Tomb Of Rare Gladiator Found In Ancient City Ruins Of Anavarza Turkey

Ruins of the ancient city of Anavarza, Turkey. (Wikimedia Commons/Dosseman)

JAKARTA - Archaeologists have discovered the tomb of a gladiator in the ruins of the Ancient City of Anavarza, which is located in the province of Adana, southern Turkey.

Anavarza, which was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in 2014, is home to a number of past civilizations, including the ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Sassanid and Ottoman Empires.

The excavation team, consisting of 24 staff, 30 scientists and two archaeologists led by Dr. Fatih Gülşen of the University ofukurova, has carried out excavations at the site near the amphitheater and theater section, reports Daily Sabah of Anadolu Agency August 1st.

Noting that researchers found the tomb near the southern part of the excavation site, close to the amphitheater, Gülşen said they believe gladiators fought here.

“We know that they organized not only gladiatorial fights but also water sports, games and festivals here,” explains Gülşen, noting that the amphitheater at Anavarza is one of four examples in Anatolia.

Gülşen further explained that they hoped to find the bones of gladiators and necropolis in their excavations, to shed light on the history of the ancient site.

Since excavations at the site began in 2014, researchers have uncovered limestone statues of the Greek goddess Hygieia and the god Eros along with several mosaics and relics.

The city also has the world's first and oldest street, a 2,700-meter-long and 34-meter-wide street decorated with 1.5-meter-high pillars.

It is known that Anavarza Castle sits atop the central hill in the area, overlooking the vast and fertile measuring plains that used to be known as Cilicia, and is considered one of the most important ancient castles in Turkey.