Archaeological excavations in the Bozcaada district of Çanakkale, Turkey uncovered a 366-year-old castle bath built by Grand Vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, a significant figure of the Ottoman period.
The excavation, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Governorship of Çanakkale, is continuing this season at the necropolis area of the Ancient City of Tenedos and at Bozcaada Castle, the island's most symbolic architectural monument.
Professor Dr. Turan Takaoğlu, the head of the Tenedos Excavation and a faculty member in the Department of Archaeology at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, stated that the work in the region started in 2021. "Until today, the existence of this castle bath was only known from the foundation charter of Köprülü Mehmed Pasha. It has been largely uncovered in the 2024 excavation season," he said, according to NTV.
"Castle baths constitute a very little-known category of structures in Ottoman architecture. The Bozcaada Castle Bath, built in 1658, contains some original elements both in architectural design and functional aspects, and it is a rare example to this day," he noted.
Köprülü Mehmed Pasha recaptured Bozcaada from the Venetians in 1658 after a one-year occupation.
The excavation "shows that there are many more structures buried underground within Bozcaada Castle waiting to see the light of day," Takaoğlu noted.
The Bozcaada Castle deserves to be evaluated as a "castle museum" that tells its own story well and is visitable, he added.
The ongoing excavation aims to provide new insights into the island's architectural and historical heritage.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq