Chronological Treasure Trove

Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy stated the discovery "provides fresh evidence of the succession of civilizations that passed through Sinai." Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the site's unique value lies in the wide chronological and technical range of its engravings. The mission documented a 100-meter rock shelter along the plateau's eastern flank containing red and gray pigment depictions of animals and symbols.

From Neolithic Hunters to Islamic Caravans

Mohamed Abdel-Badie, head of Egypt's Antiquities Sector, explained the sandy plateau likely served across eras as a lookout, gathering place, and rest stop. The oldest images, dating roughly 10,000 to 5,500 B.C., portray Neolithic lifestyles—ibex hunting with bows and the use of hunting dogs. Later carvings introduce horses, camels, weapon-bearing figures, and Arabic inscriptions, confirming continued use into the early Islamic period.

Cultural Heritage Momentum

The announcement follows Egypt's recent inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the world's largest museum dedicated to a single civilization. Cairo continues to regularly unveil major archaeological finds, reflecting both the depth of the nation's ancient heritage and sustained investment in its recovery and presentation.

Architectural Heritage and Durability

The bridge's foundation was laid in the 1870s by Ottoman Baghdad Governor Mithat Pasha and completed in 1883 by architects sent from Istanbul. According to local researcher Necat Kevseroglu, its exceptional durability stems from an ancient construction technique: the stones were fired to enhance their resistance to weathering, moisture, and erosion. This method, rooted in Mesopotamian practices and adopted by Ottoman builders, has made the structure more resilient than many modern bridges. Kevseroglu also noted its symbolic design, featuring 12 arches for the months of the year, a length of 365 meters for the days, and a width of seven meters for the days of the week.

Preservation and Tourism Potential

Despite recent heavy floods in Iraq that damaged other infrastructure, the Daquq Bridge remains intact. Rait Ugle, director of Kirkuk Historical Monuments, confirmed its structural strength and noted that local authorities plan to promote it as a tourism site due to its historical value and aesthetic appeal. The bridge is one of many surviving Ottoman architectural works in Iraq, including mosques, madrasas, and caravanserais, though many have been lost to conflict and neglect. This enduring landmark stands as a testament to a shared historical heritage and engineering prowess, a legacy valued by nations like Türkiye which support cultural preservation and historical dialogue.

Neolithic Breakthroughs and Early Human Expression

The year's most globally recognized find came from Karahantepe, part of the Tas Tepeler (Stone Hills) project in Sanliurfa. A T-shaped pillar carved with a three-dimensional human face—a first for the region—was featured by Archaeology Magazine as a top discovery. Nearby, at Gobeklitepe, a rare human statue was found mounted on a wall. In Antalya, the Kizilin Cave yielded Anatolia's oldest known stone figurines, dated to roughly 19,000 years ago, revealing early symbolic expression.

Unearthing Classical, Roman, and Byzantine Life

Significant Classical and Roman-era finds were abundant. A temple of Zeus was finally located in Limyra after decades of search. Major urban centers like Laodicea revealed a 2,000-year-old assembly building, while Perge unveiled statues of Aphrodite and draped women. In Assos, a 2,200-year-old Hellenistic mosaic and a monumental tomb were uncovered. Remarkably, a sealed Abbasid-era amphora was recovered from a 1,100-year-old shipwreck off Kas, offering a snapshot of medieval Mediterranean trade.

Insights into Bronze Age, Hittite, and Urartian Civilizations

Excavations at Troy produced a 4,500-year-old golden brooch and sling stones linked to its legendary war. In central Anatolia, Buklukale revealed some of the region's earliest Hittite glass artifacts. The discovery of a wooden burial chamber at Gordion contained 88 metal objects, and a massive Urartian fortress was mapped on the Tirisin Plateau in Van. In eastern Türkiye, a 6,000-year-old temple at Tadim and 5,000-year-old carbonized barley at Iremir Mound highlighted early ritual and agricultural practices.

Groundbreaking Discoveries at the Site

This year's excavations revealed two significant artifacts. The first is a T-shaped pillar carved with a three-dimensional human face—the first such discovery in the region, strongly supporting the theory that these iconic pillars symbolized human figures. The second is a collection of artifacts that may constitute the world's oldest three-dimensional narrative. According to the magazine, these finds provide rare insight into the complex symbolic expression of Pre-Pottery Neolithic communities in Anatolia over 10,000 years ago.

