Experts are carrying out restoration and conservation work on the ruins and mosaics of the ancient city of Myrleia, located in the Mudanya district of the northwestern province of Bursa. Archaeological studies aim to shed light on the history of the region.

It is believed that Myrleia was founded by the Colophons of Ionia back in the 7th century BC. C. on the wide, flat hill known today as Hisarlık, 1 kilometer (less than a mile) southeast of Mudanya. The historic area features the remains of the city walls on the hill and settlement areas in the north along with the ruins of a port. The location of the ancient city, unearthed during construction excavations in 2012, has been declared a protected archaeological zone.

Murat Cura of the Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation and Restoration at Hacı Bayram Veli University in Ankara, who has been carrying out conservation and repair work on a larger mosaic floor covering in Myrleia, said the mosaic was discovered during an excavation in 2015 and subjected to excavation. temporary protection.

Cura expressed that, however, the mosaic began to wear out over time and stated that they began to work on the conservation of the mosaic with their students.

Stating that the conversation on most of the mosaic is complete, he continued: “Only a small part of the mosaic is still waiting to be repaired. Because it is raining and the layers beneath the mosaic are weak, it can be easily damaged.” damaged. We will fill in the weak areas of the mosaic and support it with backing material underneath. After that, we will keep the artifact under protection until a roof is built over it.

Cura highlighted that the mosaic is unique and said: “As far as I know, there are five or six mosaics that are very similar to the one from Myrleia. One of them, for example, is in Antandrus, located on Devren Hill between the modern village of Avcılar and the town of Altınoluk in the Edremit district of Balıkesir. However, the Myrleia mosaic floor is very valuable as it is in a completely preserved state.

Explaining that they began their work in the ancient city almost 10 or 15 days ago, he added that they plan to continue their studies at the site for a month or more.

glorious days

Professor Mustafa Şahin, head of the Department of Archeology at Uludağ University, also stated that there is a mythological story about the region, which is very important as it suggests that the city may have existed before the 8th century.

Realizing that they knew that the name Myrleia remained until the reign of Philip V, the king of Macedonia, Şahin said: “Philip took the city, which had been under the reign of the Kingdom of Pergamum, and gave it to Prusias I. ., the king of Bithynia, who was also his relative. Prusias renamed the city, turning it back into a modern Hellenistic settlement. Based on his wife’s name, he called her “Apamea,” and this name remained until the Roman imperial period.”

According to Şahin, the Romans made Apamea a colony in the time of Julius Caesar, making it one of the largest cities of the time. “Therefore, the villas that were unearthed during the excavations in Myrleia carried out under the direction of the Bursa Archaeological Museum Directorate in 2015 and the mosaics inside them are very important data that reveal these glorious days.”

Emphasizing that Mudanya is located at a very strategic point in terms of tourism, Şahin said: “If the city of Myrliea or Apamea in Mudanya is completely unearthed, there will be a need for accommodation for tourists. Therefore, a very important tourist destination will appear in Bursa. “In this way, Bursa will get a very important ancient city in terms of cultural tourism.”