An extraordinary archaeological find has been made in Cappadocia, one of Türkiye’s major tourist destinations, revealing a necropolis that is distinct from the typical rock-carved graves of the region.
Excavations in Nevşehir, located in Central Anatolia, began two years ago after the region’s open-air museum was made accessible to traffic. This initiative followed archaeologists’ suspicions of potential new discoveries in the area.
“We came across several findings exactly as we predicted in the excavations. The cellar, kitchen and workshop areas of the Balkonlu Church located just above Tokalı Church, were uncovered,” Cappadocia site head Birol İnceciköz stated.
“Currently, in front of the Tokalı Church, we found a necropolis.”
The road linking the towns of Ortahisar and Göreme, constructed in 1956, was closed two years ago after a new road was commissioned. Excavation work commenced on the old road and is ongoing, with consultation from the Art History Department of Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University.
“We know scientifically that the archaeological sites yield larger areas. We will reveal the area of Göreme Open Air Museum in a larger area and present it to visitors as an archaeopark,” İnceciköz said.
The excavation project is part of the “heritage for the future” initiative, which also includes excavations in front of the Göreme Open Air Museum and the ancient city of Sobessos in Ürgüp.
