BURDUR, TURKEY—According to an Anadolu Agency report, a 2,000-year-old monumental fountain in southwestern Turkey’s ancient city of Kibyra has been restored. The 26-foot-tall fountain features two pools reconstructed with more than 150 architectural fragments recovered during excavations and 24 blocks fashioned by the conservation team, which was led by archaeologist Sukru Ozudogru of Mehmet Akif Ersoy University. The fountain was used in Kibyra for some 600 to 700 years, Ozudogru said. The fountain will soon operate again, he added. “Just like in ancient times, fresh spring water will flow into the pool from the mouths of the lion and panther statues in the lion’s hide where the mythological hero Herakles laid down, and the panther’s hide where the god of wine Dionysus lay down,” Ozudogru concluded. To read about an urban park in Turkey's ancient city of Aphrodisias that had fountains and a monumental pool, go to "The Archaeology of Gardens: Urban Gardens."