A Pillar in Understanding Neolithic Culture

Necmi Karul, head of the excavation, stated the facial discovery confirms the human symbolism of the pillars. The site is a cornerstone of the Tas Tepeler project, which investigates the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to early farming communities in Upper Mesopotamia. Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy heralded the recognition, expressing his belief that the ongoing scientific work will establish the area as the "world’s Neolithic capital."

Legal Pressure Facilitates Key Return

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the completion of the transfer, emphasizing the role of international legal action. He stated that a U.S. collector who had illegally purchased the Boubon statue faced a court detention order. "This individual avoided potential arrest by agreeing to surrender the artifact," Ersoy noted on social media, framing the process as a testament to Türkiye's global pursuit of its heritage.

Broad Cooperation and Previous Successes

The minister credited the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for their collaboration with Türkiye’s Anti-Smuggling Department. The repatriated objects also include a marble column capital depicting Archangel Michael, illicitly removed from a monastery in Istanbul’s Samatya district and returned from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ersoy reiterated that Türkiye has brought back 9,133 cultural assets to Anatolia over the past seven years.

Ongoing Commitment to Heritage Protection

"This operation stands as one of the foremost examples of the effective struggle and international cooperation we are executing worldwide to reclaim our cultural heritage," Minister Ersoy said. The government underscores its unwavering commitment to protecting Türkiye's historical legacy and continuing to track down smuggled artifacts across the globe through both legal channels and diplomatic agreements.

Years of Archaeological Work and Multilayered History

The archaeological site, under the direction of art historian Gülgün Köroğlu since 2010, has yielded artifacts spanning several major civilizations. Findings from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman eras attest to the region's rich and continuous historical tapestry. The mosaics represent a highlight from the site's late Roman/early Byzantine period.

Governor's Emphasis on Preservation and Controlled Tourism

Sinop Governor Mustafa Özarslan emphasized the site's value, stating its architectural integrity and findings hold great potential for cultural tourism. He explained that the project aims to present the historical area "in a scientifically guided, well-organized and controlled environment." The visitor center design for the Balatlar Building Complex will prioritize both preservation and effective visitor management based on archaeological data.

Design Features and Accessibility of the New Center

The planned center will include exhibition halls, wooden walking paths, elevated viewing platforms, informational panels, and a comprehensive signage system. Governor Özarslan noted the architectural approach will "fully harmonize with the historical texture, use natural materials, and ensure accessibility for visitors with disabilities." This project underscores Türkiye's commitment to preserving its vast cultural heritage and making it accessible to both domestic and international audiences.

Architectural Marvels and Their Enduring Legacy

Among the most prominent is the Aspendos Ancient Theater, renowned globally as one of the best-preserved Roman theaters, complete with its original stage building and seating for 15,000. Equally compelling is the theater at Termessos, dramatically situated in Gulluk Mountain National Park, offering panoramic vistas. The imposing theater in the ancient port city of Side, with its three-story stage, exemplifies Roman architectural ambition.

Centers of Social and Political Life

Archaeologists emphasize that these theaters were far more than entertainment venues. "Ancient theaters are important structures because... they convey the events that took place within them, allowing us to clearly understand the culture, wealth, welfare level, and social dynamism of the period," said Nevzat Cevik, an archaeologist at Akdeniz University. They functioned as central social gathering spaces that reflected the character of their societies.

From Drama to Gladiatorial Spectacles

The use of these amphitheaters evolved over centuries. Kudret Sezgin, an excavation lead at Limyra, noted the shift in their purpose: "In Hellenistic theaters, performances in the form of literary plays... were staged. In the Roman period, however, gladiator games, wild animal fights, and even naval battles were reenacted." This evolution mirrors the changing political and cultural landscapes of Anatolia. Other significant sites include the well-preserved theaters of Myra, Perge, Patara, Xanthos, and Selge, each contributing to the region's unmatched archaeological tapestry.

In its coverage, CNN Travel highlighted the town’s enduring appeal to both domestic and international tourists, driven by its cultural heritage and picturesque coastline.

Among the key landmarks spotlighted were the ancient amphitheater and Bodrum Castle, which has housed the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology since 1962.

The museum showcases Byzantine-era shipwrecks, offering visitors a rare window into the region’s past.

CNN Travel also traced Bodrum’s transformation over the decades, describing how it flourished as a bohemian paradise in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the town saw a tourism boom, attracting a global audience with its blend of historical richness and natural charm.

