The Turkish Ministry of Culture initiated a new project aiming to restore a historical "Roman Bath" in Ankara. The excavation, which will be carried out within the framework of a five-year project, started last week.

Under the guidance of Hikmet Denizli, Director of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, several archeologists, chemists, and geology and geophysics engineers from Ankara University will participate in the excavations. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations will be in charge of the restoration activities and examination of unearthed pieces in laboratories, as well.

During the excavations, the bath and the street with Roman columns will be connected to each other and the shops located on the street will be unearthed. A lighting system will be installed at the historical site, and new paths will be opened for visitors, as well. The Roman Bath will also be covered with a large tent in order to protect the site from rain and snow.

Roman Bath:

The Roman bath in Ankara was constructed on the orders of Emperor Caracalla between the years A.D. 212-217. Spreading over nearly 65,000 square meters, The Roman bath consists of a thousand architectural works, cemetery steles, inscriptions, tablets, water pipes and sarcophaguses.