Excavations start at Mokissos

The first excavations have been initiated in the ancient city of Mokissos, also known as "Nora," which could become the "Ephesus of the Cappadocia region," with its history dating back to the Hellenistic period.

The ancient city, located on the skirts of Hasan Mountain in the Helvadere town of the Central Anatolian province of Aksaray, is home to monumental Roman tombs, masonry churches from the fourth to the seventh centuries, as well as unique natural beauties.

Mokissos is one of the largest ancient cities of the Central Anatolia region and has survived to the present day with its structures, including houses built with natural basalt blocks, monumental tombs made of smooth cut stone, churches and cisterns.

Tolga Uyar, associate professor at Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University's (NEVÜ) Art History Department and the head of the excavations, said they started the excavation work following the surface researches carried out last year.

Stating that after completing the technical bases and mapping works, they started the first excavation in the area, Uyar said: "This year's excavation plan includes the main building group in the center of the city. We are working on their function and history. We also carried out drilling at three spots. Our aim is to reach the data on the building groups under the soil. There is very dense fill soil in the center of the city. By removing this soil, we aim to see the layers and reach the ground level of the city. We got some preliminary information about them. We also got small finds during the works, such as pottery fragments and jars used for storage. We found arrowheads, hooks and two coins. One of these coins is from the sixth century and the other is from the 17th century."

Uyar stated that...