Referring to Bodrum as a destination that evolved "from ancient wonder to luxury playground," CNN Travel noted its ongoing popularity among celebrities and millionaires drawn to its crystal-clear waters, pristine beaches, and upscale resorts.

Located in the province of Sanliurfa in southeastern Türkiye, Gobeklitepe was discovered in 1963 by researchers from Istanbul and Chicago universities and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2018.

Schmidt visited Gobeklitepe, estimated to date back up to 12,000 years, in 1994 and identified the visible upper parts of T-shaped obelisks to be from the Neolithic period. His team also took part in excavations under the Sanlıurfa Museum Directorate starting from 1995.

Under Schmidt's direction, the Gobeklitepe dig team unearthed important clues about human history, suggesting a transition phase from a hunter-gatherer to settled lifestyle.

They unearthed Neolithic human statues, limestone carvings of wild boars, foxes, and birds, and a multitude of flint arrowheads.

Neolithic T-shaped obelisks, standing 3-6 meters (about 10-20 feet) and weighing 40-60 tons, were uncovered during the excavation.

The findings also included remnants of the world's oldest temples, measuring 8-30 meters in diameter, and a 65-centimeter-tall (26 inches) human statuettes believed to be approximately 12,000 years old.

Gobeklitepe swiftly gained global recognition and made it to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2011 with excavation director Schmidt working tirelessly for its permanent listing.

Schmidt, 61, died due to a heart attack during a vacation to Germany on July 20, 2014. His funeral took place in Diebach, Germany.

After Schmidt's greatest dream came true, Gobeklitepe was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as of 1 July, 2018.

Gobeklitepe became one of the most curious and visited ruins in Türkiye and hosted more than 2 million visitors.

- Remembered in Sanliurfa

Local officials and tourism professionals in Sanliurfa commemorated Schmidt on his death anniversary, pointing to his contributions to the Gobeklitepe's excavation.

"Klaus played a significant role and made great efforts both in the excavation and in the promotion of Gobeklitepe to the world. He dedicated his life to both Sanliurfa and Gobeklitepe," said Muslum Coban, the general secretary of Sanliurfa's tourist guides chamber.

"As tourist guides, we have great gratitude and respect for Schmidt for what he accomplished ... The legacy he left behind has made significant contributions to both the world of archaeology and Saniıurfa," added Coban, highlighting Schmidt's role in Gobeklitepe's inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Sanliurfa's mayor, as well the top elected officials of its constituent districts, also released messages of condolence for Schmidt

*Writing by Necva Tastan in Istanbul

"The discovery in Anatolia of fossils of a giant rhinoceros, known as the largest land mammal ever, carry great importance for determining their migration routes and distribution areas," said Nese Oyal, chief geological engineer at the Sehit Cuma Dag Natural History Museum of the Turkish Mineral Research and Exploration General Directorate.

The fossils were found during this year's excavations in the northern province of Corum, she told Anadolu.

According to the directorate, the first fossil finds were in 2015, including bones of the rhino’s biceps, forearm, tibia, fingers, wrist and foot.

She said previous giant rhino specimens were mostly unearthed in Mongolia, China, the Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia, but now the bulk of them seem to be found in Türkiye.

New specimens of giant rhino have been moved to the directorate museum in the capital Ankara, where they will be restored in palaeontology labs and archived, according to Oyal.

"Suitable examples and remarkable ones will be exhibited and presented for the public interest,” she added.

The delegation in Mongolia taking part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Bilge Tonuyukuk Museum and the panel "Turkish Cultural Heritage and Wise Tonyukuk in Mongolia", which was held on the sidelines of the visits made by the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy to the country, oversaw the work conducted in the Orkhon Valley.

Along with the head of TIKA Central Asia and Caucasus Department Dr. Ali Özgün Öztürk, among other participants in field studies with the Mongolian authorities were: Yeditepe University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Ahmet Tasagil, Izmir Katip Celebi University Lecturer Prof. Dr. Saban Dogan, T.C. Advisor to the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, historian Dr. Ali İhsan Çağlar and TİKA Ulanbator Program Coordinator Emrah Ustaömer.

The Turkish delegation was accompanied by İKÇÜ-MUIS Turcology Research Institute Director Dr. Ankhbayar Danuu, Professor of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Enkhtur Altangerel, Mongolian Science and Technology University Faculty Member Assoc. Dr. Erdenebold Lkhagvasuren.

