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The historic Hidirlik Tower in Antalya, a city on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, has reopened to visitors following the completion of a major excavation and restoration project, the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality announced.
Among the discoveries unearthed during the excavation is a Roman-era colonnaded street buried beneath the city, believed to have once stretched all the way to Hadrian's Gate.
A walking route with glass surfaces, newly built as part of the project, lets visitors view historical remains spanning from antiquity to the Republican era, while a new observation terrace on the cliffs offers sweeping views of the Mediterranean Sea.
The projects were carried out to preserve the area's historic character while bringing artifacts and ruins uncovered during the excavation to public view, according to the municipality.
A walking route built as part of the project features glass surfaces that allow visitors to view historical remains spanning from antiquity to the Republican era, while an observation terrace constructed on the cliffs offers views of the Mediterranean Sea.
The excavations, conducted under the supervision of the Antalya Museum Directorate and the Conservation Implementation and Inspection Bureau (KUDEB), uncovered numerous findings that shed light on the city's history.
Discoveries include a monumental tomb dating to the second century B.C. believed to have been built for a regional governor, structures thought to have been used as a chapel during the early Byzantine period, mosaic-covered areas including one featuring a dolphin figure with an inscription, two bathhouses, a columned structure, a Roman-era colonnaded street believed to extend to Hadrian's Gate, and the remains of an ice factory from the Republican period.
Serdar Oruc Gun, head of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality's Department of Public Works, said Hidirlik Tower, with a history of nearly 2,000 years, is one of the most significant historical structures to survive from the Roman era to the present day.
Gun said the work preserved the site's historic texture while reorganizing it, adding, "Our aim is to preserve the past while carrying it into the future and to enable Antalya residents and visitors to the city to get to know this historical heritage more closely."
Gun added that the project also aims to establish the area around Hidirlik Tower as a new cultural and tourism attraction alongside preserving its historical heritage.
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