Archaeologists discover ‘beautifully preserved’ church at site of ancient Roman hospital in Turkey
Archaeologists in Turkey have uncovered a remarkable layer of history in the ancient city of Kaunos, in Muğla Province. The dig revealed a Roman hospital that later became a Christian church, giving new insight into how the site evolved from the 3rd to the 6th centuries CE.
The hospital, built for soldiers in the Roman era, already showed its healing role when medical tools were found during earlier digs. In 2025, the team uncovered a neatly preserved church that sits on the upper terrace of the same complex. That transition – from a battlefield health center to a place of worship – is a clear example of the Christianization that swept the region in the 6th century.
Kaunos is famous for its rock‑cut Lycian tombs, mosaic floors, and a 5,000‑seat theater, and it is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The new discovery adds depth to the site’s story, showing how it served both the military and the local population, and even later the Ottoman-era Aydınid Principality, where a coin was found.
This find is part of a string of fresh archaeological breakthroughs on the Anatolian peninsula this year, alongside the gold brooch uncovered in Troy and a 5th‑century church in Olympus. Each find paints a richer picture of ancient Turkey and its layered past.
Source: New York Post
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