Selçuk University Leads Konya’s First Excavation

The excavations at the ancient city of Savatra in Konya, carried out under the supervision of Selçuk University, are uncovering the cultural heritage of Konya and Anatolian history.

Significant findings have been uncovered during the excavations, which began in 2021 under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlker Işık, Head of the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties at the Faculty of Letters, Selçuk University.

In 2022, an inscription dating back to the early pre-Islamic Turkish period was discovered, featuring the word "Türk" and the term "Türkoğlu" written in the Greek alphabet.

In 2023, a mass grave of children, dated to the 4th or 5th century AD, was uncovered, along with a 1,800-year-old victory wreath, an altar featuring soldier and banner reliefs, as well as churches and well graves. This year, new structures belonging to churches and graves have also been uncovered.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Işık stated, “As the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties, we are proud to be conducting the first excavation of an ancient city in Konya. We are carrying out significant work at Selçuk University that can contribute both to the cultural and tourism history of Konya and to the archaeology of our country. Our university is a leading institution in the field of archaeology. Thanks to the research conducted by our esteemed professors, important excavations have been carried out that can shape Turkish archaeology. Our university has produced many prominent archaeologists.”