Ottoman treasure in Smyrna: Belt buckles unearthed!

Excavations in the ancient city of Smyrna are continuing, carried out by İzmir Katip Çelebi University (İKÇÜ) with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and with the support of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Yaşar Education and Culture Foundation, İzmir Chamber of Commerce, and Güzel Enerji Akaryakıt A.Ş.. The history of the Smyrna Agora, one of the largest ancient agoras in the center of İzmir, and the Smyrna Theater, one of the largest theaters in the Mediterranean, are being brought to light through these works. Objects from different periods are being discovered during the archaeological excavations carried out in the city, which was founded by Alexander the Great on an area of ​​193 hectares stretching from Kadifekale to Kemeraltı. During the excavations carried out in the ancient city of Smyrna, which was included on the Tentative World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2020 as part of the heritage area established under the name “İzmir Historical Port City,” 41 belt buckles and 27 thimbles dating back to the Ottoman period have been unearthed.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS

Prof. Dr. Akın Ersoy, a faculty member in the Turkish-Islamic Archaeology Department at İKÇÜ and head of the Smyrna Ancient City Excavation Committee, provided information about the findings. He said, "We are conducting archaeological excavations in the historical city center. We are uncovering all kinds of remains from the Hellenistic period to the early Republican period. Among these remains, those from the last thousand years of Turkish rule in İzmir stand out. We are encountering various objects, as well as architectural remains from the Ottoman period, which most strongly represent this period. Thimbles and belt buckles are particularly interesting among these objects."

Prof. Dr. Ersoy, also touching on the significance of the finds for Izmir, said, "These finds also reveal that Izmir was a textile city. The artifacts found here are not objects used by people living in the palace, but rather objects used by people of a certain sociological and economic level."

'THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT'

Professor Dr. Harun Ürer, a faculty member in the Department of Turkish-Islamic Archaeology at İKÇÜ, said, "The excavations have yielded some very beautiful belt buckles and thimbles. These were some interesting finds for us. The abundance of these finds in Izmir, a city where cotton production is widespread, caught our attention. Belt buckles are both aesthetic and functional. These finds are 19th-century examples. When we compare examples found in kurgan structures from the 5th and 6th centuries BC with those of today, we see that they haven't changed much. The belt buckles everyone wears today are almost identical to those of the old era. The buckles you see here are of what we call a hooked design. Belts were people's luggage back then. They were items they hung their weapons and provisions on, or worn as badges of honor. These finds are generally made of bronze, copper, and brass. They are square and rectangular, with various decorations."