Bilal Sogut, head of the Stratonikeia and Lagina Excavation Team, emphasized the site's cultural and historical significance, noting that his team has been excavating the library area for approximately five years.
During that period, they have brought to light the entrance sections, colonnaded galleries known as porticoes, the courtyard, the reading room, and several adjoining chambers.
Inscriptions on the mosaic floors reveal that the library was built by a craftsman who came from Ephesus, another major city of the ancient world.
This connection not only highlights the spread of skilled labor across regions in antiquity but also underlines the prominence of Stratonikeia as a center of learning and civic life.
The library stood among other major public structures, including a bath complex, a fountain, and religious buildings, indicating its importance within the social fabric of the city.
Around the year 610 A.D., a powerful earthquake struck the region, leading to a significant reduction in the city’s size. The library was subsequently abandoned.
However, research reveals that before the earthquake, the building had undergone several modifications and remained an active hub for community engagement.
“We have identified all stages of the structure’s life—from its foundation and transformations to its post-earthquake restoration and later usage,” Sogut said.
“We now fully understand its plan, which differs from other known library layouts in Anatolia. We’ve discovered that it may have served as a model for a library in North Africa.”
The excavation team has also unearthed upper architectural elements, including columns from the courtyard. These will be partially re-erected to allow visitors to visualize the scale and splendor of the ancient structure.
Sogut noted that the findings confirmed the building’s grandeur, adding, “We have realized we are standing in an impressive library.”
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