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According to Turkish media, Izmir’s long-running Old Smyrna (Bayrakli Hoyuk or Mound) dig was sealed by presidential decision, archaeologists were blocked from the site, and excavation inventories were seized; no reason has been shared and the future of research remains unclear.
The excavation at Old Smyrna in Bayrakli—known locally as Bayrakli Hoyuk, a settlement mound built up by layers of human habitation—has been running for nearly a century.
The first scientific work began in 1948, and Ege University has led the project since 2014. The mound marks the earliest known nucleus of ancient Smyrna and preserves traces that go back to the third millennium B.C.
While Türkiye has in recent years seen excavation leaders replaced without stated scientific grounds, such moves typically fell under the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
In this case, the decision came directly from the presidency and not only changed the leadership but also sealed the site itself. Authorities did not provide a public rationale.
With the sealing order in place, archaeologists cannot enter the dig area, and the excavation inventories were taken over.
In this context, “inventory” refers to the register of finds and field records that document what the team has uncovered.
According to the record provided, Professor Cumhur Tanriver, who has led the excavation since 2014 on behalf of Ege University, recently appeared at the International Archaeology Symposium and the “Golden Age of Archaeology” exhibition held at the Presidential Complex on Aug. 6, 2025.
It is not yet clear whether fieldwork has stopped entirely or will restart, and neither the presidency nor the ministry has issued an official statement on the next steps for Old Smyrna.
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