During the archaeological excavations carried out within the scope of the restoration of the Diyarbakır Walls, which was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2015, a 1700-year-old amphora was found.
In order to restore the Diyarbakır Walls in the central Sur district, which has hosted many civilizations, to regain their former glory, the works carried out in stages by the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality are continuing. The works carried out on the walls are meticulously controlled by the Science Commission formed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Advisory Board, which consists of experts in their fields.
During the archaeological excavations carried out in the 5th phase of the works, financed by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, a 1700-year-old amphora (a kind of pitcher) was unearthed.
Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Department of Reconstruction, Conservation, Implementation and Inspection Offices (KUDEB) Branch Manager Sermed Azizoğlu told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they have been carrying out joint projects with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change for about 2 years, within the scope of the project work carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Stating that the first 2 stages have been concluded and the work continues in the remaining stages, Azizoğlu stated that the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change provided a grant of 50 million lira for the works carried out in the 5th stage.
Azizoğlu said, “We want our works to contribute to the tourism of the city and to transfer the city walls, which have a history of approximately 2,000 years, to future generations.”
Azizoğlu, referring to the historical artifact they found during the excavations. “In the studies we carried out, we came across a find that we call ‘amphora’, which is not very common in our region, and was used in the transportation of olive oil and wine.” said.
Karakaş, the archaeologist in charge, stated that they found the fortification foundation wall during the excavation and that as the work progressed, they came across architectural structures from the Roman, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods.
Karakaş stated that they found amphora, which is very rare in the region, during the excavation, and drew attention to the fact that the artifact preserves approximately 80 percent of its integrity.
Explaining that the amphora, which has a wide body and a narrow rim, was used for the preservation of liquids such as olive oil and wine, Karakaş said, “The pointed-bottomed amphora is important because it was made for trade purposes. Based on the way it was made and the motifs on it, it is dated to 330 AD. About 1700 years ago from today. This period coincides with the Late Roman-Early Byzantine Period.” used the phrases.