The ongoing excavations at the ancient city of Hyllarima in Muğla's Kavaklıdere district have uncovered shops whose boundaries were determined in the agora, the central point of the city.
The excavations, which began four years ago in the ancient city featuring structures from the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods in Derebağ neighborhood, are supported by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Muğla Governor's Office, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, the Kavaklıdere Municipality and the Muğla Museum Directorate.
New remains were reached at Hyllarima, which is known as one of the oldest settlements in the inland parts of the Carian Region.
Professor Bekir Özer, head of the excavations, told state-run Anadolu Agency that the digs in the agora have yielded significant findings, prompting the team to continue their work in the same area this year.
Özer stated that the agora, besides its shops carved in rows into the bedrock, was the most central point of the city. "This year, excavations were carried out to reveal the full dimensions of the agora and to plan for the coming years, and in addition, the excavation of two of the shops we identified last year was completed. Excavations were carried out on the street between the monumental fountain and the shops, the colonnaded area in front of the shops and the agora square," he said.
Özer explained that they are working to see the building layout on the east side of the agora, determining how the architectural planning of the agora was done and how it survived until today.
Stating that the area was organized in the third century B.C., especially according to the findings from the shops, and that its intense use continued in the second and third centuries, Özer stated: "We will continue excavation work in the agora in the coming years. We will excavate the streets and avenues connecting the agora to other areas of the city. We will work on the streets and structures that integrate or separate the agora from the city's other structures."
"In the excavations we carried out in the agora, we have currently determined the boundaries of at least seven shops. We might add two or three more in the coming period. However, these are largely destroyed due to agricultural activities. On the east side of the city, a wall connecting to the main avenue was also found. There is a walking surface created on the bedrock above this wall. This area was actually planned as a viewing terrace and walking area. This aspect surprised us," he said.
Özer also stated that especially in the excavations carried out in the city this year, they encountered water channels in every area they dug.
Özer expressed that this situation both surprised and pleased them. "The monumental fountain we found in previous years is already surprising both for its size and its location in the city. Hyllarima's fountain is a place designed in the model of a temple fountain. This is because there are inscriptions describing the relationship between the gods and the fountain. Here, we also found the water line leading towards the fountain. This year, in the excavations we carried out again, we found a water channel flowing towards the location of the viewing terrace," he said.
Özer noted that with the cessation of life in the city and its continuation on the opposite hill in Medieval Hyllarima, the water channels existing in the terrace areas and flat areas were also used to maintain agricultural activities, adding that this system has endured to the present day through continuous renewal.
