Archaeologists to unearth the hidden history of Bitlis Castle

An assistant professor from the university's art history department, Gülşen Baş, stated that a 30-member team is working together to unearth the hidden history of Bitlis Castle. She also voiced her excitement over carrying out the archaeological project in an area that was the cradle of numerous civilizations for thousands of years.

Baş underlined the significance of the project, saying that the artifacts that will be unearthed during the excavation will make a major contribution to further revealing the history and lifestyles of ancient societies and civilizations in Bitlis. She also said: “Bitlis is a big city that dates back to very old times. It is a city that has not only historic castles, but several more ancient buildings and monuments. We are conducting our excavations with a team of 30 people, 15 of whom are students. First, we cleared the castle of garbage and overgrowth. Then we started the excavations. The castle has been poorly maintained up until now, and the artifacts uncovered previously have been damaged by earthquake.”

Emphasizing that coins and artifacts discovered in the course of the excavations will give them clues about the ancient civilizations which the city has hosted. “We plan to continue the dig for two-and-a-half months. So far, we have found porcelain and ceramic remains that are thought to belong to the Ottoman age. We have sent the artifacts to the Ahlat Archaeology Museum so that the Bitlis locals can visit and view them,” Baş said.