Ottoman cups found in Agora of Smyrna in Izmir

IZMIR, Türkiye (AA): During the ongoing excavations in the ancient Agora of Smyrna, an ancient site located in the Mezarlıkbaşı neighborhood in western Izmir, experts have unearthed fragments of cups and plates from the Ottoman Period.

Archaeological digs carried out by Katip Çelebi University (IKÇÜ) with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the support of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in the ancient city continue to shed light on history.

Associate Dr. Akın Ersoy of IKÇÜ Turkish-Islamic Archeology Department, who has been heading the excavations in the Agora of Smyrna, said that the site was a meeting point for different cultures for thousands of years.

Pointing out that the Agora of Smyrna has witnessed a history stretching from the Roman and Ottoman eras to the present, Ersoy informed that the last finds in the region are the pieces of coffee cups and plates from the Ottoman Period.

Dr. Sevinç Gök İpekçioğlu of Ege University Faculty of Letters Art History Department, who has been researching the cups and plates, also said that these latest discoveries date back to the 18th century.

She said: “We mostly found ceramic cups and think that they were used in the ordinary life in the Ottoman houses. However, they could also be used to serve to the customers in the coffeehouses.”

The Agora of Smyrna bears witness to the history dating back to the present day from Rome and the Ottomans. The ancient city, which was established between Kadifekale and the sea with a view of the gulf, has welcomed its residents, visitors and travelers from different cultures for centuries.

It presents sections of history with its basilica, historical graffiti, structures protected against earthquakes and 2,000-year-old water channel.