First church in Priene unearthed

A church dating back 1,600 years, built by the first Christian community, has been found in the ancient city of Priene in the western province of Aydın's Söke district.

The excavations in the ancient city, known as the "Pompei of Anatolia" due to its well-preserved structures and city plan, are being carried out under the direction of Professor İbrahim Hakan Mert from Uludağ University with the contributions of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Located on steep cliffs and offering visitors the opportunity to watch the unique view of Söke Plain thanks to its elevation, the ancient city draws attention with its Temple of Athena, the theater, the Temple of Demeter, the agora, the bouleuterion, the Upper Gymnasium, the Lower Gymnasium, the Egyptian Temple, the Byzantine church and residential areas.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the deputy head of the excavations, Uludağ University academic Ali Altın, said that they saw a good example of the urban structuring called the Grid Street Plan there.

Stating that the ancient city, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, has places that cut parallel streets perpendicularly, Altın stated that the famous philosopher Bias also lived there and that Priene was also known as the region where science and art were born.

Noting that this year's excavations focused on structures outside the city, such as cemeteries, Altın said they found traces of a church, which was exciting for them.

Mentioning that there were several churches and temples in the city before, Altın said: "This church was probably a building that the first Christians here used for collective worship and was built for this purpose. It is possible to say things according to the information given by the...