Minister Ersoy announces discovery of 2,500-year-old statue at Sardis

A well-preserved 2.2-meter-tall marble statue of a young man dating to the 5th century BCE was unearthed during excavations at the ancient city of Sardis in Manisa’s Salihli district.

Scraper SystemAugust 03, 2026, 12:07 PM

Minister Ersoy announces discovery of 2,500-year-old statue at Sardis

A monumental marble statue depicting a standing young man was found during excavations at the ancient city of Sardis in Manisa’s Salihli district, conducted under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums. Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in a social media post: “A unique discovery at Sardis that will shed light on Anatolian archaeology!

“During excavations at the ancient city of Sardis in Manisa, we unearthed a roughly 2,500-year-old statue of a young man dating to the first half of the 5th century BCE. The 2.2-meter-tall marble statue is among the rare examples of the period’s sculpture due to its monumental size, well-preserved condition and striking details.”

The work was used as spolia in the paving of a colonnaded street during the Roman period. Its placement face down helped preserve it to a significant extent over the centuries. The unusual clothing details on the statue bear traces of Lydian culture. The statue, which appears to hold a fruit, offers important data that will contribute to understanding life, the world of belief and cultural interaction in Sardis during the period.

Sardes'te 2 bin 500 yıllık anıtsal heykel gün yüzüne çıkarıldı — Notbir

Scientific examination and conservation work will be carried out meticulously, including research into any traces of paint that may have survived on the surface of the work. Once the work is completed, this rare artifact will be displayed for visitors at the Manisa Museum.

“I thank our General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, our academics, our experts and all our colleagues working meticulously in the field for contributing to the unearthing of this valuable work.” The statue, dated to between 470 and 450 BCE, was determined to have a current height of 2.2 meters.

The work, one of the rare examples of its period due to its larger-than-life dimensions, was found in two large pieces. The statue’s feet and some smaller fragments were found to be missing. It was determined that the statue had been used as spolia in the paving of the colonnaded street at the entrance to Sardis during the Roman period, with its face placed downward.

This helped preserve the statue’s facial features and details to a significant extent over the centuries. During the excavation, the area around the statue was carefully cleared, and the work was safely removed from its location by a team of experts. TRACES OF LYDIAN CULTURE The statue’s upright posture and long hair recall examples from the 6th century BCE, while its facial features, the anatomical details of its hands and other characteristics point to the first half of the 5th century BCE.

The young man wears a thick himation, a thin chiton and another garment beneath them featuring horizontal lines. This form of dress, not encountered in similar statues from Anatolia and Greece, reveals the work’s local characteristics and its connection to Lydian culture.

The statue’s right hand holds a fruit believed to have been carried as an offering to a god or goddess. Researchers are considering that the fruit may be a quince. IT WILL SHED LIGHT ON SARDIS’S ELITE The work dates to the period when Sardis was the satrapal capital of the western province of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.

The monumental statue stands out for bringing together the understanding of classical art that developed in the Aegean with Lydian clothing traditions and visual language. The rarity in the Mediterranean region of monumental statues of this size and in such good condition dating to the early periods increases the find’s significance for Anatolian archaeology. The work is expected to provide new data on the culture, beliefs and daily life of the elite living in Sardis in the early 5th century BCE.

PAINT TRACES WILL BE INVESTIGATED USING SCIENTIFIC METHODS It is known that marble statues of this kind were mostly painted in antiquity. The surface of the Sardis statue, which remained underground for many years, is covered with a thick and hard layer of accumulated material.

The conservation team will conduct a comprehensive scientific study to clean the work without damaging any pigments that may have survived on it. As part of the work, which will also involve specialists in ancient polychrome sculpture, traces of paint that may be present on the statue’s surface and in the soil around it will be examined.

After cleaning, scientific examination and restoration are completed, the work will be displayed at the Manisa Museum.

Minister Ersoy announces discovery of 2,500-year-old statue at Sardis

A well-preserved 2.2-meter-tall marble statue of a young man dating to the 5th century BCE was unearthed during excavations at the ancient city of Sardis in Manisa’s Salihli district.