Skip to content

Phoenix Archeological Project

The Phoenix Archaeological Project (PAP) is a new generation research project initiated in 2021 under the directorship of Dr. Asil Yaman, with official permits from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums. It is carried out in Muğla province, Marmaris district, specifically in the neighborhoods of Söğüt and Taşlıca. The project involves archaeological surface surveys, excavation works, and multidisciplinary research conducted in collaboration with international and diverse teams.

The main objective of PAP is to document the tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the southwest of the Bozburun Peninsula, and to contribute to the preservation of the cultural and natural landscape by presenting the obtained data to the international scientific community on various platforms. To achieve this goal, long-term collaborative projects are being developed with an international team of experts in the fields of Archaeology, Archaeometry, History, Sociology, Philosophy, Geology, Geophysics, Ecology, Cultural Heritage, Architecture, and Contemporary Art, who are affiliated with 13 different institutes in 6 countries.

In addition to scientific goals, the Phoenix project implements social responsibility and educational programs for the local community in collaboration with international institutions like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and national non-governmental organizations such as the Mide Lobisi Association.

WHO ARE WE?

We are a team consisting of scientists, artists, professionals, and volunteers from different fields, envisioning a sustainable, new-generation, and participatory scientific research in and around the ancient site of Phoenix. We work tirelessly to turn this vision into reality.

WHAT IS PAP?

The Phoenix Archaeology Project is a multinational and multidisciplinary archaeological excavation and research project conducted in the village of Taşlıca and Söğüt in Marmaris, Muğla. Its main objective is to document the tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the southwest of the Bozburun Peninsula, present the acquired data to the scientific community, and contribute to the preservation of cultural assets. To achieve this goal, long-term collaborative projects are being developed in the fields of Archaeology, Anthropology, Archaeometry, History, Sociology, Geology, Geophysics, Ecology, Philosophy, Cultural Heritage, Architecture, and Contemporary Art.

WHERE?

The city center and acropolis of the ancient Phoenix are located approximately 4 km south of the village of Taşlıca in Marmaris district, in the eastern part of the Sindili Plain, at an elevation of around 250 meters above sea level. The fortified hill known as Hisar Tepe surrounds the city center. Adjacent to the city center, about 500 meters north, there is the Apollo Sanctuary and a church dated to the Byzantine period. Step-pyramidal tombs, chamber tombs, and stone sarcophagi observed along the northern and southern lines of the acropolis indicate that the necropolis of the city extends to a wide area. Ancient agricultural terraces, farms, and olive oil production facilities are other significant elements that complete the rural landscape. Preliminary observations suggest that Söğüt in the north and the ancient Serçe Harbor in the south were used as ports for Phoenix.

WHEN?

The Phoenix Archaeology Project was initiated in 2021 with the official permits of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums. It is planned to continue the fieldwork of the project in the long term.

HOW?

In the fieldwork of PAP, systematic intensive surface survey methods widely accepted in archaeology are applied, while archaeological excavation work follows the Locus-Lot system. These activities are integrated with other disciplines such as Geophysics, Architecture, Ecology, Anthropology, Sociology, Oral History, Philosophy, Cultural Heritage, and Site Management. The data collected in the field are simultaneously recorded and processed into a web-based digital database.