The seven wonders of the ancient world have been revered and fascinating humankind since as far back as 200 BC. Today we can only read about and imagine what all but one of these impressive locations looked like. Built and completed around 2560 BC, only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains standing today. Here is […]
Marco Polo means much more than just a name you shout during a game. The game entails one person trying to find others in a pool with their eyes closed, following only the sound of their voice while traveling through the unknown. That mirrors the travels of Marco Polo, who took part in his own […]
Did you know that Julius Ceasar was married three times and had at least two well-known mistresses? Among the well-known mistresses of this famed Roman figure was Cleopatra. And around the time their child was born is when he first said the now-infamous words “Veni, Vidi, Vici”. Referenced in popular culture but also used as […]
The Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, whose reign marked the height of power and prosperity for the Anatolian Seljuks, died in 1237. From that time on the state slid into decline. As if repeated Mongol incursions were not enough, internal power struggles undermined the foundations of the state and sectarian quarrels divided the population. When […]
For thousands of years, Turkic people spread far and wide across Eurasia, but Mongolia is of particular importance in the study of Turkish history on account of the numerous ancient monuments which provide valuable evidence for archaeologists, linguists, and anthropologists. The inscriptions on these monuments are the earliest documents in the Turkish language and throw […]
Theirs was a tranquil land. They engaged in no great battles that changed the course of history, boasted of no marvelous achievements, nor put up heroic stands against conquering armies that became the stuff of legend. Instead, they busied themselves in their fields and produced olive oil. Compared to their neighbors, the enterprising Ionians, they […]
Prof. Dr. Ekrem Akurgal is Turkey’s most prominent archaeologist, whose research is closely followed in the world of historical and archeological studies. During his long university career, he trained hundreds of young archaeologists desperately needed by a country overflowing with ancient sites left by scores of civilizations over the past twelve thousand years. As well […]
When you want to communicate with someone that lives across the country, you get on your laptop or cell-phone. Connections happen instantly without much effort. Imagine if you were alive 2,500 years ago. If you wanted to communicate then, it was difficult. The leaders of the time had to figure out how to spread messages […]
Four years ago, while digging the foundations of a new building at Yokusbasi in Bodrum, an ancient tomb was discovered. When archaeologists lifted the 700 kilo stone lid of the sarcophagus they saw the perfectly preserved skeleton of a woman. She was wearing a gold diadem in the form of a myrtle branch and flowers […]
The documents which give information about the 13th century Queen Puduhepa, wife of the Great King Hattusili III (1275-1250 BC) are prolific. Her fascinating personality and strength of character are attested in numerous letters, prayers, sacrificial and ritual texts from Bogazkoy and Ugarit. There also exist a number of official documents concerning the duties of […]
