Excavation and restoration work, which started in 1980 at the Apollon Smintheus Sanctuary in Gülpınar village of Ayvacık district, continues with the participation of experts from different disciplines, including archaeologists, anthropologists, restorers, architects, art historians and epigraphers.
The studies were carried out by Ondokuz Mayıs University Archeology Department faculty member Prof. with the permission and support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums. Dr. It is run by Davut Kaplan.
İÇDAŞ and Hydro-Works companies also provide financial support to the excavations, which are carried out in coordination with Çanakkale Governorship, Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate and Çanakkale Archeology Museum.
During this year's excavations, the cold water pools (frigidarium) and dressing area (apodyterium) of the Roman bath, which is thought to date back to the 3rd century AD, were unearthed.
"ONLY THE WALLS AND RUBBLES OF THE BATH LEFT"
Prof. Dr. Davut Kaplan said that the water tank of the bath was unearthed during the studies carried out in 2025 and said, "There was a special section of the water tank. We identified a corridor passing under it. This corridor was a special corridor that the servants or slaves used to warm or clean the bath. After that water tank, we unearthed the first hot place of the bath, the Caldarium. There are two of this hot place. This bath belongs to the Pagan period of the Roman Empire. As always Even though the same people lived in Siminteion in Late Antiquity, they destroyed everything that was left from the Pagans because they changed their religion. In other words, the architectural structures were either reused by the aides, assistants and believers of Jesus, not by the people who believed in or worshiped Apollo, or their materials were removed and demolished to be reused in other buildings. When this happens, we cannot find the marble-covered spaces of the baths, which we call luxurious, intact, both from their walls and floors. "All the marble in this part of the heated bath was removed, and all we had left was the walls and rubble of the bath," he said.
"WE REACHED THE GROUND"
Prof. Dr. Kaplan continued his words as follows:
"We cleaned the Caldariums of the bath. There are also cold areas of this bath. Cold water pools were found inside. We have not opened the pools yet, but right next to it there is the first part of the bath, the entrance area. This is a section where those who enter the bath undress, prepare, lubricate and chat as the first thing they do. We are currently excavating this place. We have reached the ground. We are trying to determine the boundaries of this place. This is everything in the bath. In Turkish baths, sweating is in only one place, "The elite Romans, that is, the upper class, used the baths for luxury living. Therefore, their baths were a little more organized and more elaborate, with marble floors or mosaic floors."
"WE HAVE NOT REACHED THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE BATH OPENING TO THE HOLY ROAD YET"
Providing information about the entrance section of the bath, Prof. Dr. Kaplan said, "Behind the upper Roman class, there is a servant. They carry all the belongings of the Roman who comes to the bath. They take the clothes they take off and take care of them. But Romans can never wash or be found in the same place with the servant or slave. Now, we are excavating the changing room area, where the upper Roman layer and the bottom layer of Rome, that is, the slaves, meet and separate. There are 2 doors in front of us. One of the doors directly enters the ashtray where the fire and the stove burn. The other one also belongs to the slaves. "It is the door from which the bath comes out, it is only for slaves and servants. But our real door, the main entrance to the bath, will be revealed with the excavations that will continue from now on. We connected the cold spaces to the warm spaces, we found the servant corridors, but we have not yet reached the main entrance of the bath, which opens to the sacred road."
