Hestia statue to be displayed in museum

Excavations have been ongoing in the ancient city of Aigai in the western province of Manisa. A 2.7-meter-high statue, which was unearthed in 2004-05 and is the only Hestia statue in the world that has survived from the Hellenistic period, will be exhibited at the Manisa Archeology Museum, which is set to be opened this year.

Aigai, located near the Yunt Mountain Köseler neighborhood of the Yunusemre district, stands out as the only excavation site in the region, called Aiolis in ancient times, from the north of İzmir to Çanakkale.

The excavations in Aigai, which was founded in 700 B.C. and continued for about 1,000 years, have been continuing uninterruptedly for 19 years. The works are carried out in the temple area built for Athena, believed to be the goddess of wisdom and intelligence in ancient times.

The bronze goddess Hestia statue, which was found in 2004-05, is among the most valuable finds in the ancient city. The statue, which was found during the excavations of the parliament building in Aigai, is known as the only Hestia statue in the world that has survived from the Hellenistic era.

The head of the excavations, Associate Professor Yusuf Sezgin said, "Currently, work is carried out in the Sanctuary of Athena. In ancient times, cities had certain gods or goddesses. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and intelligence. Obviously, the most important goddess in Aigai was Athena. Because a temple was built at the highest point of the city, in its most magnificent place. We started work here in 2019. The area was covered with brushwood and rubble. After some work it began to surface gradually."

Stating that the temple was built in the second century B.C. and it is a very important temple, Sezgin said, "This is actually a sacred...