Archaeologists in Turkey recently excavated the ruins of a fifth-century Christian church with a message that hasn’t been seen in over 1,000 years.
The excavation took place at Olympus, an ancient Lycian port city in Turkey’s Antalya province, according to Anadolu Agency (AA), a state-run news outlet in Ankara.
The city has been excavated continuously since 2006, but during the recent season, archaeologists uncovered multiple mosaic floors, along with large storage jars called pithoi.
Excavator Gokcen Kurtulus Oztaskin, an associate professor at Pamukkale University, told AA that the site “continues to surprise us with its mosaics.”
The professor noted that “in 2017, 2022 and 2023, we discovered richly decorated mosaic floors at the sites we worked on. This year, we uncovered and restored the floor mosaics of Church No. 1.”
The most striking discovery was an inscription found at Church No. 1’s entrance. Media reports are describing it as an ominous message.
The message is translated by Oztaskin as: “Only the righteous may enter here.” Indeed, this sounds ominous, however it is far from an accurate translation.
The excavation took place at Olympus, an ancient Lycian port city in Turkey’s Antalya province, according to Anadolu Agency (AA), a state-run news outlet in Ankara.
The city has been excavated continuously since 2006, but during the recent season, archaeologists uncovered multiple mosaic floors, along with large storage jars called pithoi.
Excavator Gokcen Kurtulus Oztaskin, an associate professor at Pamukkale University, told AA that the site “continues to surprise us with its mosaics.”
The professor noted that “in 2017, 2022 and 2023, we discovered richly decorated mosaic floors at the sites we worked on. This year, we uncovered and restored the floor mosaics of Church No. 1.”
The most striking discovery was an inscription found at Church No. 1’s entrance. Media reports are describing it as an ominous message.
The message is translated by Oztaskin as: “Only the righteous may enter here.” Indeed, this sounds ominous, however it is far from an accurate translation.
The real translation of the inscription is: "This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous enter." The original Greek comes from Psalm 118:20, which reads: "Αύτη η πύλη Κυρίου, δίκαιοι εισελεύσονται εν αυτή." Clearly it is not ominous at all, but a fairly common verse written at the entrances of old Byzantine temples.
Olympus was abandoned by the 12th century — meaning the inscription has not been seen since.
The mosaics also featured vegetable motifs, a common artistic element of the era.
The names of benefactors were also visible on the mosaics, indicating that an affluent class once flourished in Olympus.
Excavators also found a newly uncovered building that resembles a temple, though more work will be done to determine its age and function.
Olympus was in use for several centuries. It still bears some remnants of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine architecture.
Archaeologists have uncovered multiple churches, a bridge and an entrance complex.
They also found the Bishop’s Palace, the Antimakhos sarcophagus and the Lycian Marcus Aurelius Archepolis Monumental Tomb.
The discoveries come on the heels of several recent breakthroughs in early Christian archaeology.
The mosaics also featured vegetable motifs, a common artistic element of the era.
The names of benefactors were also visible on the mosaics, indicating that an affluent class once flourished in Olympus.
Excavators also found a newly uncovered building that resembles a temple, though more work will be done to determine its age and function.
Olympus was in use for several centuries. It still bears some remnants of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine architecture.
Archaeologists have uncovered multiple churches, a bridge and an entrance complex.
They also found the Bishop’s Palace, the Antimakhos sarcophagus and the Lycian Marcus Aurelius Archepolis Monumental Tomb.
The discoveries come on the heels of several recent breakthroughs in early Christian archaeology.
