Ancient statue dating back 1,800 years discovered in Türkiye’s historic city of blaundos

Friday 28 November 2025 - 14:30

By: Sahili Aya

Ancient statue dating back 1,800 years discovered in Türkiye’s historic city of blaundos

Archaeologists in western Türkiye have uncovered an 1,800-year-old statue in the ancient city of Blaundos, a historically significant settlement located in the modern province of Usak. The discovery was made during ongoing excavations at the site’s two-millennia-old stadium, believed to have been constructed by Macedonian settlers during the era of Alexander the Great.

Researchers revealed that the statue was found embedded within the stadium’s outer wall, positioned above the dramatic cliffs of the Ulubey Canyon, one of the region’s largest natural formations. The artifact, identified as a male figure, is missing its head, arms, and legs but remains remarkably well preserved.

The statue has now been transferred to the Usak Museum for conservation.
Şerif Söyler, director of the excavation team and head of the museum, described the find as “a finely carved torso dating to the 2nd century CE,” adding that it had been reused as construction material during the Byzantine period, which unintentionally protected it from further deterioration.

Conservation work is currently underway, and experts plan to display the statue to the public once the restoration and scientific assessment phases are completed.