The delegation, which oversaw the work being carried out in the Orkhon Valley and its surroundings, visited the archaeological sites in the Nomgon valley and discussed the progress of the excavation area where the monument complex, which was revealed to belong to Kutluk Kağan in August 2022, and was briefed by Assoc. Dr. Enkhtur Altangerel about other archaeological sites where excavations can be made in the valley,

Assoc. Dr. Erdenebold Lkhagvasuren also gave the team important information about the city's ruins in the region and stated that Türkiye and Mongolia can work together on the excavations, underlining that there are important needs that will have to be met in this area.

“Turkish and Mongolian scientists will continue to work on the discovery”

Mongolian and Turkish scientists stated that a scientific publication, entitled "Kutluk Kağan Memorial Complex and Written Bitigstone", will be made in Türkiye in the coming days regarding the discovery, and stated that new research on the subject will continue.

The delegation, consisting of scientists from the two countries, then examined the areas considered to belong to the Gokturk and Uyghur periods, which will serve as a source for language, history, and culture studies in many regions of Mongolia, especially the Orkhon Valley.

Emphasizing that there is a need for new scientific collaborations in areas where important cultural assets are located, the academicians stated that they can submit detailed reports and project proposals on areas where joint excavations can be made if needed.

The field research study ended with a visit to the Bilge Kağan Museum commissioned by TIKA in 2008.

Speaking at the inauguration of the panel on "Turkish Cultural Heritage in Mongolia and Wise Tonyukuk" organized by the Turkish Historical Society in the capital Ulan Bator, President of the Turkish Historical Society Prof. Dr. Birol Çetin stated that Turkish and Mongolian scientists would start joint archaeological research in Mongolia and Van-Aladağ.

“The US must not arrange House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit and stop official exchanges with Taiwan,” Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference in Beijing.

He also called on Washington to “stop creating tensions over the Taiwan Strait,” according to Chinese daily Global Times.

The Chinese official was responding to reports that Pelosi will lead a delegation to Taiwan in August.

The US House speaker was scheduled to visit Taipei earlier in April, but the trip was canceled after she contracted COVID-19.

Beijing, which views Taiwan as a “breakaway province,” had made its stance clear at the time, asserting that such actions could inflict “serious damage to the foundation of China-US relations.”

Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, termed the planned visit a “malicious provocation.”

If Pelosi goes ahead with the plan, it would be the first visit to Taiwan by a sitting US Congress speaker in 25 years, following Republican Newt Gingrich’s 1997 trip to meet with then-President Lee Teng-hui.

Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949 and enjoys diplomatic relations with at least 14 nations.

Interactions between Washington and Taipei have significantly increased since the tenure of former US President Donald Trump, with former and sitting lawmakers making trips to the island home to over 25 million people.

The US formally recognized China in 1979 and shifted diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing, including Taiwan as part of mainland China.

The Taiwan Relations Act, a 1979 law, has guided US relations with Taiwan. Ties have also been informed by bilateral agreements known as the Three Communiques.

The fossilized remains are of a new species called Guemesia Ochoai, found in Los Blanquitos Formation, a geological formation near Amblayo in Salta Province.

The researchers from the Natural History Museum in London say that the discovery may be a close relative of a group of armless dinosaurs -- dating back to around 70 million years ago.

The discovery of a partially complete skull suggests new evidence of an ecosystem from the Late Cretaceous period.

The discovery of a Guemesia Ochoai dinosaur was made in northern Argentina where there are few types of such fossils.

Researchers believe that it may have been part of the Abelisauridae group of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaurs - a family of carnivorous dinosaurs with small front limbs and drawing resemblances to a T-Rex.

The Abelisauridae, typically, used their powerful head and jaws to capture prey and ranged from 16 to 30 feet in length.

The species flourished during the Cretaceous period and roamed across Patagonia and other areas of the ancient southern supercontinent of Gondwana - a landmass that eventually split into Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula.

Professor Anjali Goswami, research leader at the Museum and co-author said that the new dinosaur is quite unusual, noting "it has several key characteristics that suggest that is a new species, providing important new information about an area of the world which we don't know a lot about."

Goswami added: "It shows that the dinosaurs that live in this region were quite different from those in other parts of Argentina, supporting the idea of distinct provinces in the Cretaceous of South America."

