Les excavacions han començat prop de l'actual Mersin, al sud de Turquia, per descobrir l'antic port de Soli Pompeiopolis. L'objectiu de les excavacions és desenterrar un dels ports històrics més importants de la Mediterrània oriental, juntament amb la seva connexió amb el carrer columnat de la ciutat. Les excavacions estaran dirigides pel professor Dr. Remzi Yağci, cap del Departament de Museologia de la Universitat Dokuz Eylül.
While Soli Pompeiopolis was founded by the Rhodians, it is named after Pompeius, a Roman general who restored the city after the end of Hellenistic domination. Roman Emperor Hadrianus is thought to have provided incredible financial support for the construction of its port, making it one of the most magnificent and most active in the whole Roman Empire.
According to historical sources, the port dates back to the second century, making it about 1,800 years old. Its magnitude made it not only a majestic port for the Eastern world, but also a source of significant economic influx during the city’s peak periods of Roman rule, around 130 and 525 AC. Following the abandonment of Soli Pompeiopolis due to the great Cilician earthquake, the city became covered in dust and debris. It has been noted that a theater, a bath house, and a necropolis might be hiding below the debris as well.
The excavations have proven to be an important catalyst to uncovering other ancient city ruins and are a greater part of Türkiye’s historical and cultural enrichment. Türkiye is home to many important UNESCO sites that show the beginning of human civilization. These include various sites in Taş Tepeler, a region in southeast Anatolia (Şanlıurfa) that is home to a variety of pre-Neolithic ruins.
