After three years of work, a big church in the ancient city of Pisidia, has been unearthed. The 6th-century church may have been destroyed by a big fire in the 11th or 12th century. Hopes have been expressed that the discovery will help archaeologists have a clearer idea of the history in the area.
The fire was so destructive that the stones inside the church exploded. The head of the Pisidia excavations, Süleyman Demirel University Archaeology Department’s Professor Mehmet Özhanlı, expressed hopes that what remained of the church would help them acquire a clearer idea of the history of the area.
“We believe that it was a big fire that destroyed the church,” said Mehmet Özhanli, head of the Suleyman Demirel University Archaeology Department. “Conservation works are still continuing on the surviving walls of the church,” he said. The church was the third biggest in the ancient city.
A Seljuk coin was found in the area that boosts the idea that the fire occurred in the 11th or 12th century. As was the custom, the church was built on a temple. Four churches have been discovered in the area so far that indicate that there were attempts to make it a religious city. It was divided into neighborhoods with each church capable of holding 300 people.