Archaeologists Discover 12th Century University Structures At Harran . Archaeological Site

Illustration of ruins in Harran, Turkey. (Wikimedia Commons/Theugursevinc)

JAKARTA - Ruins of a madrasa or university building dating from the 12th century have been excavated at the Harran archaeological site in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, Turkey.

Excavation work has been ongoing for eight years at Harran, which is one of the world's oldest settlements on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List.

Mehmet nal, head of the Department of Archeology at Harran University and leading excavations at the Harran settlement, told Anadolu Agency (AA) Harran is often mentioned in history books because it is one of the oldest settlements in the world.

Watching the mysteries of the settlement unfold day by day with their archaeological excavations, nal said they discovered important remains such as roads, monumental gates and madrasas during excavations this year.

Saying they discovered the university structure in the settlement for the first time in this year's study, nal said: "We have determined with archaeological evidence that the madrasa belongs to the Zengid era. It was previously known that Harran had five madrasas. in this region," he quoted Daily Sabah from Anadolu Agency on November 23 as saying.

Illustration of ruins in Harran, Turkey. (Wikimedia Commons/Acar54)

He said they had determined the structure had 24 rooms above ground, and had now completely excavated the madrasa's monumental doorway along with the five rooms, a partial foyer, adding there was also a kitchen next to the room with a large stove and brick and clay stove.

"Another specialty of the kitchen is that there are lots of lamb and goat bones in the fireplace and oven. It shows us, the food is prepared here and the people here leave the city in a hurry, leaving the food on the stove uneaten, once it's right. - absolutely sure that the Mongols will take over the city," he explained.

Nal said they estimate the madrasa to be from the 12th Century, so they will learn more once excavations in the area are completed.

Meanwhile, Cihat Koç, a district governor in Harran, said the history of education in Harran dates back to 3000 BC, with studies carried out in astronomy, mathematics, philosophy and theology.

Harran is a place that pioneers science and scientific education, said Koç, adding; "With our work this year, we have found the first of the five major madrasah, five major university campuses."

"The world's first university is in Harran. We are working seriously to uncover all the ruins of this university," he said.

Harran, the former Assyrian and Umayyad capital located 44 kilometers (27 mi) southeast of the city of Sanlıurfa near the Syrian border, was an important Mesopotamian trading center on the road that runs south to Nineveh in modern Iraq, and has been continuously inhabited since 6000 BC.

To note, the first excavations at Harran began in 1950. The site has been on UNESCO's provisional list since 2000.