BURSA, TURKEY—A Roman-era basilica has been discovered in the ancient city walls of Bursa, which is located in northwestern Turkey. The rectangular-shaped structure had marble columns and painted walls. “This basilica served both as a court and a religious structure in the early Roman era. It is possibly the oldest structure in the city after the walls,” architect Ibrahim Yilmaz, who is in charge of the restoration of the walls and two of its towers, told Hurriyet Daily News. The basilica was discovered in the lower levels of one of the towers and will be restored.
Early Roman Basilica Discovered in Bursa
News May 6, 2014
Recommended Articles
Off the Grid November/December 2025
Bighorn Medicine Wheel, Wyoming

Letter from Mongolia November/December 2025
Building the Black City
Why the nomads of the Uighur Empire constructed a medieval urban center like no other

Digs & Discoveries November/December 2025
In His Majesty's Secret Service

Digs & Discoveries November/December 2025
Washington Risks It All

-
Features March/April 2014
All Hands on Deck
Inviting the world to explore a shipwreck deep in the Gulf of Mexico
(Courtesy NOAA) -
Features March/April 2014
Messengers to the Gods
During a turbulent period in ancient Egypt, common people turned to animal mummies to petition the gods, inspiring the rise of a massive religious industry
Courtesy The Brooklyn Museum -
Letter From Borneo March/April 2014
The Landscape of Memory
ARCHAEOLOGY, oral history, and culture deep in the Malaysian jungle
(Jerry Redfern) -
Artifacts March/April 2014
Chimú-Inca Funerary Idols
(Matthew Helmer)