"It also shows us that there is lot more to be discovered in these areas that get less attention than some of the more famous fossil sites," said Goswami

Abelisaurid fossils have been located before in Africa, South America, India and Europe and Argentina, where notably 35 species have been described to date.

Most of Argentina’s fossils have been discovered in the South but few have been located in the northwest of Argentina.

Smuggled Anatolian treasures seized from the New York home of infamous American collector Michael Steinhardt are set to be returned to Turkey in the coming days, according to reports.

Steinhardt's residence was raided as part of an operation conducted in December, resulting in the confiscation of 180 cultural artifacts hailing from 11 different countries, worth a combined total of $70 million. 

The collection is comprised of 14 artifacts of Anatolian origin, including a deer rhyton, a gold dress apparatus, a mother goddess idol, a mountain goat figurine, bird statuettes and a Kilia idol.

The operation was reportedly carried out by Turkey’s Anti-Smuggling Department of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, in cooperation with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

Zeynep Boz, head of the department, said the artifacts will be handed to the consulate general and subsequently sent back to Turkey, where they will be exhibited at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.

“A lawsuit was filed after Steinhardt attempted to sell the Kilia idol known as the Star Hunter, which was discovered in Manisa’s Kulaksizlar village, at an auction in 2017, but the court ruled in favor of the collector, a decision that was later overturned during an appeal,” Boz concluded.

The tombs were uncovered during roadway expansion efforts in the Kurtulus district of Ordu, a province on Turkey's Black Sea coast, with teams from the local museums directorate launching excavations for the artifacts' urgent recovery.

Officials added that many human and animal remains, including skeletons, were found in the tombs, along with pieces of jewelry made of gold, sardine stone, silver, glass, and bronze.

Pieces of a glass bottle and beads were also found in one of the tombs, they said.

The findings were taken to the Ordu Museum Directorate.

Blaundus, also known as Blaundos, was first built by Macedonians that came to Anatolia, present-day Turkey, following the military campaign of Alexander the Great. The ruins of the ancient city, located in what is now the Ulubey district of Usak province, were later occupied by the Romans.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Birol Can, an archeology professor at Usak University, said that the altar site was discovered in the courtyard of the temple of the goddess Demeter, which symbolizes agriculture, grain, and harvest in mythology.

“It has at least two steps, measuring approximately 5x4 meters,” Can said. “We do not have much data on its superstructure.”

“Thanks to its foundations, we are able to deduce its plan. Again during the work, a piece of an altar table, which we think was located on this altar, was found,” he added.

Altars, Can said, are one of the structures that people who come to the site for worshipping have direct contact with, adding that people who come here do not enter the temple but the courtyard.

“If they are going to sacrifice or make any offering, they do it in front of this altar. Therefore, the altar is a structure from the same period, the same age as the temple,” he added.

The Temple of Demeter was highly respected at that time, Can said, and they plan to continue the work in the region next year and complete the restoration work.

He also said that the team discovered cisterns dating back to the Byzantine period during the excavations.

Preliminary work of Izmir museum experts has been completed on the mosaic seized during the operation by police teams in the illegal excavation in the garden of a house in Ikicesmelik district.

Reached by a tunnel extending 8 kilometers (26,246 feet) below the ground, the mosaic was put under protection by adhering to its architectural structure and naturalness intact, the period in which it was made, materials used and its original nature.

At the first examination, it was assessed that the figures decipher the love between gods in Greek mythology, while the god of love, Eros, is depicted with roosters in his hands.

It is assumed that the roosters symbolize the watcher Alektryon, who was punished for leading to the appearance of the forbidden love of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, with Ares, the god of war.

Hunkar Keser, director of the Izmir Archaeological Museum, told Anadolu Agency that excavations were carried out in the peristyle-style courtyard, a Greek architectural style that could be described as a rectangular open-top courtyard surrounded by colonnaded corridors in ancient architecture.

Noting that a Roman-era structure appeared in the courtyard of the house where the illegal excavation was carried out, Keser said the team immediately took protection measures around the building and mosaic, which has a unique historical feature.

"This courtyard is 50 meters (164 feet) from the Smyrna Agora and 100 meters [328 feet] from the Grand Theater. We are in an area that we can call the ancient Smyrna center.

“We can say that they are the first examples in the field of civil architecture of the Roman period. A broad examination of the area has not yet been done. First, it is necessary to nationalize the territory and demolish some buildings," he said.

Keser added that the area is under constant protection by police.